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Today’s savviest logistics practitioners are driving out costs from the transportation system and creating new “omni-channel” distribution networks designed to take advantage of customers’ changing buying habits. The results of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals’ 24th Annual State of Logistics Report, co-sponsored by Penske Logistics, shows that the sharpest logistics management professionals are saving their companies millions in transport, warehouse, and shipping costs.

What trends will affect the next generation of supply chains? That’s a question more and more SCM professionals are asking themselves. The 10 trends offered here are validated with executive input from senior executives across different industries. By understanding, anticipating, and acting upon these trends, the author believes companies can greatly enhance the value of their supply chain operations.

Supply Chain Finance Inertia Costing Corporates Billions; Kyriba / Aite Group Research Highlights Opportunities for CFOs to Grow Company Value. Gap Between Corporations’ Desire to Introduce Reverse Factoring and Dynamic Discounting, and Implementation of Processes and Programs examined.

While vying for business amidst flat cargo volume growth, U.S. seaports also face heated competition for post-Panama Canal expansion market share. JLL’s fifth-annual Seaport Outlook ranks the most prominent ports in the U.S., this year identifying the availability of industrial real estate surrounding the ports as one of three top features shared by successful ports.

comScore, a leader in measuring the digital world, and UPS released the second UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper™: A Customer Experience Study, a report analyzing e-commerce preferences including mobile trends, social media impact and the integrated buying experience of shopping in physical stores and online - also known as omnichannel retailing.

The rise of questionable ethics may be partly driven by the financial crisis that began in 2007-2008. As the global economy tanked, companies became increasingly desperate to maintain and grow their business. This could be a reason why purchasing now receives more intense gifting efforts aimed at creating implied obligations.

Starting on July 9, 2013, liquidated damages of $5,000 per violation will be issued for inaccurate, incomplete, or untimely filings. CBP may also withhold the release or transfer of cargo for which an ISF has not been filed. Noncompliant cargo will also be subject to further inspections.

The mission of an order fulfillment center is the efficient assembly and timely shipment of the perfect order. Product, labor, equipment and operating systems must all come together in support of this mission. As customer demands increase, however, managers find themselves challenged by a number of issues.

The report was issued today by Bradley J. Holcomb, CPSM, CPSD, chair of the Institute for Supply Management™ Manufacturing Business Survey Committee. "The PMI™ registered 50.9 percent, an increase of 1.9 percentage points from May's reading of 49 percent, indicating expansion in the manufacturing sector for the fifth time in the first six months of 2013.

As PwC's Joseph Roussel, co-author of "Strategic Supply Chain Management, 2nd Edition," explains in this video, successful companies embed five core disciplines in their supply chain management - strategy, organisation, process, collaboration, and performance measurement. And they strive to do so both holistically and concurrently,

3D printing, intelligent robotics, and open source hardware stand to revolutionize modern-day manufacturing. These disruptive forces will usher in a new manufacturing paradigm that is managed by software and data files — something we call the “software-defined supply chain.”

Rail and intermodal continue to improve service and create value for shippers despite an uneven economy engulfed in an atmosphere of political uncertainty. Our panel of top analysts maintains that the railroads are only looking at extending their lead.

Dr. C. John Langley initiated this study in the mid-nineties as to capture the evolution of the third-party logistics providers as they worked to transition from vendors of individual services to logistics partners offering integrated services and building meaningful, collaborative relationships with their customers. Today, seventeen years later, the capabilities of both shippers and 3PLs have improved significantly.

One year after the launch of BSR’s Center for Sustainable Procurement (CSP), our first research paper captures four main insights from projects with AT&T, Best Buy, and Dell that covered a range of product complexities and supplier relationships.

An Interview by Dustin Mattison with Edith Simchi-Levi, VP of Operations at OPS Rules Management Consultants, who discussed The Role of Analytics in Supply Chain and Operations Strategy.