As technology changes the face of fulfillment and distribution, two very important trends have emerged: the need for increased speed in the packaging process and the call for more flexible packaging solutions.... View More
Inbound vendor compliance � and the related savings on shipping � has become a hot cost-saving opportunity. If your company receives and pays for products from outside vendors, you can�t afford to overlook... View More
Overnight service continues to be one of the fastest growing sectors of the shipping industry. Years of effective advertising have convinced the shipping public that faster is better � for a price. Used... View More
Deregulation has had very positive effects on the cost of transporting and distributing the nation�s freight and parcel express traffic. However, shippers must learn about the pitfalls in transportation... View More
By Bert Moore Prognostication is always fun. When you�re right, no one remembers. When you�re wrong, no one forgets. So, rather than climb out on this limb all by myself, I�ve invited some industry experts... View More
If you were planning to reengineer your distribution center, what would be the most important aspects of the project to consider? Would it be cost, return on investment, downtime for the company and its... View More
Just-in-time logistics, steady product flow management and the never-ending drive for maximum efficiency have intensified the attention given to loading dock design. A multitude of fluctuating variables... View More
The Internet is usually given credit � good and bad � for every new development in manufacturing and distribution. But while processing data through the Internet has an impact on the success of many a... View More
Tracking, one of man�s oldest and most valued skills, has long been essential to survival. While most of us no longer track game for our next meal, tracking in business is essential � and not just of products.... View More
Have you ever seen or handled a million dollar box? I have. It was small and lightweight. I could easily hold it in one hand. A friend who works for the Department of Transportation (DOT) assured me that... View More
A new customer service representative (CSR) raised an interesting issue. Her department was responsible for the shipping of replacement parts for the company�s industrial equipment. The problem was that... View More
Electronic manifesting eliminates hours of manual data processing, keyboard entry errors and the bundles of paperwork associated therein (we all know that, right?), but what began this modern day exercise... View More
It is often difficult for managers in production areas like mail or shipping to keep their employees motivated. There are several factors that lead to this including relatively low pay, working in what... View More
When Forrester Research Group asked corporate managers what this year�s greatest fulfillment challenge would be, the answer was global distribution. Lowering fulfillment costs came in a close second. The... View More
Montgomery Ward closed its doors, Chrysler announced plant closings and the layoff of 20% of its work force, UPS profits soar nine percent, JC Penney idles thousands and closes stores, CNN cuts workforce,... View More
E-commerce appears to be all about ease of doing business and the ability to receive products quickly at your home. However, as one parcel company�s television commercial graphically depicts, you do not... View More
When EDI (paperless transactions) hit the marketplace, Daniel J. Biby wrote a book entitled E-D-I or D-I-E. At that time no one could have known how right he would be. Nor could anyone have known just... View More
In the last 18 months, there�s been lots of talk about breakthroughs in RFID technology such as thin, consumable �smart labels,� and their potential impact on parcel and distribution markets. While smart... View More
On February 7th, United Parcel Service�s (UPS) new rates went into effect. The December 29, 1999 news release announced that the rate increase is �modest.� Whether or not that is true depends on which... View More
The growth of the parcel consolidation sector can be seen in one simple statistic: over half of the companies listed in our survey entered the parcel consolidation business in 1997 or later. Clearly, the... View More
