Technology | SupplyChainBrain

Technology: Page 1213

Next-Generation Rail Fleet Management

Analyst Insight: As the global economy slowly begins to improve, large-scale manufacturers who ship bulk product by rail are again experiencing the issues of service reliability, asset turnover, capacity constraints, working capital optimization and risk. With that said, after the dismal 2008-2009 economy, we're right back into the bane of a one-hundred-year rail dilemma: enhancing service reliability while improving fleet utilization to sustain a lean rail fleet. Current rail management tools are effective at tracking historical transit times and identifying the position of each car at a certain point in time. However, an important disconnect exists between seeing the future demand for rail shipments and predicting the usage and location of the cars over the entire enterprise planning horizon. - Alfred Sherk, CEO, SherTrack LLC

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Oracle Debuts JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Mobile Expense Management

Oracle Corp. has developed a mobile expense-management software application, under the JD Edwards EnterpriseOne brand.

Horizontal Collaboration - Sharing Supply Chain Assets with Your Competitors

With ever-changing business challenges such as transportation costs, volatile demand and an evolving customer base, supply management organizations are exploring new and unique ways to use collaboration in their supply chains. One such effort is turning traditional vertical collaboration strategies on their side and may change the way organizations view their supply chain - and their competitors.

A Well-Designed Inventory Planning & Optimization Strategy Must Be Maintained

Analyst Insight: It can be a struggle for organizations to obtain the right balance between keeping enough inventory on hand to meet customer demand and minimizing costs related to carrying inventory. APQC's research indicates that best-practice organizations achieve this balance through the creation of inventory optimization programs with well-designed strategies, effective processes, appropriate technology, and regular assessment. - Becky Partida, knowledge specialist, APQC

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Inttra Debuts Multi-Party Electronic Bill of Lading for Ocean Freight

Inttra, provider of an independent platform for booking and managing ocean freight, has created what it says is the industry's first standardized electronic bill of lading.

The Open Group Previews First Standard for Supply-Chain Security

The Open Group has issued a "preview" of its new standard for promoting best practices in the area of supply-chain security. The Open Trusted Technology Provider Standard (O-TTPS) Snapshot, developed by The Open Group Trusted Technology Forum (OTTF), was designed for use by global providers and users of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products for information and communication technology (ICT).

Avnet Electronics Marketing Launches Supply-Chain Diagnostic Tool

Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas has launched the Rapid Benefit Escalation Tool (RaBET), enabling customers to model the cost savings to be derived from the use of Avnet products.

Who's to Blame for Ocean Carriers' Losses?

Back in the early 1980s, when I was new to the world of transportation, logistics and the supply chain, I recall ocean carriers complaining that their freight rates weren't high enough to meet operating costs, let alone generate a profit. They were begging shippers to accept higher rates, in exchange for greater service reliability. Yet every time they would achieve some traction on the rate front, they would flood the market with new capacity, and offer deep discounts in order to fill the new ships. Then they would appeal to shippers for higher rates ...

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Using CRM Data to Defend Against Customer Lawsuits

If a customer slips and falls in a large box store and then decides to sue the store, it would certainly be appropriate for the retailer to examine the videotapes relating to the slip and fall, see whether the customer did - in fact - fall, observe how that person was behaving before the fall and afterward, and determine what the condition of the floor was at the time of the incident.

Case Study Shows Ralph Lauren Embraces Airfreight Optimization

With $12bn in brand revenue, Ralph Lauren was facing the challenge of coping with rapid growth, both at the wholesale and retail levels. Complicating matters were the apparel leader's broadly diverse customer base, geographic coverage and product array.

Geographic Concentration Risks in the High-Tech Supply Chain

Analyst Insight: It is common for high-tech companies to have established processes to ensure they are not overly dependent on too few suppliers. Far less common are processes or intelligence to ensure they are not overly dependent on a specific geographic region. But recent events have pushed the issue of risks from geographic concentration of the supply base to the forefront. - Bill McBeath, Chief Research Officer, ChainLink Research

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Single Border Portal Tops Importers' Wish List

With dozens of federal agencies having some degree of involvement in the cargo clearance process, importers are crying out for a single government portal at the border.

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Photo: iStock/Anastasiia Yanishevska

How a Leading U.S. Floral Distribution Company Reduced Warehouse Labor Costs by 45% with RFID

Recycled Tagging Fasteners: Small Changes Make a Big Impact

Mobile geolocation service for track delivery, cargo shipment and freight transportation. Logistic Import Export business (Elements of this image furnished by NASA)

Enhancing High-Value Electronics Shipment Security with Tive's Real-Time Tracking

Franchise business e-commerce online e-marketplace or digital marketing branch expansion for growth or use technology to analyze product consumer data website management plan for sale service concept.

Moving Robots Site-to-Site