November, 2017

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Are You Overproducing Improvements?

The Lean Thinker

Imagine a factory with a large monument machine. It takes several days to set up. When it does run, it runs very fast, much faster than you can actually use its output. Therefore, you take the excess output and store it to use later. Actually, you don’t know how many items you need to make, so you make as many as you can while the machine is available to you.

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Bombas Relies on Outsourced Order Fulfillment to Handle Demand

Amware Logistics and Fulfillment

Lights. Camera. Avalanche. This past October, sock company Bombas , experienced a Black Friday-like business peak after a highly-positive segment on Good Morning America. The TV coverage sparked an immediate 1,600% increase in orders that needed to be fulfilled by Bombas’s outsourced order fulfillment partner, Amware, from its Northeast fulfillment center in Cranbury, NJ.

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The Truth About Multi-stop Truckload Shipping

Talking Logistics

It’s something we’ve wondered about, along with our customers: do carriers reject multi-stop truckloads more than single-stop, or does it only seem that way? We decided to find out. We worked with MIT graduate students to analyze 5 million truckload and multi-stop truckload tender records collected by TMC, a division of C.H. Robinson. What we found provides valuable insights on the effect that additional stops have on price and service.

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Supply Chain Technology Integration: Making the New Technology & Legacy Systems’ Marriage Last

GlobalTranz

The decision to bring new technology into your existing warehouse operation should not be taken lightly. Modern technology enables a whole new level of collaboration , efficiency and better operations. However, simply wiping out your existing systems, which can represent millions of dollars in past investments, is not the answer. Your organization should invest in and manage supply chain technology integration, making the most out of your existing technology and new investments these steps. .

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Rethinking warehouse work culture: Can automation create better workplaces?

Heico Sandee, CEO of Smart Robotics, explores how automation redefines warehouse culture. By shifting repetitive tasks to skill-based roles, automation improves safety, fosters collaboration, and makes warehousing more appealing to today’s workforce.

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The Tesla Semi Truck Will Change Freight

Freightos

The Tesla Semi Truck Will Change Freight. Freight innovation frequently focuses on moving data better – like visibility, eBookings , and the new generation of forwarders and brokers. But changing infrastructure is no less critical. Which is why one of technology’s most respected minds is now fundamentally overhauling land freight (and he’s not just stopping at an electric truck).

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Overproduction vs. Fast Improvement Cycles

The Lean Thinker

A couple of weeks ago ago I posted the question “ Are you overproducing improvements? ” and compared a typical improvement “blitz” with a large monument machine that produces in large batches. I’d like to dive a little deeper into some of the paradoxes and implications of 1:1 flow of anything , improvements included. What is “overproduction” – really?

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It’s Time to Talk Turkey (About Fulfillment Pricing)

Amware Logistics and Fulfillment

There are some recipes – like the content of your Aunt Ethel’s Thanksgiving stuffing – you’re probably better off not knowing. By contrast, there are others you can’t afford to ignore, especially if your company wants to be fiscally fit. I’m thinking, in particular, of the combination that drives most fulfillment pricing.

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Using Business Intelligence to Navigate Supply Chains

Talking Logistics

Karen Sage, Chief Marketing Officer at MercuryGate, addresses the following questions and more in this timely and informative episode: Why is converting data into actionable intelligence so important today? What are the main challenges shippers and logistics service providers face in this area? How have BI/analytics capabilities in TMS evolved over the years?

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The realities of logistics and strategic leadership: lessons from the ADF’s senior-most logisticians

Logistics in War

By David Beaumont. Through the course of 2017, and because of my academic research, I have been extremely fortunate to interview a range of senior military officers and public servants. These officials were responsible for key decisions with respect to the transformation of logistics as it applied to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the Department of Defence during a period of major transformation lasting twenty years.

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Autonomous AI Agents Are the Future of Procurement and Supply Chain Operations

As early as next year, procurement and supply chain operations will begin to adopt AI agents, often called “agentic AI,” to work alongside employees to make and execute decisions with precision across procurement and even the most complex global supply chains. Unlike LLM-based generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, these AI agents do not require prompts from humans.

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How AI and the IoT Can Change Transportation Management

GlobalTranz

Analysts predict that by 2020, 75% of new cars will feature IoT connectivity. The percentage increase describes consumer applications, but the idea of connected vehicles should garner interest from other sectors such as shipping, logistics, and transportation. Leaders in these industries would be wise to plan for a future where AI and the IoT transform transportation management.

