Two decades ago, I didn’t know postal operators in foreign countries unless I had a pen pal in the region. The role and range of services offered by postal companies have changed considerably since the advent of e-mail, the internet, and most importantly, the exponential growth of e-commerce. Singapore Post (SingPost) is one such domestic provider that has been in the press for its increasing presence in today’s digital economy. In 2014, Chinese e-commerce giant […]
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Archive for Logistics Service Providers
I have long argued that third party logistics providers (3PLs) should set themselves apart from the competition by fully harnessing the power and value of their customer and employee communities (see “If Operational Excellence is a Given, Then What Else Matters for 3PLs?” and “Operational Excellence is Not Enough–Why 3PLs Must Leverage Their Most Valuable Asset”). Take user/customer conferences as an example. While software vendors have been organizing user conferences for many years, the concept […]
Read More →The time was the mid-nineties, and as many aspiring leaders do, I decided to earn an MBA. One class in particular, Service Marketing, left an impression on me. Back then, it was a new and revolutionary course, hot off the presses. It tackled the concept that service marketing is different from product marketing for many different reasons, including the variability of how a service is delivered. I think of that course often. I am not […]
Read More →In most aspects of life, an asset is an asset, “a useful and desirable thing or quality,” as Dictionary.com defines it. But not in the logistics world, at least not to private equity investors and venture capitalists who view a 3PL with assets like an overweight runner, wearing a lead track suit and cement sneakers, in a field of sprinters. Non-asset is non-fat, it’s sexy and desirable, it’s what every start-up 3PL tattoos on its […]
Read More →I often get emails from logistics executives looking for help and advice on selecting a 3PL partner. A couple of weeks ago, for example, I received an email from someone asking if I had updated a framework I had developed several years ago to help companies evaluate 3PLs. The answer was no, but this person’s email got the wheels in my head turning: What are the most important factors to consider when evaluating and selecting […]
Read More →We’ve entered a new era. This era is an “always on and always connected” and “nowhere to run and nowhere to hide” environment. This “big data” environment is creating a factorial increase in transparency (costs, prices, performance etc.) that is redefining the permanence of business relationships and supporting system requirements. In the new world, very little will last forever (or should be planned to last forever) and the best strategies will be based on the […]
Read More →When the U.S. economy entered its multi-year recession, many businesses softened the blow by engaging a 3PL to help match slower demand with operational savings. Now that the economy is recovering, some of those same companies are expanding. Since this often involves growing their network of distribution centers, companies are increasingly looking to their logistics partners for something new: real estate advice. When offered this type of opportunity, 3PLs can rise to the occasion by […]
Read More →Back in April 2009, I took a 2.5-day course on Vested Outsourcing (called “Performance-Based Outsourcing” at the time) at the University of Tennessee. Halfway through the course, I shared some of my key takeaways, including this one: Implementing Vested Outsourcing “the right way” takes a lot of work and discipline, and it requires 3PLs [third party logistics providers] and customers to make a clean break from the way they’ve always done things. It’s a mind […]
Read More →Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a fun and relaxing vacation. Now it’s back to the grind — and fun. There was very little news this week, but here’s what caught my attention: JDA and RedPrairie Complete Merger New UPS Worldwide Express Freight Service Offers Faster International Shipping in More Lanes Roadnet Technologies Unveils Product Enhancement To MobileCast Vehicle GPS Tracking Software Operating System Wal-Mart to Police U.S. Warehouses (Wall Street Journal) As expected, […]
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Supply Chain Brief
Guest Commentary: Moving Parts: Effectively Managing the Aftermarket Auto Parts Supply Chain
When an automobile parts dealer or a business in the auto service parts retail network makes a request to its suppliers to fulfill an order, there is an expectation that the right component shows up at the right place, in the right time frame, at the right cost. After all, at the end of the line in this complex supply chain fulfillment cycle is a customer with a vehicle waiting for a repair part. That […]
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