United Parcel Service (UPS) has reported that it plans to raise air and ground freight rates by an average 4.9 percent in 2010. Back in September, FedEx said that it would increase 2010 air freight prices by 3.9 percent. These increases show that despite the continued falling freight volumes, the large carriers are determined to try to hit profit targets at the expense of their customers.

IATA reported that in spite of a half percent increase in passenger traffic, freight volumes continue to fall. Freight traffic for October 2009 showed another half percent fall. As freight volumes are generally a good indicator of the economy, another decline shows that companies are still not ready to replenish inventories, which means no economic recovery just yet.

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Warehouse equipment supplier Hyster has launched a new order picking machine for businesses storing and picking items at heights of up to 6.5m (22.3 ft). The compact K1.0L series travels and lifts simultaneously, delivering high performance and productivity from a single 24V battery. The new model builds on the features of the Hyster VNA (Very Narrow Aisle) truck and should help to increase pick rates, reduce operating costs and improve energy efficiency.

The K1.0L is available in a number configurations with platform heights up to 4.8m (15.75 ft), 1000 kg (2205 lb) load capacity and is also available with fixed forks, supplementary lift (SL) or a walk-on pallet cage (WP).

The AC motors used on the K1.0L is virtually maintenance free and the truck has easy service access to all components and service intervals of 1000 hours. The K1.0L is available in a number of configurations including a choice of cab widths, guidance options and cold store operation.

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Earlier this month, SYSPRO, provider Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software for manufacturing companies was recognized by Supply & Demand Chain Executive as an ERP supplier that enables users to realize green goals in their 2009 Green Supply Chain Awards. The winners are judged on the clarity and content of the goals and strategy, the extent of the steps being taken, the impact of the results to date and projected results and the form and presentation of the information submitted.

SYSPRO introduced a green solution with their Material Yield System, which enables cut-shape suppliers to reclaim remnants for future use, saving material and reducing the company's environmental impact. SYSPRO has implemented Project Green Enable which is a broad collection of capabilities available in their software solution. These capabilities drive green efficiencies and sustainability in three areas: Energy Efficiency, Waste Reduction and Reuse of Resources.

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A new customer relationship management (CRM) solution is available for small businesses from the maker of Quickbooks. Intuit has released a product called Customer Manager which small business users can operate to manage customer relationships online and achieve continuity of data.

Customer Manager is built on the Intuit Partner Platform and is available either as an online service or mobile application. The product syncs with Quickbooks, so that data can be updated quickly, which is especially useful when visiting customers. Intuit is giving a thirty day trial and currently the solution is priced at $9.95 per month for up to five users, after the trial ends.

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