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November 2008
When an item really has to get there -- and fast -- critical shipment service providers spring into action.
November 2008
Taking a lesson from a holiday hero with a glowing red nose, retailers and suppliers embrace accurate planning, lean strategies, and transportation efficiency to guide their supply chain sleigh through any storm.
November 2008
The multimodal transportation network known as NASCO runs through the heart of trade in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Find out what makes this corridor unique and why companies are banding together to support it.
November 2008
Pharmaceutical manufacturers, drug distributors, and health care providers are taking a double dose of technology and business process improvement to keep consumers safe and competition one step behind.
October 2008
Ocean carriers toss out lifelines to help shippers navigate economic riptides.
October 2008
Inbound Logistics invites you to tour some of the ocean freight industry's top players.
October 2008
The road to successful Pacific Rim outsourcing has more than its share of bumps. Here are some turn-by-turn directions to the path of least resistance.
October 2008
With its wealth of resources, central location, highly developed infrastructure, depth of logistics and transportation services, and talented labor pool, Memphis claims its right to the title "North America's Logistics Center." No wonder so many companies can't help falling in love with Memphis.
October 2008
Throughout the United States, local, regional, and state economic development authorities are ramping up investments in transportation and logistics infrastructure to stimulate and sustain business growth.
Ground Tactics: Optimizing Transportation Networks
September 2008
Battle-weary shippers design strategic networks to withstand market challenges.
September 2008
Our annual Motor Freight Market Insight Survey provides an in-depth look at the trucking sector. Motor carriers and Inbound Logistics readers address growth areas and obstacles.
September 2008
Freight payment services are no longer just about paying your carriers quickly. Today's freight payment service providers have expanded their portfolios to offer an array of cost-cutting, productivity, and efficiency benefits.
September 2008
Purchasing managers juggle a To-Do list of stressful, business-critical tasks -- from striking the best deals to projecting demand to staying abreast of financial and political changes worldwide. Listen in as four purchasing managers chat about challenges and shoot the breeze on strategy.
August 2008
Retailers are deploying a number of survival strategies and tactics to cope with the U.S. economic downturn.
August 2008
Variety and freshness are paramount to keeping fast-food customers hungry for more and supply lines and inventory ripe and ready for change. Fast-food chains look to logistics service providers with a similar craving for made-to-order selectivity, quality, and service - all at an affordable cost.
August 2008
With safety and recalls, sustainability, rising costs, and infrastructure improvements the usual suspects, food companies investigate strategies for locking down supply chain management efficiencies.
July 2008
When shippers mix the 3PL elements of expertise, process efficiency, and technology into their supply chain, the results are potent. Eureka! A stronger, more efficient, and cost-effective logistics operation! Step into the logistics lab for a look at how and why outsourcing can give businesses a positive charge.
July 2008
Discovering 3PL market insight and trends.
From the Back Room to the Boardroom: Logistics Gets on the Agenda
July 2008
From the Back Room to the Boardroom: Logistics Gets on the Agenda
July 2008
Supply chain management is no longer a backroom function. It has secured its place at the boardroom table, and greatly impacts corporate success.
Project Logistics: Mission Possible
July 2008
Project Logistics: Mission Possible
July 2008
Their mission, should they decide to accept it, is to transport sensitive materials around the globe. They'll grapple with issues of size, time, cost, scheduling, security, and fragility. Failure is not an option. They are project logistics professionals.
Green Packaging: Waste Not, Want Not
July 2008
Green Packaging: Waste Not, Want Not
July 2008
By moving beyond conventional packaging methods and materials, companies can reduce their carbon footprints as well as their transportation spend and warehousing costs.
Snapshot: Sewing Up the Apparel Supply Chain
July 2008
Snapshot: Sewing Up the Apparel Supply Chain
July 2008
Weak supplier relationships, restrictive trade regulations, and brand counterfeiting can put a wrinkle in garment transport. How do apparel shippers keep from getting tied up in knots.
Fresh Water Rising: Charting Great Lakes Shipping
July 2008
Fresh Water Rising: Charting Great Lakes Shipping
July 2008
A once-flourishing means of transportation is poised to not only withstand change, but also thrive on it.
Summer Reading Guide 2008
July 2008
Summer Reading Guide 2008
July 2008
After you pack the picnic basket with sandwiches, potato salad, and lemonade, toss in one of these interesting summer reads. You'll quench your appetite and your thirst for supply chain knowledge at the same time.
