The goal of intelligent transportation planning is to enable decisions based on what is happening across the entire supply chain, from upstream demand to downstream constraints, in order to create both value and resiliency, says Fabrizio Brasca, vice president of solutions strategy at JDA Software.
The focus of RFID in the supply chain has shifted from case tagging to item tagging, says Ann Grackin, CEO of ChainLink Research. Grackin explains why this is so and details other areas of the supply chain where RFID is being embraced.
Providing parts and sub-assemblies to automotive production lines is a highly complex activity, requiring rapid, automated sequencing and sophisticated error proofing. Bo Cheng, director of the automotive business at Comprehensive Logistics, explains how his company is keeping pace as automotive volumes return to pre-recession levels.
Picking in a frozen environment with heavy gloves, paper and pencil impaired the productivity and accuracy of operations at Perry's Ice Cream in Akron, N.Y. A voice-picking system from Vocollect enabled Perry's to solve these problems and gain other benefits.
The challenges of omnichannel distribution are perhaps the largest issues facing retailers today. Two senior consultants from Kurt Salmon identify solutions that can help retailers deal with omnichannel demands today and stay ahead of future changes.
JDA Software recently formed a new global 3PL business unit to focus on sales and product development for this market sector. Unit leader Peter van Merode discusses the strategy behind this move and shares views on the global 3PL market.
Randy Curran, CEO of OHL, talks about the impact of e-commerce on the 3PL industry today and in the future and discusses how the omnichannel customer is changing logistics operations.
Tim Voulopos grew up around transportation, majored in logistics and then worked his way up to an executive position at Cardinal Logistics Management. Today there is more technology and fewer drivers, which presents a real challenge, but the basics of trucking really haven't changed, he says.
Changes in the work force are driving companies to automate as much as possible and, where automation isn't feasible, to implement labor management best practices using standards and incentives, says Mike Romano, president of Associated Integrated Supply Chain Solutions.
Stage Stores, which operates 880 small-town department stores under such names as Beall's and Peebles, has learned the value of having products delivered floor ready. Tim Duvic, vice president of distribution, explains how the company educates its suppliers on packaging and preparing orders for fast processing on receipt.