Technology

Kmart Australia's Supply Chain Goes Direct to the Source

August 6, 2012

As part of a program to cut costs and guarantee the lowest prices on the market, the big retailer seeks to boost its reliance on direct sourcing. But the change will require a major overhaul of its IT supply-chain infrastructure for dealing with key suppliers.

The Evolution of Voice Applications

August 6, 2012

SupplyChainBrain

Advances in voice technology have made the productivity and accuracy benefits of voice-directed applications much more widely available, without extensive and expensive software implementation, says Mark Engemann, Southeast regional account manager at Wavelink.

CEVA Logistics Develops Its First Mobile App for Shipment Tracking

August 6, 2012

CEVA Logistics

CEVA Logistics has launched its first mobile app, CEVA Mobile, enabling customers to track the precise location of air, ocean and customs brokerage shipments through the iPhone or iPad.

You Know Governance/Risk Management/Compliance Is Important, But Can You Define It?

August 3, 2012

CFO

Financial executives may wonder about all the fuss surrounding "GRC," or governance, risk management, and compliance. Is it just a repackaging by consultants and software vendors that brings together risk and compliance management? Why does everyone have a different definition of GRC, and if it is actually important, how do we know our GRC processes are effective?

Brother Gets Smart About Shipment Tracking

August 3, 2012

SupplyChainBrain

The manufacturer of numerous items, ranging from sewing machines to multifunctional copiers, Brother found paper-based tracking of shipments from Asia to its U.S. destinations was simply inadequate. It made the smart move to a SaaS-based tracking and monitoring solution.

Contech Builds Agility into Its Construction Business

August 3, 2012

SupplyChainBrain

A civil-engineering firm finds that the right approach to sales and operations planning helps it bridge volatile market conditions and take advantage of opportunities.

Do I Really Need a Tier 1 WMS?

August 3, 2012

Ian Hobkirk, Managing Director, Commonwealth Supply Chain Advisors

Do you really need a Tier 1 WMS? We asked ourselves this question recently and did a little research to confirm some thoughts that Commonwealth has had for a while on the subject. Companies that are undertaking a WMS selection project often assume out of the gate that they need a top-tier WMS system and limit their search to a handful of these providers. Make no mistake - many companies with complex distribution needs and high throughput requirements may require a new WMS from Tier-1 provider. However, for companies with only moderately complex distribution centers, our research showed that the mid-tier WMS providers have been hard at work in recent years, developing features and functionality that can fill these needs.

JustEnough Software Releases Update of Mobile App for iPad

August 3, 2012

JustEnough Software

JustEnough Software, a specialist in demand-management applications for retailers, distributors and brand owners, has released a new version of its app for mobile sales force automation. JustEnough Mobile is available on the Apple iPad.

New Offering From Dell Addresses Issue of 'Big Data' Analytics

August 3, 2012

Dell Inc.

Dell Inc. has developed a new service for the retention and analysis of "big data." The product integrates with existing analytics platforms as a front-end repository for large datasets, or as a back-end archive.

100 Great Supply Chain Partners 2012

August 2, 2012

SupplyChainBrain

While red-carpet treatment is sometimes extended to celebrities who have done little or nothing to deserve it - can you say Kardashian? - most of the time such recognition is reserved for people who have actually achieved something. Often that means they have done something helpful or beneficial for others. And that's the group we celebrate in this, our annual 100 Great Supply Chain Partners issue.

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.