Airfreight Logistics: Plane and Simple Strategies
June 2008
Airfreight Logistics: Plane and Simple Strategies
June 2008
Although high fuel costs cloud the view, airfreight forwarders still play a vital role in transportation and supply chain strategies.
IL Exclusive Research:
Airfreight Forwarders Perspectives 2008
June 2008
IL Exclusive Research:
Airfreight Forwarders Perspectives 2008
June 2008
In a recent survey, Inbound Logistics asked airfreight forwarders how they are expanding their global coverage and services to meet shipper and corporate expectations. Listen in as they air their thoughts.
Learning for Life
June 2008
Learning for Life
June 2008
Logistics professionals who pursue continuing education keep up with industry innovations and move ahead in their careers.
Exclusive IL/Chemical Week Supplement: Chemical Logistics
June 2008
Exclusive IL/Chemical Week Supplement: Chemical Logistics
June 2008
What is the state of today's chemical logistics market? Find out in this informative resource from Inbound Logistics and Chemical Week.
June 2008
As rising fuel costs and lengthening supply lines give businesses further pause assessing total landed logistics costs and proximity to market, Latin America finds itself squarely in the middle of an emerging logistics land swap. Thanks to the pioneering efforts of visionary 3PLs, U.S. companies are prospecting sites in Mexico, Brazil, and elsewhere as they explore new sourcing and selling opportunities.
Warehouse Labor Performance: And the Winner is...Everyone
May 2008
Warehouse Labor Performance: And the Winner is...Everyone
May 2008
Looking for award-winning performance incentives for your warehouse workforce? The nominees are: Measuring Productivity; Setting Labor Standards; Implementing Gainsharing Programs; Training Workers for Results; and Promoting Safe Practices.
Getting Lean and Going Green: Innovations in Warehouse Operations
May 2008
Getting Lean and Going Green: Innovations in Warehouse Operations
May 2008
When warehouses and DCs explore innovative ways to optimize flow and reduce waste, the benefits can be bottom-line friendly and eco-friendly, too.
May 2008
When it comes to economic development, there are two Americas -- communities that invest in transportation infrastructure and those that don't. Here are three that do.
May 2008
Looking for easy access to major U.S. markets? A gateway for international trade free of traffic snarls? Inexpensive utilities and real estate with plenty of room to expand logistics or manufacturing operations? Spokane is just what you're looking for.
Balancing Act: Matching Supply to Demand
April 2008
Balancing Act: Matching Supply to Demand
April 2008
Three companies at different stages of demand-driven sophistication use greater visibility, automated data flow, and real-time alerts to preserve the delicate balance between suppliers and customers.
TMS Under the Microscope
April 2008
TMS Under the Microscope
April 2008
Companies take a closer look at technology solutions to discover the secret of optimizing transportation operations.
IT Perspectives 2008
April 2008
IT Perspectives 2008
April 2008
Supply chains are only as flexible as the technology that exists to support them -- and thanks to an emerging class of logistics IT providers, and a new breed of sophisticated solutions, there are plenty of options to help enterprises respond more quickly and efficiently to shifting market dynamics.
Small Business Logistics: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
April 2008
Small Business Logistics: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
April 2008
Small businesses level the playing field by getting a boost from
big service providers.
big service providers.
*One Good Turn (sponsored by SmartTurn)
SmartTurn gives Osteogenics Biomedical inventory insight while streamlining and expediting warehouse operations.
April 2008
Beverage makers drink a toast to forecasting, TMS, and WMS solutions, which help them keep shelves stocked when customers' glasses are half empty.
Study Highlights Strategic Role for Logistics
March 2008
Study Highlights Strategic Role for Logistics
March 2008
(Online Exclusive)
For all the operational advances chemical logistics achieved in the past few years, and for all the savings producers and shippers have realized, large opportunities for gaining efficiency and saving money remain. The most important advance would be for logistics to be included in the strategic planning stages with an equal seat at the table with production and sales.
Congress Plans Changes to Chemical Regulations
March 2008
March 2008
(Online Exclusive)
Within days of the late-January deadline for chemical producers and distributors to file their ³top screen² hazard-assessment questionnaire to the Department of Homeland Security, a Congressional subcommittee approved legislation to further tighten handling, transportation, and reporting rules for hazardous materials. Chemical producers, distributors, and carriers responded with a quick and loud call for legislators to wait for current rules to work before changing them.
