Technology

Firearm Distributors Use RFID Technology to Track Weapons as They Move Through the DC

January 30, 2013

Two gun distributors-American Tactical Imports (ATI) and AmChar Wholesale-are installing a radio frequency identification solution from Annapolis, Md., logistics-management software firm AdvanTech Inc. to help them track firearms passing through their facility.

GlaxoSmithKline Goes to Once-a-Month Vendor Payment System

January 30, 2013

Business Week

The Forum for Private Business, a British small business lobbying group, recently sought to publicly shame GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) after the drugmaker told suppliers it would pay invoices only once a month, rather than on a rolling basis as they come due.

Aras Issues Update of PLM App With Microsoft Office Connector

January 29, 2013

Aras

Aras, a vendor of product lifecycle management (PLM) software, has released the Microsoft Office Connector for Aras Innovator.

Blue Ridge Debuts Mobile App for Retail Replenishment

January 29, 2013

Blue Ridge Inventory Group LLC

Blue Ridge Inventory Group LLC has developed a mobile application to aid in planning and forecasting for retail store replenishment.

Laser Structuring Method Reportedly Embeds RFID Tag Antennas in Goods

January 29, 2013

RFID Journal

Some RFID label manufacturers, as well as vendors of goods tracked via radio frequency identification, are taking advantage of a new technology developed by LPKF Laser + Electronics AG that enables the laser-printing of an antenna and circuit board for RFID transmission.

Mobilizing Transportation Managers to Find the Right Answers Whenever, Wherever

January 29, 2013

C.H. Robinson Worldwide

Transportation managers are expected to respond to inquiries regardless of where they are or what they are doing when the question is asked. In order to respond to this flow of questions, managers must be able to access detailed shipment information that traditionally have not been available through mobile technology. This, in turn, requires systems developers to design and implement mobile information platforms that can be easily accessed from the road.

The World of Connected Care

January 29, 2013

Bill McBeath, chief research officer, ChainLink Research

Global Truck Fleet Management System Revenues Could Surpass $27Bn in 2018

January 28, 2013

ABI Research

"The commercial telematics industry continues to see strong growth with fleet management system vendors increasing their installed base of vehicles under management. While until recently reaching the milestone of 100,000 subscriptions was exceptional, more than 20 vendors have now exceeded this number with Masternaut, TrafficMaster, Telogis and TomTom even having passed the 200,000 mark and Fleetmatics, Trimble and Qualcomm the 300,000 mark," says ABI Research vice president and practice director Dominique Bonte.

Agilent's Vertically Integrated Supply Chain

January 28, 2013

SupplyChainBrain

Sun Lieu, head of supply chain engineering at the Electronics Measurement Business Group of Agilent Technologies, talks about the supply chain challenges of a high-mix, low-volume business and describes Agilent's two-level supplier collaboration model.

China's E-Commerce Growth Reportedly Hampered by Fulfillment, Logistics Bottlenecks

January 28, 2013

Americas Logistics

China's e-commerce market continues to skyrocket with estimates of 2012 B2C sales likely to top $107bn. However, this growth has placed pressure on the logistics infrastructure resulting in delivery issues. Not only is delivery a problem, but according to 360Buy, one of the largest Chinese e-commerce providers, "E-commerce is developing quickly but fulfillment and logistics are the key bottlenecks."

Technology

The latest news, analysis and trends regarding technology solutions and their impact on supply chain management. New technologies in forecasting and demand planning, supply chain visibility, big data analytics, the internet of things (IoT), cloud and software as a service (SaaS), enterprise resource planning (ERP) and transportation management systems (TMS) and WMS are transforming the way companies do business - and allowing them to stay ahead of the competition in their industries. As these solutions continue to evolve, businesses are discovering new ways to increase efficiency and cut costs. Learn how companies around the world are improving operations through their strategic use of supply chain technology solutions.