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Outsourcing is
often perceived as dangerous by companies that have never outsourced. Establishing a strong, respectful 3PL relationship takes the fear out of outsourcing. To learn how to begin outsourcing without fear, download our complimentary whitepaper here. For information or to speak with us about your supply chain, visit www.tmsilog.com or call
603.792.2205. |
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Safety: Why the lean and neat are survivors
Material Flows Share    
Every species of animal has a natural instinct for self preservation. Ironically, we humans, being above the animals, tend to lose that feeling of vulnerability at certain points in our development. It starts when we're toddlers, as the drive to discover new things develops before our fear of consequences. If we survive into the teen years, the consequences get more dicey as our drive to discover turns into a drive to drive.
I'm thinking this way because I just learned that June is National Safety Month — and it's already more than half over. The National Safety Council issued a bunch of educational materials well before June to get people hip to the dangers of summertime (June 1-4), preventing overexertion (June 5-11), teen driving safety (June 12-18), preventing slips, trips and falls (June 19-25) and "on the road, off the phone" (motor vehicle safety, June 26-30). I'm surprised any of us reach the age of
senility. More
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Swisslog will implement its AutoStore system - a high density storage/piece picking solution. Stacked bins and series of robots. For more information, visit www.swisslog.com/na10 MORE |
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Logistics numbers show signs of economic strength
Material Handling & Logistics
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The latest logistics numbers show some promising economic signs, according to a summary courtesy of the Georgia Center of Innovation for Logistics. On the downside, over-the-road trucked shipments fell 0.9 percent in May, and overall trucked shipments were flat on a year-over-year basis, according to the Ceridian-UCLA Pulse of Commerce Index. The American Trucking
Association's seasonally adjusted cargo index fell 0.7 percent in April after increasing 1.9 percent in March. And according to the TransCore Freight Index, the spot market for truckload freight in May fell 10 percent from the previous month, but was 10 percent higher year over year. The freight rate index cost per mile decreased to $2.48 in June, down from $2.50 in May.
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Interlink provides reliable WMS technology, accurate information, dependable partnership and peace of mind! THINK INTERLINK! Celebrating 25 Years of WMS Experience in 2011. MORE |
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An ounce of prevention: There's no fail-safe method for protecting DCs against theft, but these precautions can minimize the risk
DC Velocity
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Conventional wisdom holds that cargo is most vulnerable to theft when it's on the road, which is why so many security protocols focus on trucks and other vehicles. But lately we've seen an uptick in cargo thefts — including the disappearance of entire trailer loads — on distribution center property. In some instances, the thefts have occurred at what were thought to be secure facilities. In others, however, they took
place at warehouses that hadn't even taken basic security precautions. Securing a distribution center can be both difficult and expensive. But failure to take precautions is nothing short of reckless, particularly if the company is a logistics service provider and is responsible for the property of others. While no manager can totally eliminate the risks to a facility, its contents and its employees, there are steps he or she can take to minimize risk.
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Avoid the domino effect when making changes to DC operations
Distribution Digest
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Based on surveys and interviews, many distributors are under pressure to find low cost alternative methods to improve throughput and productivity within their order processing operations. But, an unfortunate reality is that an inefficient, well-established (ingrained) process can be very difficult to change. It appears that a major deterrent is the feared "domino effect" — changes to one process will necessitate unplanned
changes to associated processes setting off a chain reaction creating additional complications. The following list shows four often overlooked, standalone, alternative order-picking processes that can increase throughput and productivity while not affecting other operations.
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Making your strategy more relevant
Harvard Business Review
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Since the idea of a "business strategy" — a long-term plan for growth and profitability — was first developed in the early 1960s, companies around the world have used this tool to pick a competitive position and make their way closer to it. But many business leaders seem to be losing their confidence in strategy, or at least in their own company's approach to
it. This is evident in our ongoing Booz & Company survey, which asks executives from around the world to comment on the results of their strategic initiatives. With more than 2,350 responses so far, the findings suggest a high degree of disillusionment.