Brenntag Acquires Schoofs, Names New Regional President
March 2008
March 2008
(Online Exclusive)
Global chemical distributor Brenntag is not just California dreaming. It recently acquired West Coast specialty chemicals distributor Schoofs, Inc. based in Moraga, CA, and named Steven M. Pozzi as president of Brenntag Pacific, based in Santa Fe Springs, CA. No price was disclosed for the acquisition.
Tracking Totes Turns to Technology
March 2008
Premium Trucking: The Right Tools for the Right Job
Sustainability: Green is the New Black
West Meets East
March 2008
(Online Exclusive)
As totes and intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) become more sophisticated and more expensive, chemical producers and distributors view them more as a fleet such as rail cars or tank trailers rather than as a disposable cost of doing business. Strict new rules on tracking and tracing hazardous materials also make it imperative for shippers to know where their containers are.
Globe Spinning
Made in China: Perspectives on the Global Management Giant
Snap Shot: Furniture Logistics
March 2008
As the world flattens, global sourcing invariably becomes more dynamic. Sophisticated technologies and an emerging crop of offshore suitors are forcing today's intrepid explorers to balance reason with instinct.
Made in China: Perspectives on the Global Management Giant
March 2008
What makes logistics in China so challenging? Who's really to blame for its much-publicized product quality failures? What's the secret to outsourcing success? A trio of industry experts responds.
Snap Shot: Furniture Logistics
March 2008
Will the shift to global sourcing - combined with an economic downturn, housing slump, high fuel costs, and lack of visibility - unseat the furniture industry?
February 2008
From an undergrad learning the fundamentals to a Ph.D candidate conducting groundbreaking research, meet the students pursuing supply chain education at all levels.
February 2008
As new challenges drive the need for leaner and faster automotive parts logistics, suppliers ask 3PLs to take the wheel.
February 2008
Is the latest gadget a hit or just hype? Will that newfangled gizmo be cutting- edge for a year or obsolete in a month? Fickle buyers and unpredictable lifecycles can short-circuit the consumer electronics supply chain.
January 2008
From yesterday's legacies to tomorrow's visionaries, the theory and practice of inbound logistics is timeless.
January 2008
Here's a look at the less- than-glamorous work that unsung logistics heroes perform every day.
January 2008
Leading C-level execs with 260 years of combined logistics and transportation experience address tough industry questions. Their advice, words of caution, and strategic vision can help you face the challenges of 2008 and beyond.
Premium Trucking: The Right Tools for the Right Job
January 2008
For many high-value shippers, enhanced efficiency, customer service, and profitability offset the cost of investing in DCC, white-glove, and last-mile services.
Sustainability: Green is the New Black
January 2008
It's not easy being green. But, driven by impending regulations, consumer pressure, and mandates from corporations such as Wal-Mart, more and more companies are forging ahead with supply chain sustainability efforts.
West Meets East
January 2008
Make a good impression on potential business partners in China by orienting yourself to some key cultural differences.
January 2008
Transportation infrastructure lies at the heart of Mexico's ambitious plans for the future.
January 2008
They might not yet have the clout of their long-in-the- tooth but short-on-space peers, but that's exactly why shippers are gravitating toward their pull. These new logistics hotspots are committed to going to the ends of the earth - and then some - to meet shipper and consignee needs.
January 2008
Is product lifecycle management the next market opportunity for third-party logistics providers?
December 2007
A soft economy, increasing global competition, the Mississippi River bridge collapse, and an influx of product recalls give global shippers plenty of reasons to slow down and check the rear-view mirror before accelerating into 2008.
December 2007
As the transportation management systems market broadens, and as software delivery options expand, businesses increasingly have TMS on the brain.
Career Solutions: It's Who You Know
December 2007
Career Solutions: It's Who You Know
December 2007
A well-engineered network of professional contacts provides the structural support to build a logistics career with potential for expansion.
Expedited Shipping: ''We Need It Yesterday!''
Expedited Shipping: ''We Need It Yesterday!''
November 2007
Business is a blur for expedited carriers, and that's just the way shippers like it.
November 2007
Changing consumer buying habits compel retailers to integrate in-store, catalog, and online channels to keep inventory on hand and shoppers coming back for more.
November 2007
The multimodal transportation network known as NASCO runs through the heart of trade in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Find out what makes this corridor unique and why companies are banding together to support it.
