September 2012

Staying abreast of developments that impact oil supply and demand helps shippers and carriers understand and plan for fuel price fluctuations; so the recent news coming out of Saudi Arabia must have left many in the logistics and transportation industry scratching their heads.

One of the nation’s largest food retailers turned to technology to streamline its yard operations, improve docking capabilities, and shave a significant number of man hours from its daily processes—all while adding a critical layer of supply chain visibility.

Today, shippers and carriers are co-creating services in order to differentiate their offerings in the marketplace. The Masters are leading the way in this new, highly productive process and are significantly improving their competitive position in the process.

The merging of leading Asian economies is proceeding quickly, giving U.S. shippers more trade alternatives. Here’s our current analysis of this dynamic region.

The 2012 ranking of supply chain leaders from Gartner includes a broad mix of global companies—a few new to the list, but most having recorded multiple appearances. These leaders share certain characteristics that drive day-to-day performance while solidifying the foundation for future growth. Their standout performance is raising the supply chain leadership bar for companies everywhere.

With the Eurozone in full free fall, the continent’s forwarding giants continue to dominate the global market. This disconnect can be explained, say analysts, by the fact that these leaders adhere to one fundamental business practice: building upon established worldwide networks.

Despite economic and financial uncertainties, the first half of 2012 has been moderately successful for many leading European carriers, ports, and 3PLs.

As shippers consider entry into an outsourcing arrangement for freight management, they quickly discover a range of pricing options from various service providers. These service providers have a variety of business models that drive their market offers, and shippers need to understand what these models are so they can evaluate not just the offer, but the potential for long-term satisfaction with the contract.

Today more than ever, innovation is a top priority. Sixty-two percent of executives questioned in a recent Accenture survey noted that their business strategy is “largely” or “totally” dependent on innovation. Nowadays, however, companies don’t only need to innovate, they also need collaborators—partners—to help make innovation happen.

While the next few months may see a stall in its torrid pace of development, there’s little doubt about Brazil’s resolve to conquer hemispheric markets and penetrate new ones.

Once you retire from the traditional 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. work days, new hobbies and picture puzzles become a part of everyday life. Sounds boring? Well, it’s just the opposite. Ron and Linda Arnett, highly skilled “puzzlers” with extraordinary insight and sequential awareness, recently introduced me to picture puzzles. Their tutelage provided me with a greater appreciation of the challenges logisticians face in determining the fine points of vendor qualification criteria, assembling the best pre-qualified providers, and selecting...