Flipping through channels after a long day of supply chain cost-savings finding, it occurred to me that supply chain managers who participate in group purchasing organizations (GPOs) are kind of like viewers... View More

The simple fact is that in today’s longer global supply chains, product moves over greater distances and across more multinational borders than in the more localized supply chains of the past. This... View More

My article on the misapplication of residential fees by one or more carriers in the parcel industry moved some carrier reps to post comments that UPS does have data on what addresses are strictly commercial,... View More

The scene: a big box store early on Black Friday. A large crowd gathers outside the store waiting for the doors to open. Among them, Shopper A and Shopper B. Both are eager to go inside the store to make... View More

Implementing technology projects can be a somewhat frustrating and unpredictable experience for many companies. There is, however, a straightforward set of best practices to follow to increase your probability... View More

I have a confession to make. When I am not overseeing the operations of International Business Systems (IBS) in Solna, Sweden, I am an avid baseball memorabilia collector. Several months ago, after purchasing... View More

It is common knowledge that parcel carriers hike their rates, modify their fuel indices and announce a general rate increase (GRI) each year. The net result is that parcel shipping costs increase by the... View More

In the first three “Basics” articles we defined the major Supply Chain partners who physically move or store your freight, or facilitate its smooth movement and storage. In this fourth “Players”... View More

There has a bit of what I would call “inflammatory” publicity recently about a lawsuit filed against FedEx for allegedly misapplying their residential surcharge to transactions that were consigned... View More

For years Parcel Magazine has served the needs of small-parcel shippers. In 2013 we are launching a new series entitled “LTL Insights”. This series will focus on increasing shippers’... View More

The biggest difference between accessorials and the surcharges, special service codes, and other fees that the major carriers charge is that, for the most part, they are assessed and applied post-shipment.... View More

As mentioned in earlier columns, these “Basics” articles are not intended for the experienced, while hopefully those new to the Supply Chain or entering the Logistics world from a different... View More

Historically, the majority of the world’s consumer products have been distributed to retail stores in bulk, and the most efficient method for handling this merchandise has predominantly been pallet... View More

For the past 20 years, major international IT surveys have shown that more than 50% of all large scale system projects - such as selecting and converting your business to a new Order Management System... View More

As we discussed in previous articles, there are hundreds of freight forwarders in the USA alone. Some are globally recognized, some are locally strong and others who are small start up local providers.... View More

November 15, 2012 the US Postal Service (USPS) will begin accepting packages containing “small” lithium batteries installed in electronic devices for international air transport, including... View More

It’s hard to believe that it’s almost time to close the books on 2012. Before you do, now is a good time to take a look at your operational costs and efficiencies. With the New Year approaching,... View More

Please note that materials that are referenced here are intended for informationaluse only, so please do not forward the content contained herein. Ifyou should have a need to use/share the materials externally,... View More

If you’re an experienced practitioner, this article isn’t for you. In fact, you probably could have written it yourself. But if you’re new to the Supply Chain this first in a series of... View More

Have you ever looked at your invoice and thought, "This can't be right? Why did we pay so much?" With new FedEx rates going into effect on Monday, January 7, 2013, shippers should already be evaluating... View More