There is no doubt that the world of supply chain management is becoming increasingly complex. Supply chain executives have revealed five global supply chain management challenges that will define this industry over the next few years. Reports say that the ability to manage these five challenges successfully will eventually determine the success or mediocrity of a business.

Here are some expected challenges in Global Supply Chain Management: Continue Reading

Today”s businesses are under increasing pressure to go green. One way you can contribute to a greener environment is by adopting an eco-friendly supply chain strategy. Since supply chain management is such an important part of business and is also directly concerned with people and physical goods (raw materials and finished products), any step you take will have profound impact on your work environment and on the way people will perceive the image of your company.

Here are some tips for making your supply chain more “green”: Continue Reading

The food and dairy industry depends on the smooth and timely supply of raw materials. Since the ingredients required by food industries come from many different geographical locations, sometimes halfway around the world, transportation and logistics play an important role in ensuring the success of the industry. Because of the short term nature of raw materials and finished products, the food and dairy industry faces many unique challenges that are not found in any other industries. Continue Reading

One of the most important parts of running a business that deals with physical goods is inventory management. Having a critical role in the supply chain, it determines the overall costs, losses and profit margins. A well-managed inventory ensures the smooth inflow of raw material and outflow of finished products, which is essential for the success of any business. But when inventory becomes too large or complicated and starts taking a huge amount of time and resources, many businesses turn to supply chain consultants for help. Continue Reading

Order fulfilment is a very important part of supply chain management. The success of your business depends on how quickly and efficiently you can process customer orders. The more order you can process, the faster you will be able to ship. This increases customer satisfaction and gives you a competitive edge over your competitors. Here are some tips for improving your order fulfilment process Continue Reading

Freight forwarders are people or companies that organize the shipment of goods on behalf of their customers (individuals or businesses).  They play an important role in logistics by helping manufacturers acquire the raw materials they need and distribute the finished products to customers through the various stages of the supply chain. Since a lot of businesses depend on a global supply chain these days, they use international freight forwarders to streamline their shipping process. Continue Reading

A growing number of businesses and organizations are outsourcing their logistics to third party logistics providers (also called 3PL or TPL) to save time and money. 3PL companies typically offer warehousing, transportation and integrated operation services that can be tailored to the customers` needs based on market conditions. These services often go beyond logistics and include value-added services that are integral to the supply chain.

The outsourcing of logistics to 3PL providers allows you to focus on your core competencies of your business. They can help your business save money in the following ways: Continue Reading

Moving goods from one location to another is never free. You will need packing materials, movers (workers), drivers, vehicles (trucks) and possibly storage facilities. The greater the load and the longer the distance, the higher the cost.

But weight and distance are not the only two factors that affect transportation costs. There are several other factors that have a significant impact on the cost of transportation. The following are some of the important factors: Continue Reading

Businesses today are a part of a highly complex supply chain involving multiple suppliers and vendors located at different places across the world.
SubmitWhen a disruption or bottleneck occurs in any part of the chain, it is often impossible to identify the culprit without a complete supply chain analysis. Without identifying the source and cause of the problem, it is not easy to achieve targeted sales and growth.

Supply chain analysis is the process of evaluating every stage of a supply chain starting from the time the business acquires raw materials or supplies from its suppliers to the delivery of final products to the customers. The purpose of the analysis is to determine which part of the supply chain can be improved or shortened to deliver the product more quickly and efficiently to the customers. The philosophy behind supply chain analysis is that the more flexible a business can be, the faster its growth rate will be.

Supply chain analysis helps businesses identify the suppliers and/or processes that can be bypassed, reduce inventories, schedule events and programs, and improve forecasts. This increases efficiency, reduces costs and minimizes risks. It helps businesses optimize their processes to remove redundancies in the supply chain while helping create new value-added processes. Continue Reading

When moving goods from one location to another, it is very important to be aware of the legislation regarding the transport of dangerous goods. Dangerous goods are anything that can harm people, property, the environment and other living organisms. They may be in solid, liquid or a gas state. In Canada, dangerous goods are known as HazMat, short for hazardous.

Classes of dangerous goods: Dangerous goods are divided into nine classes on the basis of their chemical characteristics. There are also subcategories under each class. Continue Reading