March 2012

The solar panel maker is reliant on efficient manufacturing practices, but when it came to inbound shipping and distribution across borders, those operations began to suffer as the company grew. Here’s how this progressive shipper partnered with its 3PL to re-engineer its logistics model to save 25 percent on its inbound costs.

Warehouse management systems (WMS) maintained a strong footing in the supply chain software sector in 2011. Now, emerging markets are in line to fuel further WMS growth in 2012. Our top analysts share the key trends driving expansion—and the key points that logistics professionals need to know when investing or upgrading.

Our 2012 exclusive study finds that overall market uncertainty has curtailed materials handling infrastructure spending and has increased facility consolidation and engineered process improvements. Cost containment has returned as the most important issue of the day.

Our annual panel convenes to paint a murky picture for truckload shippers due to increasing rates, unresolved regulatory shifts, and an increasingly competitive landscape.

With a bit of creativity, a lot of planning, and the latest in automated sortation technology, the retailer’s impressive DC retrofit increased merchandise-processing speed to its stores, improved accuracy to 99.5 percent, and significantly reduced transportation costs.

Our March issue includes coverage of a number of recent collaborative efforts geared toward driving the industry forward through the power of a more unified voice.

I often run home from a store, write down the events of an interaction that I had, and then lose the note. However, in a recent case, the unsolved problem had a built-in, daily reminder. Almost every night my Droid smart phone automatically turned itself back on after I powered it off—if I could only be so lucky with the other notes I lose.

While analysts say this should be a growth year for air cargo, pressing challenges such as increasing EU regulation, the pent-up demand in Asia Pacific, and the cost of global security still weigh heavy on the sector.

I want to draw your attention to developments in Washington that threaten to overwhelm shippers with new liabilities that carriers have traditionally controlled.

In Logistics Management’s April 2010 issue, we introduced Profit, Sales, and Operations Planning (PS&OP), a way to align supply chain decision-making with high-level financial goals and long-range strategic planning. Since that time, more companies have begun implementing PS&OP-like approaches—using financial data, scenario modeling, and analytics to concurrently optimize sales, balance demand and supply, and maximize profits.

Refinery closures and sulfur regulations threaten to push diesel prices over $5 this year.

Held for the first time ever, Modex 2012—the nation’s newest expo for, supply chain, and logistics solutions—threw open its doors in Atlanta on February 6 at The Georgia World Congress Center.