Logistics Viewpoints

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I spent two weeks “off the grid”—no email, no Facebook, no Twitter, no TV, no newspapers—just spent quality time with my family. I read a few books and listened to a ton of music. I flew a kite at the beach; rode on roller coasters; saw the Space Shuttle and met an astronaut; I ate a lot of ice cream. 

As you can imagine, re-entry has been difficult (okay, painful) this week.

I was tempted to simply post “The Dog Days Are Over” video by Florence + The Machine as today’s piece. Not only is it a great song, one that’s been playing over and over again in my head for the past two weeks, it’s also a fitting one for today, with Labor Day upon us, a hurricane on its way, and school starting next week.

Take a listen (view):

Now on to some news from the past couple of weeks:

Compared to 2009, almost every type of metric is up this year. But as we’ve noted in previous postings, many metrics still remain below 2008 levels. While US surface trade with Canada and Mexico increased significantly in June 2010 compared to June 2009, reaching $69.9 billion, the value still remained 5.8 percent lower than in June 2008. We’re surfacing but still below water.

When it comes to technology, 3PLs get a bad rap. The focus continues to be on the gap that supposedly exists between the technology capabilities customers want and what 3PLs can provide. While many 3PLs are certainly behind the curve when it comes to IT, most of the leading players are actually very IT-savvy and innovative. The news this week from Schneider National and Con-way Freight are the latest examples. In previous postings, we’ve highlighted a patent Ryder received for “systems and methods” in supply chain management; how CH Robinson is using social media as a CRM tool; the investments Transplace has made in business intelligence; and Con-way’s use of Twitter to post available loads.

So, is the technology gap real or a perception problem?

If you’ll be at the CSCMP Annual Global Conference at the end of the month, you can hear my answer to this question. I’ll be part of a panel—“The Experts’ View of 3PL Prospects Worldwide”—on Tuesday, September 28th from 3:30 to 5:00 PM. The session is part of Track 19 if you want to earmark your conference brochure. I hope to see you there.

In the meantime, I’ll enjoy the last rays of sun shining outside my window before the wind picks up and the storm clouds come.

The dog days are over, the dog days are done. Can you hear the horses? Because here they come.

(Note: Ryder, Con-way, CH Robinson, and Transplace are ARC clients)

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According to an article in today’s Wall Street Journal, Whirlpool plans to build a new factory in Tennessee, which will be “the centerpiece of a $300 million upgrade of domestic manufacturing facilities” for the company. The article goes on to say: “The move highlights a shift by even export-driven U.S. manufacturers away from low-cost overseas locales in favor of rationalizing domestic operations to boost productivity.” In Whirlpool’s case, the… Continue reading

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The economy dominated the news this week, as did a flight attendant who escaped from his job in style.

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Ryder published its Carbon Disclosure Project 2010 Report a few weeks ago (you can download a copy here). The small font and format of the report makes it a bit difficult to read, but if you plow through it, you’ll uncover some interesting bits of information. Here are two of my key takeaways from the report:

Climate change presents both risks and opportunities. It’s important to have processes… Continue reading

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This past February, we held a successful seminar on Performance-based Outsourcing, which combined case studies from leading companies with think tank discussions on the topic. This coming February 9-11 at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld Hotel in Orlando, Florida we’re applying the same learning and networking model to another timely and important topic in the supply chain and logistics industry:

Beyond the Perfect Order Metric: Bringing Together Supply… Continue reading

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This Week in Logistics News (August 2-6, 2010)

Posted on Aug 06 2010 | By Adrian Gonzalez · Comments (0)

I’m still catching up from my brief vacation. But here is what caught our attention this week:

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This Week in Logistics News (July 26-30, 2010)

Posted on Jul 30 2010 | By Adrian Gonzalez · Comments (0)

Goodbye July, hello August. Here is the news that caught our attention this week:

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Why?

A simple one-word question is all it takes sometimes to bring about change. Earlier this year, at the CSCMP Europe 2010 Conference, Deborah Lentz, Vice President Customer Service and Logistics, Kraft Foods Europe included the following graphic in her presentation (sourced from “2016 Future Supply Chain,” Capgemini & GCI Global Commerce Initiative):

[caption id=”attachment_4329″ align=”aligncenter” width=”300″ caption=”Source: “2016 Future Supply Chain,” Capgemini and GCI Global Commerce Initiative (click to… Continue reading

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