All Features Entries

Tuesday, March 01, 2011

The number of supply chain organizations planning to spend on materials handling equipment and technology is increasing; but after being in “survival mode” for so long, budgets are small and decision makers are still wary.

Seven years after the Wal-Mart RFID mandate, the technology is alive and growing in logistics and supply chain operations. While most companies are not attempting to track cases and pallets through an open supply chain—which was the idea back in 2003—a new vision for RFID is taking hold and driving real value for early adopters.

Today, fuel and capacity issues continue to loom large for air cargo carriers, while shippers are being told that tactical adjustments, especially in the growing Intra-Asia trade, will need to be made at a moment’s notice as carriers re-adjust their networks.

Our contributing technology editor documents how far SaaS has infiltrated the SCM software space and then introduces us to a shipper that’s partnered with its 3PL to leverage a hosted solution that’s managing its domestic and international moves.

Given the escalating offshore labor and energy costs, hemispheric trade has never been more attractive to U.S. shippers. But are they prepared with the global trade management strategies needed to navigate this regulatory landscape? Our panel weighs the risks and rewards of doing business with Canada and Mexico.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

By banking on a combination of cross-docking and flow-through distribution to rapidly provide its customers with the latest fashions at affordable prices, the retailer has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in a highly competitive retail landscape.

Rob Martinez, president and CEO of Shipware Systems Corp., Jerry Hempstead, president of Hempstead Consulting, and David Ross, transportation and logistics director for Stifel Nicolaus equity research, engage in a free-flowing exchange of views on price trends, service enhancements, and operational strategies being implemented in the parcel express sector.

Kate Vitasek, Pete Moore, and Bonnie Keith, members of the University of Tennessee's center for Executive Education share their five steps and a series of tips to improve your outsourcing relationship right from the start.

As the global trade engine kicks back into gear, new demands for electronic notifications and the need for better, more efficient trade compliance are buoying the global trade management market. Are you prepared to harness your organization’s global opportunities?

Monday, January 24, 2011

Listen to Group Editorial Director Michael Levans, Executive Editor Patrick Burnson, and a panel of leading energy and transportation analysts as they give shippers an updated look at the key drivers behind the increasing transportation rates U.S. logistics professionals will face over the course of 2011.