Archive for Logistics Service Providers
This Week in Logistics News (Feb 1-5)
· CommentsFinancial results keep coming in from software vendors and 3PLs, confirming what we already knew: 2009 was a challenging year.
Here is some of the news that caught our attention this week:
- Con-way Inc. Reports Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year Results for 2009
- Ryder Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2009 Results and Provides 2010 Forecast
The images and stories coming out of Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake that struck on Tuesday are simply heart wrenching. Tens of thousands of people are feared dead and upwards of 3 million people are in need of medical, housing, or other assistance. The only silver lining in these types of disasters is to see the outpour of support from other countries around the world. At a time… Continue reading
Are 3PL CEOs Bad at Strategy?
· CommentsIn a Harvard Business Review blog posting yesterday, Roger Martin , the Dean of the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto in Canada and the author of The Design of Business: Why Design Thinking is the Next Competitive Advantage, explains why most CEOs are bad at strategy. Here is an excerpt of what he writes:
The two most fundamental strategic choices are deciding… Continue reading
A Whole Lot of Dealing in Supply Chain
· CommentsBased on all the deals and developments that have transpired over the past few days and weeks, it seems that there’s some positive momentum in the logistics and supply chain realm heading into 2010. Here is a quick summary of notable developments:
- In the third-party logistics (3PL) world, Saddle Creek announced on Monday that it’s acquiring ServiceCraft Logistics. The deal increases Saddle Creek’s warehousing space
A couple of weeks ago, SAP held one of its periodic executive advisory councils for customers in the logistics industries. The dinner and hallway conversations focused a lot on economy, and how it is changing the buying patterns of shippers. Everyone agreed that in these economic times upper management is getting more involved in expenditures and scrutinizing every dollar spent. Point departments, like operations and warehousing, usually have to follow more strident… Continue reading
One of the most popular articles ever published by Supply Chain Management Review is “The 7 Principles of Supply Chain Management” by David Anderson, Frank Britt, and Donavon Favre. It was published more than ten years ago, but it is still a good read. I recently reread the article and I was struck by how difficult it is to accomplish the second principle: Customize the logistics network to the… Continue reading
“Everything counts in large amounts.”
These Depeche Mode lyrics popped into my head when I read the news from Apple that “more than two billion apps have been downloaded from its revolutionary App Store [and] there are now more than 85,000 apps available to the more than 50 million iPhone and iPod touch customers worldwide and over 125,000 developers in Apple’s iPhone Developer Program.”
Count me… Continue reading
You Might Need A Supply Chain Intervention If…
Posted on Dec 18 2009 | By Carl Fowler · Comments (0)A certain comedian from the South has achieved great fame with an act based entirely on a series of “You might be this, if that” jokes. He enjoys poking fun at those who don’t take stock of the obvious to solve their problems. Minus the chastising and the humor, however, it’s the same practice of self awareness that is critical for those logistics professionals who are uncertain about whether their… Continue reading