Current information about global and domestic warehouse and distribution best practices and operational improvements to improve supply chain productivity. en-us http://www.logisticsmgmt.com/community/Warehouse+and+Distribution+Operations/48470.html?nid=4149 2008 Reed Business Information. Subject to its Terms of Use. Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:10:21 PST http://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/CA6537484.html?nid=4149 Economic activity in the manufacturing sector failed to grow in February, while the overall U.S. economy grew for the 76th consecutive month, according to a report released today by the Institute for Supply Management (ISM). Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:10:21 PST http://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/CA6534515.html?nid=4149 In preparation for NA 2008 in Cleveland’s I-X Center this spring, Modern Associate Editor Corinne Kator spoke to John Nofsinger about his expectations for the show and for the future of the industry. Nofsinger is the CEO of Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA), which sponsors the NA tradeshow every other year. Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:10:21 PST http://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/CA6530462.html?nid=4149 Adding more distribution centers closer to your customers may mean lower transportation costs and higher service levels—but also means an increase in operating and fixed costs, not to mention the capital cost of a new building. The goal for optimizing a distribution network is deceptively simple: Find the best balance of costs, customer service, and performance. Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:10:21 PST http://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/CA6530460.html?nid=4149 Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:10:21 PST http://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/CA6523436.html?nid=4149 ProLogis, a global owner, manager, and developer of distribution facilities, said this week it has rolled out a new sustainability initiative that will mandate all of its new United States-based development to comply with U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)-drafted environmental standards. Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:10:21 PST http://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/CA6522335.html?nid=4149 Tompkins Associates, a consulting firm well known in North America for its expertise in the nuts and bolts of supply chain operations, is now offering its clients additional expertise in global supply chain strategy. Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:10:21 PST http://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/CA6519555.html?nid=4149 Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:10:21 PST http://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/CA6517147.html?nid=4149 When it comes to automation, many facilities operators are stuck in neutral. But these three companies jumped right into materials handling technology and kicked productivity into high gear. Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:10:21 PST http://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/CA6513028.html?nid=4149 Third-party logistics (3PL) services provider Ozburn-Hessey Logistics said earlier this week it has opened a new international services station in Atlanta, which will be comprised of various service offerings, including customs brokerage and air and ocean freight forwarding on a global and door-to-door basis. Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:10:21 PST http://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/CA6510586.html?nid=4149 Joel Anderson is a happy man. The Michigan “inventory tax” is dead. Modern reported last month that Anderson, CEO of the International Warehouse Logistics Association, was on a mission to kill a tax bill in Michigan that would effectively raise the cost of third-party logistics services performed in the state. Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:10:21 PST http://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/CA6510773.html?nid=4149 Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:10:21 PST http://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/CA6510768.html?nid=4149 Industry research shows that firms with good visibility in their supply chain operations consistently outperform the competition. In fact, recent research from Aberdeen Group found that companies that achieve good visibility can reduce lead times, inventory levels, and carrying costs, while also gaining budgeting accuracy that’s significantly higher than that of the average company. Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:10:21 PST http://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/CA6510767.html?nid=4149 Savvy supply chain executives have recently started to focus on the enormous benefits—to both the bottom and the top line—that a well-managed supply chain can provide. As a result, supply chain management has emerged as a core management discipline. With her finger on the pulse of the supply chain sector, Shoshanah Cohen, lead director of supply chain innovation at PRTM Management C... Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:10:21 PST http://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/CA6497737.html?nid=4149 According to the results of our 2nd Annual Warehouse Operations Survey, the warehouse has certainly entered an evolutionary process. It is no longer a four-walled beast intended to store “mistakes” in forecasting—called inventory—but is now an entity morphing into a more appropriately named “distribution center” (DC) designed to better enable product flow, an... Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:10:21 PST http://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/CA6477633.html?nid=4149 Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:10:21 PST http://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/CA6448725.html?nid=4149 In the world of lift trucks, nothing is what it seems, at least to an outside observer. Last week, The Raymond Corporation took the opportunity of its 85th anniversary and the introduction of three new lift trucks to the market, to discuss some of the behind-the-scenes factors that make this industry so important, both as a source of capital equipment and as a model of supply chain efficiency. Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:10:21 PST http://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/CA6451276.html?nid=4149 In 1994, Ray Anderson, CEO of Interface Inc., was asked what he was doing to protect the environment. He didn't have an answer. He was then handed a book written by Paul Hawken, called “The Ecology of Commerce.” This seemingly simple event brought about an epiphany for Anderson, setting him on a mission to create an environmentally sustainable organization by 2020—an eff... Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:10:21 PST http://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/CA6451275.html?nid=4149 Back in 2003, Charlie Kantz, vice president of logistics and warehousing for specialty retailer Bakers Footwear Group, knew he needed to improve shipment speed from his suppliers in China to the company’s 200 U.S. stores—and its fashion-hungry consumer base. At the time, Bakers’ process for transporting it shoes was based on shipping dates set by its buyers. Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:10:21 PST http://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/CA6451274.html?nid=4149 Back in early 2005, carrier efficiency began to weigh heavily on Ed Hamorsky’s mind. After visiting some of his core truckload carriers, Hamorskry, director of logistics and transportation for Alcoa, noticed that the trucks delivering into the company’s locations had different dispatchers than the ones taking loads out—and that lack of communication was resulting in an ineffic... Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:10:21 PST http://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/CA6451273.html?nid=4149 Back in early 2005, it was getting a little too close for comfort for the team at CDW’s 450,000-square-foot distribution center (DC) in Vernon Hills, Ill. They had run out of bin locations, they were stocking on floors, injuries were going up, and overtime was beginning to run in the neighborhood of 20 to 30 percent because staff had to touch boxes multiple times to get shipments out the ... Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:10:21 PST