A recent article in Supply Chain Digest (June 23, 2011) discussed results from a Gartner study that are interesting from the perspective of global trade management. According to Dan Gilmore, SC Digest editor, of the 300 respondents “34% say they consider supply chain the leading source of their company’s competitive advantage, 40% identify SCM as [...]
Inbound Logistics recently published 10 tips from Nathan Pieri, SVP of Marketing and Product Management at Management Dynamics, on how to cut costs from your logistics budget. By reviewing your processes, and applying these tips below, you’ll be on the road to a slimmed-down budget in no time. 1. Eliminate supply chain bottlenecks. By periodically [...]
In the Manufacturing & Logistics IT article, On time, on target, the authors spoke with a variety of key players within the transportation management systems and services market about the scope of solutions currently available and how they can enhance operational efficiencies for today’s increasingly demanding logistics professionals. The market is now so competitive, that companies [...]
Here’s a cool story I found about two competitors working together for a greater benefit: Nestlé and Mars join forces in logistics collaboration. Nestle and Mars are sharing trucks to deliver combined loads of chocolate. In the past 11 weeks, over 60 loads have been combined, and approximately 7,500 miles of duplicate truck journeys have [...]
International Freighting Weekly is reporting today that deep sea carrier CMA CGM is expected to pull out of the red, and break even in December, thanks to a combination of cost-cutting measures they’ve implemented, and a rebound in shipping rates and volume. According to IFW, the cost-cutting measures include: Closing of secondary lines to concentrate [...]
According to the 18th Annual Tends and Issues in Transportation and Logistics Study, sponsored by Capgemini Consulting and JDA Software, there’s been a significant increase in the number of shippers who ranked cost-cutting as their top priority: 44% in 2009, compared to 35.5% in 2008 (not too surprising, given the state of the economy). Meanwhile, [...]
As of late, economic conditions have forced carriers to reduce their rates to extremely low levels. Seemingly good news for shippers. However, now many carriers are saying that these rates have sunk to levels that are unsustainable, and they will be forced to raise them again in coming weeks. This could cause a couple of [...]
How well is your logistics spend area organized? Recently, logistics spend management has been moving toward a more centralized approach than has been taken in the past. If spend management is handled under a global logistics purchasing organization, redundancies are less-likely, and cost-saving opportunities are more likely to be identified. This article from Purchasing Magazine dives [...]
For the first time in six years, U.S. logistics costs dropped last year, according to a report released this week by the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP). In 2008, total spending on U.S. logistics dropped $49 billion from what it was in 2007. In an article from Supply Chain Management Review, the author [...]
