tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-164482102008-06-29T23:07:19.637-05:00846 N. 18th Streetnoreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16448210.post-49383429778036965562008-06-29T22:28:00.004-05:002008-06-29T23:07:19.673-05:00

Its a very positive sign to see that logistics providers are charging forward profitably as we move into a slow economic environment with companies like CH Robinson and Expeditors International leading the pack. While 3PL's that don't actually own their own transportation assets are faring the best, the industry as a whole is in as much demand as ever. With the high cost of fuel and the

846 N. 18th Streetnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16448210.post-28062677847965214462008-05-05T18:40:00.005-05:002008-05-05T19:17:50.127-05:00

While there is no question that attending conferences and trade shows is expensive and can sometimes be a time hog for top executives, the relationships that are built at these events is priceless. Logistics Conferences are a great opportunity to get in tune with new trends in the market, generate new business relationships, and give you updated insight and intelligence on the competition.

846 N. 18th Streetnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16448210.post-30722416684327695252008-03-27T23:23:00.006-05:002008-04-30T21:35:33.601-05:00

Theres a new trend in town with Logistics Providers and it's green. I'm all for protecting the environment, and I'm even more for finding new ways to reduce transportation costs, but I'm not sure I can buy into the whole "green concept" just yet. In particular regarding the purchase carbon credits (continuing to pollute the environment just as much but purchasing "carbon credits" to offset the

846 N. 18th Streetnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16448210.post-80329566719187536022008-02-11T20:42:00.003-06:002008-02-13T19:04:19.386-06:00

Every year that goes by more & more third party logistics providers begin to upgrade their inventory management/logistics software packages which if implemented properly will be nothing but a positive thing for the industry. Because of the dot com crash of the 2000's and the general conservative nature of the 3PL industry a lot of providers have been very skeptical of new technologies, and while

846 N. 18th Streetnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16448210.post-47970293173657654582007-12-10T21:48:00.000-06:002007-12-10T22:14:41.871-06:00

For every successful logistics partnership, there are the outsourced relationships that for many reasons just don't work out. Maybe the logistics provider didn't plan properly to take on a client's business, maybe the company had unrealistic expectations. Either way here are some of the problems that can doom some 3PL Provider relationships to fail. Lack of Standard Operating Procedures Poor

846 N. 18th Streetnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16448210.post-33614025318830359322007-10-02T21:25:00.000-05:002007-10-02T21:56:42.672-05:00

While there's definitely more than 5 reasons why a company might turn to a third party logistics provider here are a few common ones. To provide supplementary supply chain support to test the waters in new regional markets or countries where your company doesn't currently have a presence without taking the full plunge and opening a new distribution center. If you are a company whose business is

846 N. 18th Streetnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16448210.post-27568062079820639272007-08-27T21:31:00.000-05:002007-08-27T21:46:04.675-05:00

Its about that time of the year again. Inbound Logistics (one of the leading publications serving the warehousing and logistics industry) has announced their annual Top 100 Third Party Logistics providers awards. I think the best thing about this annual issue is that they don't only focus on the behemoth's in the 3PL industry. Of course they have the usual suspects like APL, Kuehne + Nagel, Bax

846 N. 18th Streetnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16448210.post-32596616856074179972007-07-18T18:45:00.000-05:002007-07-18T19:06:54.989-05:00

This week there was a great interview (subscription required) with George Jones CEO of Borders in the Wall Street Journal where he discusses the company's decision to move their Ecommerce business away from Amazon and strike out on their own. Regarding the original outsourcing of their e-commerce site to Amazon he said: "The decision to let Amazon do our e-commerce site was made years ago when

846 N. 18th Streetnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16448210.post-3133094540504214352007-06-14T20:20:00.000-05:002007-06-14T20:34:45.306-05:00

Purchasing.com has a good article describing a company's move to outsourcing their supply chain to a third party logistics provider. Its always important to find a reputable 3PL provider that has a good reputation in the industry and that stands behind their services and commits to providing clients with exceptional support. The logistics industry is home to many outstanding organizations

846 N. 18th Streetnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16448210.post-71906076147603085912007-05-22T20:35:00.000-05:002007-05-22T20:51:35.623-05:00

If you are looking for some good logistics white papers or just white papers in general a great site I have found that has a treasure trove of content is BNET. In terms of the third party logistics industry, BNET has a number of great articles and case studies from some of the top consulting, software, and logistics firms. Yes a white paper is sometimes a cheap marketing tactic used to collect

846 N. 18th Streetnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16448210.post-49106037355410076502007-04-24T21:31:00.000-05:002007-04-24T21:57:20.868-05:00

Supply Chain Management Review recently published a great piece featuring articles from some of the most influencial thought leaders in the logistics and supply chain industry. Here are a few links to some of the articles. Definitely worth a read. Its All About Trust by Jim Carrol Vice President of Integrated Supply Chain Operations at IBM The China Syndrome by George Stalk Jr. Senior Vice

846 N. 18th Streetnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16448210.post-47969057446141430562007-03-28T21:13:00.000-05:002007-03-28T21:34:33.189-05:00

Are you considering moving to a third party logistics provider? Here are some questions to ask before you start the 3PL search What are your reasons for outsourcing and are they the right ones?What kind of budget are you working with and is it realistic? What are you looking to accomplish? (ex. optimize a seasonal distribution program, take advantage of a multi-location provider)Where are you

846 N. 18th Streetnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16448210.post-87600524647342096732007-03-13T21:25:00.000-05:002007-03-13T21:48:17.668-05:00

I just came across a great article in DC Velocity that details the increasing degree with which 3PL providers are becoming selective of their clients. Check it out here: Third Party Logistics, Sorry You're Just Not What We're Looking For

846 N. 18th Streetnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16448210.post-59843466789917388432007-02-25T19:03:00.000-06:002007-02-25T19:18:53.049-06:00

We've just launched a dedicated logistics jobs page today featuring listings from our distribution partner Indeed. If you are in the market for a new position in the logistics, warehousing and supply chain management industry or are just passively searching feel free to check us out. Logistics List: Logistics Jobs section.