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Maximizing LTL freight discounts with a 3PL
Modern Materials Handling
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For companies looking for relief from high shipping costs and market volatility, a professional, third-party logistics provider can save an extra 18 to 25 percent off already heavily discounted LTL
freight costs if they routinely make multiple shipments to multiple locations and work with numerous freight carriers. For every $100,000 in freight costs, that's an extra $18,000 to $25,000 in savings. How can a 3PL lower freight costs beyond a company's existing discounts? By negotiating additional discounts based on the 3PL's relationship, reputation and volume business with established carriers.
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Proven flexibility and reliability have made TopVOX a market leader in voice technology. Rapid payback, absolutely NO training, easy integration and excellent recognition are key reasons why our customers have selected topVOX as Their Choice for Voice. Click here to see how Cooper Booth Wholesale realizes fast ROI
Click here for FoodLogistic Article “Netto Keeps It Simple With Voice”
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In sustainability, perception isn't always equal to reality
SmartPlanet
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There are certain companies that you just KNOW have better corporate sustainability strategies than others, right? Well, not exactly. Two big examples, according to a new study from consulting firm
Brandlogic and analytics firm CRD Analytics: Apple and Google. Both of these companies have a higher reputation for sustainability measures than actually is deserved, according to the study. Brandlogic and CRD Analytics joined forces to figure out whether public perceptions of 100 leading companies really are indicative of those same companies' actual performance when it comes to environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility.
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Learn how to increase your ROI on your mobile computing purchase by downloading this complimentary white paper "Top 5 Tips for Choosing Mobile Computers." MORE |
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Lift
trucks: Simplifying maintenance
Modern Materials Handling
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Eight years ago, managers realized they had a problem at the central distribution facility for Rawlings, where they managed 40,000 inventory lines of sporting equipment and apparel. As the company had grown, its fleet had been expanded piecemeal, resulting in a hodgepodge of equipment providers and a maintenance department scrambling to keep up. Mike Campbell, senior director of distribution at the 480,000-square-foot Rawlings
distribution center in Washington, Mo., said the decision was made to contract for outsourced maintenance services. Rawlings partnered with Heubel Material Handling, a member of the Raymond Corporation's dealer network, to implement Raymond's consultative approach for providing support.
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Learn how
today's distributors are using Epicor to solve their complex challenges for maximum ROI. This evaluation kit shows how ERP software can help you customize product features and options, create RFID labels and synchronize global distribution operations.
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Cornerstone Automation Systems offers order picking systems and a full line of technologies
to automate order fulfillment requirements, ranging from operator assisted to fully automatic fulfillment. CASI builds turnkey systems to optimize end-to-end fulfillment including receiving, putaway, picking, shipping, and sortation.
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How to handle a raise request
Harvard Business Review
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"Can I have a raise?" Five little words cause a lot of stress and frustration. In many smaller organizations — and even some larger ones — there's
no formal compensation policy. There may not even be an HR professional available to consult on merit increases and other pay issues. In these companies, you are likely to encounter direct requests from your staff members for a raise. Absent a policy, people assume that if they want a raise the only way they can get one is to ask for it.
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See and compare solutions for your manufacturing, logistics and supply chain operations and network with your peers at MODEX 2012. Discover equipment and systems solutions and learn about the latest supply chain innovations and leading trends. Explore 500 exhibits and choose from a variety of educational sessions. MORE |
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Dan Gilmore: State of the Logistics Union 2011
Supply Chain Digest
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The annual state of logistics report is just out with much fanfare from Rosalyn Wilson and CSCMP, with the headline news that overall U.S. logistics costs rose 10.4 percent in 2010 to 8.3 percent of GDP. That is after two years of logistics cost decline, especially the dramatic, recession-induced slide in 2009 to just 7.9 percent of GDP. In 2007, logistics costs were calculated at 9.9 percent of GDP, so we are still well below that
recent peak. This represents the 22nd edition of the report, which was launched in the late 1980s by the late Bob Delaney and sponsored by his company, Cass Information Systems.
