Physical Flows

Nov 6, 2021

Human-machine Tradeoffs in Supply Chain Decisions (and the LA Port)

The current set of supply chain disruptions is bringing increased focus on the need for digital transformation of our supply chains.  Nowhere is digital transformation needed more than the Los… 

Oct 30, 2021

Los Angeles Port Bottlenecks Don’t Have Any Short-term Fixes

There is no question that the LA port is one of the biggest economic bottlenecks facing the United States.  The success of the port is undeniably tied to the success… 

Dec 8, 2019

SCRC Meeting – Tom Linton’s “Supply Chain Eight” and Golden Winged Warblers : Questions Every New CSCO Should Ask Their CEO

Our 40th Bi-Annual Supply Chain Resource Cooperative meeting was a great success, culminating with the student gallery walk, featuring 27 undergraduate and MBA supply chain projects.  The meeting was attended… 

Nov 16, 2019

Decoding the Signals of the Global Tariff and Trade Wars

What will global trade and commerce look like in the coming years, and how will it influence the business landscape? This question has moved to the forefront of executives’ minds… 

Jul 9, 2019

Lead Logistics Provider Capabilities Will Require Customized Innovation

With the onset of cloud computing, automation, and machine learning, organizations are integrating their global supply chains, and finding themselves with more transactional data than they could have ever imagined. … 

May 29, 2018

The Lowly Wooden Pallet is a Critical Conveyance in the Supply Chain

In a recent interview, discussions with Patrick Atagi, VP for Advocacy & External Affairs at the National Wooden Pallet and Contain Association (NWPCA)  helped to educate me on just how… 

Apr 9, 2018

Excess and Obsolete Inventory: An Outcome of a Series of Unfortunate Events!

Inventory continues to be a problem for many companies.   In particular, inventory that is considered “Excess and Obsolete” often accumulates and has to be dealt with – often at the end… 

Jan 19, 2011

Reverse Logistics

A supply chain that is dedicated to the reverse flow of products and materials for returns, repair, remanufacture, and/or recycling. Source: http://www.apics.org/ (10th ed.) 

Jan 19, 2011

Packaging

Packaging has a significant impact on the cost and productivity of logistics. Inventory control depends upon the accuracy of manual or automatic identification systems keyed by product packaging. Order selection… 

Jan 19, 2011

Quality Programs

Some of quality programs that are currently used include: Total Quality Management (TQM): TQM is a management approach to long-term success through customer satisfaction. TQM is based on the participation…