846 N. 18th Streetnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16448210.post-37532532091584145082007-02-08T21:26:00.000-06:002007-02-08T21:43:53.908-06:00

A recent article at Outsourcing Pharma with AstraZeneca finds the pharmaceutical giant mulling a future move to utilizing third party logistics providers as part of its three year study looking for ways to drive new efficiencies. AstraZeneca spokesperson Chris Dalton had this to say in a recent interview. “Outsourcing will be part of a mixture of steps taken, including acquisitions and research

846 N. 18th Streetnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16448210.post-44365429206048774112007-01-30T21:33:00.000-06:002007-01-30T21:38:42.421-06:00

I just came across a great comparison chart of all of the major third party logistics providers and their different capabilities located at Logistics Today, one of my favorite logistics trade publications. Find the 3PL Comparison Chart Here: 3PL Chart

846 N. 18th Streetnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16448210.post-82354516606125889102007-01-15T22:39:00.000-06:002007-01-15T23:01:01.452-06:00

Is your company currently managing their own warehousing operations or are you a startup business looking to enter into a new market? Whether to outsource to a third party logistics company or to run your operations in-house is an important decision. Here is a list of reasons to consider outsourcing warehousing. If your company's expertise and resources are not optimized to manage a distribution

846 N. 18th Streetnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16448210.post-16271544161226739012007-01-03T20:03:00.000-06:002007-01-03T20:12:46.987-06:00

The 15th Annual Report On Trends and Issues on Supply Chain, Logistics, and Transportation has just been released for free download. The report which has been released annually for its 6th year is presented by consulting firm Capgemini along with Georgia Southern University, and the University of Tennessee, in partnership with Oracle and Intel. The report can be found at: 2006 Report on

846 N. 18th Streetnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16448210.post-1166155160317933052006-12-14T21:45:00.000-06:002007-10-20T12:41:53.796-05:00

Purchasing Magazine just published a new article featuring 5 tips on how to select logistics software which is definitely worth taking a look at. Selecting logistics software is typically a massive capital expenditure so it is imperative that you research each package's offerings from every angle. If this isn't a core competency consider hiring a technologically savvy logistics consultant or

846 N. 18th Streetnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16448210.post-1164496576544487592006-11-25T16:59:00.000-06:002006-11-25T17:17:53.276-06:00

2/3 of domestic U.S. Fortune 500 companies now use third party logistics companies to assist and manage their logistics and supply chain functions in some capacity according to a Nov 2006 study performed by Armstrong & Associates. Armstrong which maintains an extensive database of 2,864 3PL customer relationships develops an annual report to provide insight into trends and changes in the 3PL,

846 N. 18th Streetnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16448210.post-1163477366359743102006-11-13T21:55:00.000-06:002006-11-13T22:09:26.376-06:00

When I started working in the logistics industry I had the great opportunity of attending an education seminar taught by Ken Ackerman, a respected logistics consultant and one of the premier writers and thinkers in the warehousing and logistics industry. I was just looking through some old articles the other day and came across a great interview with Ken that delves into how to got into

846 N. 18th Streetnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16448210.post-1162265425005307082006-10-30T21:09:00.000-06:002006-10-30T21:30:25.056-06:00

Every once in a while I come across new logistics blogs that are worth noting and sharing with everyone. Here are a few written by supply chain and 3PL professionals that I've come across lately. SCM Pulse Great Suppy Chain Management blog written by Rick Ankrum an SCM professional with over 30 years of experience in procurement, supply chain management and strategic sourcing. This site

846 N. 18th Streetnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16448210.post-1161657389706006172006-10-23T21:22:00.000-05:002006-10-23T21:36:29.726-05:00

A new logistics directory has recently been launched called Logistics Locator. Unlike this site which is more of a news/article based site, Logistics Locator is more along the lines of a traditional submission based directory for third party logistics and warehousing & distribution companies. The hope is to create a high quality source of 3PL, trucking, and logistics companies culled from

846 N. 18th Streetnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16448210.post-1160363662048632182006-10-08T22:08:00.000-05:002006-10-08T22:14:22.066-05:00

Cutting costs out of the supply chain is one of the biggest challenges facing logistics professionals today. 3PLwire recently reported on a great article by Linda Taylor of Fedex Services on finding "hidden savings in your supply chain."

846 N. 18th Streetnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16448210.post-1158267780233643082006-09-14T15:48:00.000-05:002006-09-14T16:03:00.263-05:00

An individual at Wikipedia asked the following question recently and I thought this would be a good opportunity to clear things up for those who are unfamiliar with the landscape of the 3PL industry: "If an organization is a Third Party Logistics provider, who is the First and Second party?" 1st Party: The Supplier 2nd Party: The Company buying the product that is being stored or shipped 3rd

846 N. 18th Streetnoreply@blogger.com