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Fitting packaging into the future of health care reform
Healthcare Packaging
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Even as health care reform continues to take shape, pharmaceutical manufacturers can see a trend in which patient outcomes will be a primary factor in reimbursement. More than ever, packaging will be called upon to help patients adhere to medication regimens, particularly in treatment areas such as hypertension and diabetes where non-adherence poses
considerable clinical and financial costs. That was a key takeaway from the presentation, "Surviving and Thriving in a Volatile Marketplace: Strategies for Drug Companies," given by Michael Wokasch, author and pharmaceutical industry veteran at the May 26 Healthcare Packaging Conference & Workshop in Princeton, N.J.
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Call TeamDCA, 25Mil sqft of warehousing &
Distribution strategically located throughout USA.
Check us out when you need the best of the best! www.teamdca.com |
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How do you handle the multiple dimensions of transportation
management?
The 21st Century Supply Chain
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A common supply chain model with North American-based brands will include the outsourced manufacturing of
components or even finished goods to Asia. This outsourcing to Asia can obviously result in significantly reduced costs of manufacturing, but also presents some significant challenges with shipping or transportation — both in cost and also the transit time. The trade-off is cost versus speed as to how to get the goods from Asia to North America: via air or sea. In an ideal world, and especially for bulky items, freight by sea is the most cost-effective option and is used as the default
shipment option.
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A peaceful coexistence? Relations between trucking, rail interests have hit a 20-year low — That's bad news for all of us
DC Velocity
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Mitch Mac Donald writes, "As much of the nation sweltered through the first major heat wave of 2011, the war of words in Washington was heating up as well. But while the temperatures will eventually subside, the tensions between rail and trucking interests seem unlikely to ease anytime soon. What makes the latest flareup noteworthy isn't so much the source of the controversy — recent proposals to raise truck weight limits
— but the level of hostility generated. Not since former Roadway Express president Joe Clapp hit the speakers' circuit in the early 1990s has the rhetoric reached the pitch it did in May."
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Learn how the Jungheinrich EKX 513-515k Turret Truck and
Order Picker can be easily customized for your application. MORE |
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Albis Technologies' RFID tags help protect European art
RFID Journal
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Protecting art and artifacts at museums can be a complex task that requires security guards, as well as technology, to watch over valuable items in public places. Usually, the technology consists of
permanent wired motion detectors around the building's exhibits. Some museums in Europe, however, are employing a solution featuring active RFID tags coupled with sensors from Swiss telecommunications products firm Albis Technologies that enables them to wirelessly protect their high-value exhibits from damage or theft. Albis' ZOMOFI (Zone Monitoring & Find) system detects motion, triggers an audible alarm if a work of art or other valuable item is moved, and alerts staff members
electronically so that they can respond.
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Using data from an operation’s inventory UNEX’s in-house slotting software (SKUBE) will analyze and assign product to the correct storage medium. This assures that the proper
Carton Flow Solution & Investment is applied for any stand-alone or integrated Order Picking System. more
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Buckhorn donates containers, pallets in wake of tornadoes
Material Handling & Logistics
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Buckhorn Inc. recently donated more than 1,800 plastic totes and pallets to community outreach programs in Northwest Alabama and Joplin, Mo., in the wake of the tornadoes that devastated those regions. First, Buckhorn joined forces with TNT Fireworks, based in Florence, Ala., to donate more than 500 attached lid totes to the local Salvation Army. The totes primarily are being used to help sort goods like nonperishable food items or
household products. Eventually, the containers will make kits filled with food and hygiene supplies, which then will be distributed to families in Phil Campbell and Hackleburg afflicted by an EF5 tornado.
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From manual to fully automated goods-to-person picking and storage systems to intelligent warehouse control software, Knapp can make your complex operation simple!
www.KNAPP.com/us
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Waller & Associates assists our clients in achieving world-class customer service and a least–cost operating position within their warehousing & distribution operations. Contact us info@
wallerassoc.com
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