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Logistics / Supply Chain: Most Popular Articles

These articles are the most popular over the last month.
Introduction to Supply Chain
Supply chain management can be simple or complex, but all supply chains contain similar elements and are managed in a similar way. This article will give you a introduction to these concepts. Firstly, you will learn about the elements that define a company's supply chain. Secondly, you will discover the three levels of management that are required to efficiently operate the supply chain.
Total Quality Management
Total Quality Management (TQM) is an approach that seeks to improve quality and performance which will meet or exceed customer expectations. TQM looks at the overall quality measures used by a company including managing quality design and development, quality control and maintenance, quality improvement, and quality assurance. This article looks at the history and implementation of TQM.
Warehouse Best Practices
Companies are constantly trying to find ways to improve performance and warehouse operations is area where supply chain managers can focus to gain maximum efficiency for minimum cost. To get the most out of the operation, a number of best practices can be adopted to improve productivity and overall customer satisfaction. Although best practices vary from industry to industry and by the products shipped there are a number of best practices that can be applied to most companies.
Logistics / Supply Chain - Articles
An index of articles for the Logistics / Supply Chain guide site.
Logistics Strategy
The supply chain constantly changes and that will affect any logistics organization. To adapt to the flexibility of the supply chain, companies should develop and implement a formal logistics strategy.
Lean Supply Chain Management
Lean supply chain management should be considered by businesses who want to streamline their processes by eliminating waste and non-value added activities. Companies have a number of areas in their supply chain where waste can be identified as time, costs or inventory. To create a leaner supply chain companies must examine each area of the supply chain. Lean supply chain management can improve the company’s competitiveness as well as improve the company’s overall profitability.
Strategic Supply Chain
The strategic supply chain processes that management has to decide upon will cover the breadth of the supply chain. These include product development, customers, manufacturing, suppliers and logistics.
Green Supply Chain
The public have become more aware of environmental issues and consumers are asking companies about their environmental policies. This article examines how some companies have found that starting to create a green supply chain can add to the bottom line.
Implementing WMS
Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) have been available for decades and initially allowed simple storage location functionality. Today WMS systems can be standalone or part of an ERP system and can include complex technology such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and voice recognition. However the basic principle of a WMS has remained the same, which is to provide information to allow efficient control of the movement of materials within the warehouse
Introduction to SAP
SAP ERP Operations solution has become the software backbone that contributes to companies ability to achieve efficiency in the supply chain.
Purchasing Strategy
Implementing a world class purchasing strategy will allow your company to stabilize or even increase profits at a time when your costs are rising. This step by step guide will show you the key points to helping you company implement the key elements for a world class purchasing strategy.
Warehouse Layout
The layout of a warehouse may need to be changed to accommodate new product lines or to add greater flexibility to the warehouse operations. When a new warehouse layout is proposed a detailed planning process should be followed to ensure the success of the project. The planning process is discussed in this article.
Warehouse Safety
Safety in American warehouses is regulated by a series of standards from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, commonly known as OHSA. The main focus of OSHA is to prevent work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths. This article examines the most frequent citations given by OSHA and some of the practical solutions that can be employed in the warehouse.
Cross Docking
The term cross docking refers to moving product from a manufacturing plant and delivers it directly to the customer with little or no material handling in between. Cross docking not only reduces material handling, but also reduces the need to store the products in the warehouse. In this article, the different types, benefits and products suitable for ctross docking are examined.
Purchasing Rationalization
A major American chemical company had completed a year of supply chain reengineering and decided upon a number of best practices that should be implemented. One element of the reengineering was that they decided upon creating a shared service function at their headquarters which rationalized the purchasing and accounts functions.
Safety Stock
Safety stock is required by businesses to ensure that they have sufficient quantities of material in stock. The safety stock provides coverage for unexpected customer demand, damage in the warehouse or quality issues found in production. However, there are situations where firms do not require inventory to be in stock. This article looks at the methods that can be used to calculate safety stock
Operational Supply Chain
Operational supply chain decisions are made hundreds of times each day in a company. These are the decisions that are made at business locations that affect how products are developed, sold, moved and manufactured.
