Archive for April, 2009
A Supply Chain Problem I’d Like to Have
· CommentsI recently wrote a piece called “The Reset Economy” where I argued that for various macroeconomic reasons demand may not bounce all the way back after the recession ends. Consequently, there will be too much capacity in many industries. I believe this is the biggest supply chain problem many companies will confront over the next few years.
However, in certain industries, demand will always be hard to meet… Continue reading
Is ‘Green’ Good for Business in a Recession?
· CommentsThis is the title of the presentation I’ll be giving next month at RedPrairie’s RedShift:2009 Conference. I don’t want to steal my own thunder, but here is a snapshot of what I plan to say.
A year ago, I was telling folks that “green is good for business” because only green projects that are good for business get done. My answer today is that green is good for… Continue reading
More than six years ago, WalMart announced a new EPC RFID mandate. RFID was going to revolutionize the supply chain, leading to better visibility for suppliers and reduce out-of-stocks for retailers. That was the vision. However, when I interviewed twenty-four of the top 100 suppliers that were mandated to participate, I heard a different story. Costs would be shifted from WalMart to suppliers; supplier processes would become less efficient… Continue reading
Supply Chain Taxes
· CommentsIt is tax filing day here in the United States, an annual ritual where you add and subtract numbers, gather and attach forms and receipts, all in the hopes of getting some money back from the government (or in the fear of knowing you owe them a lot of money).
Taxes have sparked countless riots throughout history, and it’s a topic that every politician must learn to dance around… Continue reading
A Strategic Hole in the WMS Market
· CommentsARC recently published my new Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) Market Outlook study. In a previous Logistics Viewpoints article, I highlighted the fact that the largest WMS suppliers continue to grow as the market shrinks. However, despite that, I believe that these leading WMS suppliers have a strategic hole in their supply chain execution portfolio that could make them vulnerable.
Obviously, having a larger suite of solutions has… Continue reading
Pirates, Truck Drivers, and the Dow Jones
· CommentsThe Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 8,083 last week, up more than 23 percent in the past month. Is this a sign of brighter days to come, or yet another “dead cat bounce”?
Paul R. La Monica, CNNMoney.com editor at large, wrote an article last Friday suggesting that the Dow Jones Transportation Average, which is up almost 40 percent since early March, is an even better… Continue reading
Top Five Postings on Logistics Viewpoints
· CommentsLogistics Viewpoints reached a new milestone this week: the site exceeded 10,000 pageviews since it was launched a little over two months ago. This is a nice accomplishment, considering we haven’t done any external promotion of the site. So, thank you for visiting the site, submitting comments, and spreading the word.
Also, a big “thank you” to our sponsors (listed on the sidebar) for helping us launch Logistics Viewpoints… Continue reading
The Expanding Footprint of TMS
· CommentsIt’s taken some time, but Transportation Management Systems (TMS) vendors are getting closer to meeting our definition of a holistic TMS solution. Here is ARC’s definition of TMS:
Transportation Management Systems are software solutions that facilitate the procurement of transportation services; the short-term planning and optimization of transportation activities, assets, and resources; and the execution of transportation plans. They address all modes of transportation, including Ocean, Air, Rail, Full… Continue reading