Rockin' Rail
October 2007
Rockin' Rail
October 2007
For years the rails sang the blues. Now they rock around the clock. Could rail transport soon be the leader of the pack?
Logistics at Sea Level
October 2007
Logistics at Sea Level
October 2007
Ocean, rail, and intermodal leaders discuss why capacity concerns, infrastructure inadequacies, and a paucity of policy keep them up at night.
Drum Beaters
October 2007
Drum Beaters
October 2007
Bulk containers and 55-gallon drums continue to duke it out.
Bulk containers are the heavyweight favorite, but the venerable drum has not yet gone down for the count.
Setting Sites On Tomorrow
October 2007
Bulk containers are the heavyweight favorite, but the venerable drum has not yet gone down for the count.
Setting Sites On Tomorrow
October 2007
Third-parties and economic development interests can help businesses look beyond the basics to find sites fit for today and tomorrow.
E-Commerce Network Posts Profit, Holds First Conferences
October 2007
E-Commerce Network Posts Profit, Holds First Conferences
October 2007
(Online Exclusive)
Elemica, the virtual supply chain management network for chemicals, reports $50 billion worth of transactions for the fiscal year just ended and will hold its first Supply Chain Collaboration Conference at Ashland Inc. facilities in Dublin, Ohio.
Univar Acquires Dow Canada Inorganics Distribution
October 2007
October 2007
(Online Exclusive)
Univar Canada, based in Vancouver, has signed an agreement to purchase Dow Canada's western Canada caustic soda distribution assets. Those include all related supply and sales contracts, as well as storage and transportation assets and a proprietary fleet of 374 railcars.
Inbound Traffic Control
September 2007
September 2007
Tracking inbound transportation used to fly under shippers' radar screens. Today, however, companies as large as Pepsico and as small as Pamida know the position of every shipment headed their way.
Inbound Logistics Trucking Perspectives 2007
September 2007
Inbound Logistics Trucking Perspectives 2007
September 2007
An in-depth look at motor carriers and their customers.
Specialized Carriers: And Now for Something Completely Different
September 2007
Specialized Carriers: And Now for Something Completely Different
September 2007
From traversing the tundra to White Glove residential deliveries the last mile is the most important.
September 2007
The cost-savings benefits of outsourcing freight bill payment
and audit are well-documented. But it's the decision-support data these third parties provide that delivers the real payoff.
Managing Domestic Supply Chains
August 2007
and audit are well-documented. But it's the decision-support data these third parties provide that delivers the real payoff.
Managing Domestic Supply Chains
August 2007
How consumer goods manufacturers leverage domestic supply chains for fast cycle times that global outsourcing can't match.
Temperature-Controlled Logistics: Provide or Perish
August 2007
Temperature-Controlled Logistics: Provide or Perish
August 2007
Whether shipping fruit, seafood, flowers, or any other perishable goods, transportation must be fresh, fast, and error-free.
Welcome to The 3PL Zone
July 2007
Welcome to The 3PL Zone
July 2007
There is a dimension beyond that which is known. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between demand and supply, between strategy and tactics, and it lies somewhere between the pit of an enterprise's fears and the summit of its visibility and knowledge.
"Go Ahead...Pile It On!''
July 2007
"Go Ahead...Pile It On!''
July 2007
Today's outsourcers expect 3PLs to offer a wide range of value-added services. 3PLs respond.
Outsourced Logistics: 4Ward Momentum
July 2007
Outsourced Logistics: 4Ward Momentum
July 2007
What is the real role of today's 4PLs? How do they differ from 3PLs? Who's driving the growth of this outsourced logistics niche?
Inbound Logistics picks up the lead and explores the changing dynamics of the 4PL/LLP market.
Inbound Logistics Market Insight Survey: 3PL Perspectives
July 2007
Inbound Logistics picks up the lead and explores the changing dynamics of the 4PL/LLP market.
Inbound Logistics Market Insight Survey: 3PL Perspectives
July 2007
IL's annual 3PL Market Insight Survey offers a penetrating perspective into the market drivers governing 3PL growth strategies - in terms of operational scope, as well as the types of services and technologies logistics providers are investing in to meet outsourcers' evolving needs.
Global Logistics Spotlight: Dubai Flying High
July 2007
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Global Logistics Spotlight: Dubai Flying High
July 2007
With constant new development, soaring air cargo growth, and a busy port system, Dubai is shaping up to be the crown jewel of logistics in the Middle East.