Introduction to Oracle EBS
Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) version 12 is an internet enabled product that can be managed from a single site. A company can operate a single data center with a single database, similar to other ERP products. This release was launched in February 2007 and contains a number of product lines which users can implement for their business. Oracle EBS includes the company’s ERP solution as well as supply chain management (SCM) and customer relationship management (CRM) applications.
Tactical Supply Chain
Tactical supply chain decisions focus on adopting measures that will produce cost benefits for a company. Tactical decisions are made within the construct of the wider reaching strategic supply chain decisions that are made by company management.
Purchasing Performance
Measuring purchasing performance is important as the purchasing department plays an ever increasingly important role in the supply chain in an economic downturn. A reduction in the cost of raw material and services can allow companies to competitively market the price of their finished goods in order to win business. This article examines how companies are measuring purchasing performance.
Pallet Storage Methods
Many companies store their products on pallets in the warehouse. There are a number of pallet storage methods that allow the warehouse staff to store pallets efficiently. This article will examine a number of the pallet storage methods that are commonly used.
Cycle Counting
Cycle counting is a popular inventory counting method that allows businesses to count a number of items in a number of areas within the warehouse without having to count the entire inventory. Cycle counting is a sampling technique where count of a certain number of items infers the count for the whole warehouse. This article shows different cycle counting methods that can used in a warehouse.
Incoterms
International commercial terms or Incoterms are a series of sales terms that are used by businesses throughout the world. Incoterms are used to make international trade easier. They are used to divide transaction costs and responsibilities between buyer and seller. This article describes in detail the thirteen incoterms that can be used.
Manugistics
Manugistics began life as a company called Scientific Time Sharing Corporation (STSC), formed in 1969. Initially STSC was geared towards writing programs using the APL computer language for IBM. After a number of years of developing APL programming for the personal computer and developing operational decision-support software, STSC changed its name to Manugistics in 1992. This article looks the rise and fall of Manugistics and its purchase by JDA Software in 2006.
Less Than Truckload
Products are moved from point to point by a number of different modes of transport; air, rail, water and truck. In the US, the movement of goods by truck offers shippers infinite flexibility due at a relatively low cost. Truck transportation can move large items faster than rail as the shipment is not dependent on the railroads timetable. This article looks at the Less Than Truckload (LTL) sector.
Best Practices Green Supply
Trend towards developing a green supply chain is popular but most companies are wondering how this can be achieved and where to start. Businesses have been concentrating on improving supply chain visibility, refining efficiency and minimizing cost. Despite the focus being moving towards a green supply chain the goals of visibility, efficiency and cost reduction do not have to be discarded. Firms who have implemented green supply chains can offer a number of best practices that will help others.
Vendor Managed Inventory
Vendor Managed Inventory or VMI is a process where the vendor creates orders for their customers based on demand information that they receive from the customer. The vendor and customer are bound by an agreement which determines inventory levels, fill rates and costs. This article describes the VMI process.
Selecting A 3PL
Third party logistics (3PL) companies are a becoming an important part of today’s supply chain. These companies offer services that can allow businesses to outsource part of all of their supply chain management function. This article examines the rise of the 3PL providers and the mechanism that should be used in the selection of a third party logistics provider.
Vendor Evaluation
Companies are constantly looking at their supply chain to reduce costs while improving the quality of the items they purchase. To select the appropriate vendor for a particular item, a purchasing department can use a vendor evaluation tool. The evaluation of vendors can be determined by using a number of criteria that are either derived from transaction data or observations. The article is an introduction into the vendor evaluation process.
Just In Time (JIT)
Just in Time or JIT method creates the movement of material into a specific location at the required time, i.e. just before the material is needed in the manufacturing process.