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BlueGrace Employee is Pedaling for a Cure

Blue Grace Logistics

Pedaling for a Cure. On October 28, 2017, our own Gary Brodsky, better known as “Kickstand”, was honored by the Chairman/Owner of the New England Patriots, Robert Kraft. Gary has been at the helm of the Patriots Platelet Pedalers for 10 years now. The PPP, as they are known, raise critical dollars for research each year by cycling in the Pan Mass challenge.

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Heavy Equipment Overhaul: Flow at Takt in 1938!

The Lean Thinker

This is a great contemporary film from 1938 describing the complete overhaul of a mainline 4-6-0 steam locomotive in the U.K. What is interesting (to me) is: The overhaul involves stripping the locomotive down to individual parts. Each of the parts, in turn, flows through a process of inspection / repair or replacement, with a strict timing to ensure it is delivered back to re-assembly when required.

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Top Insights about Supply Chain Network Design – benefits, tips and what your competitors are doing

AIMMS

What are companies looking for in supply chain network design technologies ? What works well, and what are the challenges? We commissioned Supply Chain Insights to conduct independent research about this topic and discussed the findings in a recent webinar. Today, we’re pleased to share a more extensive report on this topic. The report c o vers per ceptions about supply chain network design (SCND) as a process and outlines the key benefits and barriers experienced by comp

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Freight Procurement Simplified: Bids from Hours to Minutes

Speaker: Eric Berdinis, Ran Sun, & Chris Chmielewski

Procuring freight can be cumbersome, time-consuming, and error-prone. If you’re frustrated with the complex and manual processes for obtaining bids for your contract and spot freight, you’re not alone. In today’s fast-moving supply chain environment, optimizing these processes is critical to staying competitive and cutting costs. Join this exclusive webinar with experts from Uber Freight to learn how the latest digital tools and automation can transform your freight procurement strategy by strea

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This Week in Logistics News (November 6-10, 2017)

Talking Logistics

What are sidewalks made out of? If you said cement, you would be wrong; sidewalks are typically made out of concrete. Yes, there is a difference between cement and concrete, even though many people (including me, I admit) use the terms interchangeably. Cement is one of the raw materials that goes into making concrete, which is the finished product. I learned that fact (and many more important things) at the Command Alkon ELEVATE 2017 conference in New Orleans this week.

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Hapag-Lloyd Orders 3,700 Refrigerated Containers from Maersk

Food Logistics

Hapag-Lloyd has made the purchase to be more sustainable, and is the first carrier to widely deploy the environmentally-friendly low Global Warming Potential (GWP) R513A refrigerant blend recently introduced by Maersk.

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What Transportation Modes Are Most Affected by Capacity Crunches?

GlobalTranz

Current and future capacity crunches are often analyzed for impact in the U.S., but they exist around the globe. The same holds true for their impacts on varying transportation modes. All modes of transit feel the effects of capacity crunches, but those that suffer the biggest effects tend to involve ground-transit, including less-than-truckload (LTL), full truckload (FT) and parcel shipping.

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Where’s the Hype for Automated Trains? – Part 2: Unions & Human Judgement

Morai Logistics

In this final part, we look into the role unions and the need for human judgement play in keeping trains from being universally automated. In last week’s blog post , we asked why there’s little media excitement around automated trains. We’ll be answering that question today, but first, a quick recap. In the previous post, we mentioned that the technology to automate trains systems and networks has existed for decades.

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How to Drive Cost Savings, Efficiency Gains, and Sustainability Wins with MES

Speaker: Nikhil Joshi, Founder & President of Snic Solutions

Is your manufacturing operation reaching its efficiency potential? A Manufacturing Execution System (MES) could be the game-changer, helping you reduce waste, cut costs, and lower your carbon footprint. Join Nikhil Joshi, Founder & President of Snic Solutions, in this value-packed webinar as he breaks down how MES can drive operational excellence and sustainability.

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What to look for in a logistics advisor

Brighter Logistics

There are many things that you should discuss with an adviser. They need to be aware of your goals, so they know how to help you improve. They can’t be afraid to hurt your feelings because you will not be able to make improvements from that. You need to make sure that both of you … Continue reading "What to look for in a logistics advisor".