Forecasting
In the supply chain, forecasting is necessary for manufacturers. Companies use material forecasting to ensure that they produce the level of material that satisfies their customers without producing an overcapacity situation where too much inventory is produced and remains on the shelf. This article examines the use of forecasts in the supply chain with statistical and non-statistical methods.
Introduction to cGMP
Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) are followed by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to ensure that their items are manufactured to specific requirements. This article is an introduction to the regulations that govern the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and bioligicals in the US.
Benchmarking
Supply chain operations within an organization should be constantly reviewed to identify where improvements can be made or deficiencies eliminated. One method to help do this is to perform a series of benchmarking tests on their supply chain processes. This article reviews the methods involved in benchmarking supply chain processes.
Introduction to CRM
When your company communicates with your customers the process can involve many different people within both organizations using a variety of different methods. To ensure that your company can provide the best customer service experience possible the use of customer relationship management (CRM) software should be considered. This article examines the elements that are found in customer relationship management software.
Lawson Software
When companies are considering an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, the short list usually includes SAP and Oracle. However, Lawson Software offers an ERP system that has been ranked as the number one ERP software product for cost per user by the Aberdeen Group. This article examines the the history of Lawson Software and their current ERP applications.
Small Manufacturing Business
Small businesses are often not associated with manufacturing, however in the US small manufacturers can be found in all fifty states. Organizations such as the American Small Manufacturers Coalition (ASMC) exist to promote small manufacturers and to lobby government to assist with legislation and federal programs. This article examines some of the manufacturing processes that are used by small businesses.
Reducing Waste
Businesses are examining every area of their supply chain to reduce costs. Reducing waste has become a key component of any cost reduction program that is implemented. There are a number of processes that can be used in order to reduce waste in a company’s supply chain. This article shows some of the processes that can be adopted to reduce waste in the supply chain.
Order Picking
Order picking can be defined as the activity by which a small number of goods are extracted from a warehousing system, to satisfy a number of independent customer orders. Picking processes have become an important part of the supply chain process. Picking is seen as the most labor-intensive activity for almost every warehouse and this article examines order picking solutions that are available.
New Green Industries
As traditional industries struggle with the public’s increasing environmental consciousness, there is a number of new green industries that are receiving more attention. In this article I have highlighted a number of new green industries that we will all hear more of in the coming years.
Six Sigma Terms
Six Sigma is a business management strategy that was initially developed by Motorola in the 1980’s, and now is used in many Fortune 500 companies. It is used primarily to identify and rectify errors and defect in a manufacturing or business process. Six Sigma uses a number of quality methods and tools that are used by professionals within the organization who have been trained on Six Sigma techniques. This articles explains some of the common terms used in Six Sigma projects.
Lean Manufacturing
Lean Manufacturing has grown out of the production system developed by the Japanese automaker, Toyota. After WWII, Japanese manufacturers adopted production and quality procedures from US industry and expanded the principles to reduce waste in the manufacturing process. This article looks at the origins and principles of Lean Manufacturing.
C-TPAT and the Supply Chain
The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency implemented a partnership with private companies after the events of 9/11 to help protect the global supply chain. Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) was launched in November 2001, with just seven major importing companies and now includes over 7400 members. This article examines the basics of the C-TPAT program
Microsoft Dynamics
management software have an increasing number of software companies competing for their business. For business owners who feel that products from Oracle, SAP and JDA are too complex and too expensive for their businesses, Microsoft has a range of products under the Microsoft Dynamics umbrella that are more applicable for small and medium businesses.
Third Party Logistics
A Third Party Logistics (3PL) provider is a firm that provides outsourced or "third party" logistics.
Assemble to Order
Assemble to order is a production method that occurs when an item is assembled after receipt of a customer's order
Public Warehousing
A company’s supply chain will include warehousing functions. It can be company-owned, owned by a third party logistics (3PL) firm or a public warehouse. Extra warehouse space is sometimes required due to any number of factors including; seasonal inventory, warehouse re-organization or warehouse damage. This article examines public warehousing and the criteria used in selecting a public warehouse.
Recycled Packaging
Packaging materials are used every day in almost every company that manufactures and sells products. Packaging is used to move raw material to a manufacturer, bulk finished material to a distributor and then the final product to the consumer. As the public's perception about the environment changes, companies must look at greener packaging alternatives in their supply chain to satisfy consumers.
Making Your Warehouse Green
Warehouses are busy places. Goods are constantly on the move; inbound and outbound deliveries have to be dealt with as well as the movements of items from location to location. Many companies are looking to warehouse operations are an area where they can make environmentally sound decisions. Companies are concentrating on three areas to help them in this endeavor; reduce, reuse and recycle. This article will show you where you can help your company make your warehouse green.
Hazard Materials
Hazardous materials are often found in a warehouse. These materials can be either raw materials or finished goods depending on the nature of your company’s products. However, a hazardous material is one that is capable of producing harmful physical effects . This article examines the subject od hazardous materials in your warehouse and the regulations in place for their safe use.
Kanban
Kanban is a Japanese production technique that uses cards or electronic signals in a computer system to monitor and control workflow in a factory.
US Export Regulations
Companies that want to export items from the United States need to understand that their exports fully comply with all statutory and regulatory requirements. Compliance involves the no-export of controlled goods and technologies and the restrictions on shipping to certain countries, companies, organizations, and individuals. This article exaplains some of the regulations that apply.
Activity Based Costing
Activity based costing is a methodology that measures the cost and performance of cost objects
Introduction to Panjiva
For purchasing professionals across all industries, pressure is being exerted to source more material, at high qualities, in shorter lead times with fewer resources. This has led to buyers searching in all corners of the world to find suppliers who can fulfill their requirements. Buyers now have a new tool which they can use to help them with their endeavors, called Panjiva.
Introduction to Ariba
Ariba is the leading provider of Spend Management solutions that offers procurement departments the opportunity to manage, monitor and analyze purchasing expenditure. Ariba offers suppliers the ability to create catalogs that can be accessed by its customers on its Supplier Networ. Founded in 1996, Ariba has over 160,000 suppliers with a monthly spend of over $8 billion.
Global Supply Chain
The supply chain incorporates all aspects of moving material from the vendor through the manufacturing process to the final customer. The supply chain focuses on vendors, manufacturers, intermediaries, logistical services and the customer. The supply chain is no longer contained within countries borders, but encompasses all nations, whether they are vendors, manufacturers or customers. This article will examine the ways in which companies can export their products to new markets.
Radio Frequency Identification
The first use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) was documented in the 1940’s by the British Royal Air Force to identify aircraft in World War II and was part of the refinement of radar. During the 1960’s RFID was first considered as a tracking solution in the commercial world. The first applications involving RFID were developed over the next twenty years. This article looks at the benefits of RFID and its advantages over using barcodes.
Continuous Replenishment
Continuous replenishment is based on the principal of pulled logistics.
MRO Items
MRO items are consumed as part of the production and plant maintenance process.
Evaluated Receipts Settlement
Evaluated Receipts Settlement is a method of paying vendors without vendor generated invoices.
Freight Forwarder
Freight forwarder is used by companies who need to ship items internationally.
Public Warehouse
A public warehouse provides short or long-term storage to companies that require additional warehouse space.
LIFO
LIFO can be used in the warehouse where the first items moved out are the last to arrive in the warehouse
Change Management
Change Management is the process that is used to help the company, employees and partners adapt successfully to the changes taking place.
RFID
RFID uses RF technology and is hoped that the technology will improve the efficiency of inventory tracking and management.
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Logistics / Supply Chain - StepBySteps
An index of StepBySteps for the Logistics / Supply Chain guide site.
Six Sigma
Six Sigma is a business management strategy. It will identify and remove the causes of defects and errors in manufacturing and business processes.
Radio Frequency (RF)
Radio frequency (RF) is a form of wireless communication used in warehousing.
ERP
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software is used by companies to help them achieve efficiencies in their supply chain.

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