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Top Insights about Supply Chain Network Design – benefits, tips and what your competitors are doing

AIMMS

What are companies looking for in supply chain network design technologies ? What works well, and what are the challenges? We commissioned Supply Chain Insights to conduct independent research about this topic and discussed the findings in a recent webinar. Today, we’re pleased to share a more extensive report on this topic. The report c o vers per ceptions about supply chain network design (SCND) as a process and outlines the key benefits and barriers experienced by comp

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Addressing the “White Spaces” in Supply Chain Planning

Talking Logistics

One of the trends I’ve been writing and talking about is how the clockspeeds of every industry are accelerating and how companies are having a hard time realigning their processes, organizational structures, and technology platforms to keep up with this rapid pace of change. This is certainly true when it comes to supply chain planning, where the complexity and frequency of the process have increased while time horizons have shrunk.

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FDA Releases Small Entity Compliance Guide for FSMA Safety Transportation Rule

Food Logistics

In the guide, shippers, loaders, carriers and receivers covered by the Sanitary Transportation Rule will find descriptions of the rule requirements in an easy-to-read, question and answer format.

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How To Align Product Management And Supply Chain Operations For Successful Product Launches

Speaker: Shalini Dinesh

Effective cross-functional collaboration and communication heavily influence product launch success. Research shows that as many as 70% of product launches fail due to inadequate coordination among stakeholders, including supply chain, product management, legal, marketing, and change control teams (Gartner, 2022). The 2023 Supply Chain Insights Report highlights that 60% of supply chain disruptions are caused by poor communication and misalignment among cross-functional teams.

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5 Tips for Achieving the Most Out of Your Supply Chain Data

GlobalTranz

In a recent study, MIT found that companies that focus on 5 key initiatives to improve their supply chain data can have a big impact on their bottom line. Some supply chain companies are leaning on the power of analytics to help streamline their processes and get ahead of their competitors. But many companies have struggled to embrace the relationship between using analytics and implementing changes that can improve business performance.

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You Will Need Expedited Freight After The ELD Mandate Begins

Blue Grace Logistics

The Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate is going to put a serious squeeze on many supply chains, and possibly have a major effect on your business as soon as December 2017. With the devices in place, stricter hours of service regulations will be going into effect. While these are meant to increase the safety and wellbeing of the driver, many are concerned about the interruptions this mandate will cause to scheduled delivery times.

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3 Reasons Why You Should Consider A One-Stop Shop For Logistics Solutions

Brighter Logistics

The world of supply chain management can be taxing for many businesses. There are a number of considerations that have to be thought about when it comes to selecting mobility providers, including implementation, cost, and features. A one-stop-shop for logistics solutions, however, can allow you to bypass many of the issues associated with vendor selection … Continue reading "3 Reasons Why You Should Consider A One-Stop Shop For Logistics Solutions".

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The Trinity Foundation Partners with the Food Bank of Delaware and Perdue Farms for “Thanksgiving for All”

Trinity Logistics

On Saturday, Nov. 18, 324 boxes of complete Thanksgiving meals were handed out to families in need at Trinity Logistics’ headquarters in Seaford, Del. as part of the annual “Thanksgiving for All” event. Thanks to donations of roasters from Perdue Farms and Thanksgiving side items and dessert from The Food Bank of Delaware, members of the Trinity Foundation packed 5,832 items for 324 local families to enjoy a meal over the holidays.

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The Ultimate Guide to Transportation and Load Building Optimization

Enhance your transportation and load building efficiency with our comprehensive guide. Learn to tackle today's supply chain challenges and optimize your approach with advanced planning strategies. This guide covers: Supply Chain Challenges: Discover how transportation planning can address critical issues and improve efficiency. Load Building Benefits: Understand how effective load building can enhance your transportation processes.

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4 Pillars to a Successful Transportation Experience

Talking Logistics

Steve Raetz, Director of Research and Market Intelligence at C.H. Robinson discusses the following questions and more in this timely and informative episode: One of the 4 Pillars to a Successful Transportation Experience is Portfolio Strategy. What does that mean and why is it important? The second pillar is Transportation Strategies. There are many transportation strategies companies can take; what insights come from your research in this area?

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US Business Groups Want NAFTA Trucking Rules to Stay Intact

Food Logistics

More than 100 U.S.-based retailers, agriculture groups and transportation councils urged in a letter to the government’s trade agency to preserve trucking provisions in any new version of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

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Capacity Crunch Factors: What Causes a Capacity Crunch?

GlobalTranz

Unbelievably, the capacity crunch is back the shipping headlines. In April 2017, William B. Cassidy of the Journal of commerce (JOC) noted shippers were expecting a forthcoming slight capacity pinch, but that was before hurricane season arrived. Now, the shipping and transportation industry faces unprecedented capacity problems, and the upcoming ELD implementation deadline will exacerbate the issue.