Avoiding pitfalls when setting up packing stations
Avoiding pitfalls when setting up packing stations
Setting up a packing station may sound straightforward. But there are actually a number of places to go wrong. Here's what to watch for.

Should you let your equipment do the walking?
"Goods to person" picking systems that deliver items to workers can boost pick rates as high as 1,000 lines per hour, say suppliers.

Highway programs extended until end of FY '11 with Obama's signing of jobs bill
Bill signed into law on March 18 maintains current highway spending through the end of the next fiscal year.

Weak LTL results mar otherwise solid quarter for FedEx
Package delivery giant shows gains in every segment but freight.


DC Velocity's Fifth Annual Salary Survey
DC Velocity's fifth annual Salary Survey is under way and we need your help. Please take 60 to 90 seconds to complete the survey by clicking here. Responses will be used only in the aggregate and will be kept strictly confidential. The results will be published in the May 2010 issue of DC Velocity.

News & Exclusives »
What You Need to Know About Supply Chain Sustainability
What You Need to Know About Supply Chain Sustainability
Kevin Smith, President & CEO of Sustainable Supply Chain Consulting, talks about what companies in the supply chain need to know about sustainability.
Viewer Contributed »
GBI Tilt Tray Sorter Installations
GBI Tilt Tray Sorter Installations
Before & After GBI Tilt Tray sorter in a distribution center. Triple-diveCrt chutes used to sort polybags, DVD & CD's showing automatic induction and stacking chutes. Book returns sorter and BMC.
Products & Services »
New Products: Intelligrated
New Products: Intelligrated
Learn about the latest technology offered by Intelligrated, including enhancements to its motor driven roller product and its I-Watch monitoring system for sliding shoe sorters.

Close call Close call
In addition to being the port of call nearest to the nation's most densely populated region, the Port of New York & New Jersey offers shippers and importers many advantages for smooth sailing.
Sponsored by The Port of New York & New Jersey

Teamsters ready to talk with ABF about wage, benefit concessions
Union says "contractual relief" may be warranted in light of trucker's worsening financial condition.

Oberstar proposes federal loan to fill highway funding gaps
Chairman of House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee floats plan for $130 billion loan from general treasury to cover highway trust fund budget shortfall.

Ranking member of House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee rules out highway re-authorization in 2010
John Mica tells industry conference that it will be 2011 before lawmakers act on highway program.

Engineers test skills in DC fire-protection design challenge
Foundation challenges specialists to devise system for extinguishing fire in "tough case" warehouse with no outside assistance.

Trio drives forklift across Great Britain for charity
Friends of cancer victim make 915-mile trip on Jungheinrich lift truck to raise money for research.

Picking & Packing: 10 tips for improving piece picking
If your DC is typical, you're probably doing more piece picking today than you did a decade ago. Here are some tips for improving that part of your operation.


RedPrairie to be acquired by private equity firm; Descartes launches all-cash bid for Porthus
RedPrairie announces planned sale to New Mountain Capital. Meanwhile, Canada's Descartes makes offer for Belgium-based global trade management software specialist.

iPhone app a no go for DCs
iPhone bar-code scanning app may be cheap, says one analyst, but it can't stand up to the rigors of warehouse operations.

Software that tracks your carbon (so you can cut it)
New carbon mapping software measures the CO2 generated by your supply chain and suggests ways to reduce it.

Basic Training: Oil prices change the calculus of offshoring
Sourcing decisions once were made largely on the basis of labor costs. Oil price volatility has changed all that.

Dr. John Mentzer dies; was renowned supply chain educator, author
Dr. John T. (Tom) Mentzer, one of the nation's most prominent supply chain educators and authors, died Feb. 26 after a long illness.

Global Logistics - Europe: Lego's game-changing move
The toymaker's bold decision to serve Europe and Asia from a single DC in the Czech Republic cut logistics costs by 20 percent. But bringing the new operation up to Western European standards wasn't exactly child's play.


Alternative Fuels in Logistics: Truckers chafe at alternative fuel mandates
Alternative fuels may someday go mainstream, but truckers want to make the shift on their terms, not the government's.

Building a New DC: An inside look at Jackson Family Wines' new eco-friendly DC
It's already acclaimed for its sustainable farming and water conservation practices. But Jackson Family Wines took its eco-initiatives to a whole new level last year when it built a sprawling, earth-friendly DC.

FedEx pledges $500,000 to fight Mexican road congestion, pollution
Carrier to collaborate with EMBARQ to promote sustainable transport projects in select Mexican cities.

Commentary: Firearms are our best defense against pirates Commentary: Commentary: Firearms are our best defense against pirates
The decision to arm merchant ships may carry some risks. But it also appears to be our best hope for keeping crew members out of harm's way.

Once again, there's a Pagonis on the (logistics) job in Iraq
Son of famed general is one of the logistics experts charged with coordinating the removal of equipment from U.S. military bases.

Carrier recruitment efforts target vets
Real-world experience, management skills, and a strong work ethic make ex-military logisticians attractive to employers.


Trio drives forklift across Great Britain for charity
Friends of cancer victim make 915-mile trip on Jungheinrich lift truck to raise money for research.

Lift Trucks: Training, enforcement called key to reducing forklift accidents
Advanced safety equipment can help, but the real key to reducing lift-truck accidents lies in training and enforcement.

Crown moves into IC lift truck market
After 50 years of making electric vehicles, Crown unveils its first internal-combustion lift truck.

Disaster planning for DC operations Systems Integration: Disaster planning for DC operations
Your company may be prepared for fires, floods, and labor strikes. But does it have a plan for dealing with material handling system breakdowns?

strengthening their hand
Boston Rack International announces merger with Base Manufacturing.

Packaging: Koch cranks up the volume
When a new line of business caused backups at Koch Entertainment's packing stations, an automated packaging system cleared the logjam. Now the music and film distributor is shipping a lot more orders in much less time.


Fourth-generation Storage Retrieval Machine
Westfalia Technologies has developed its fourth-generation Storage Retrieval Machine (SRM) for the unit load automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) market.

ProFlow TrakSteer carts
Kinetic Technologies introduces the ProFlow TrakSteer series of industrial-quality carts with four-wheel steering.

AccuSpeechMobile for Field Force Automation
Vangard Voice Systems announces the availability of AccuSpeechMobile for Field Force Automation (FFA).

Warehouse Management For Wholesale Distributors: The Adaptive Supply Chain Network Warehouse Management For Wholesale Distributors: The Adaptive Supply Chain Network
Learn how an adaptive fulfillment network deals with SCE processes that reside in DCs but impact the larger ecosystem of an adaptive supply chain network.
Presented by: SAP
2009 Secondary Packaging Outsourcing Report 2009 Secondary Packaging Outsourcing Report
Increased flexibility and reduced costs are two top reasons why manufacturers are outsourcing their secondary packaging services.
Presented by: Saddle Creek
Perfect Order Fulfillment for Wholesale Distribution Perfect Order Fulfillment for Wholesale Distribution
Superior order management can be a competitive edge, improving customer satisfaction and retention as well as the bottom line.
Presented by: SAP







Real Time Mobility – Cost Effective Solutions for Distribution
Real Time Mobility – Cost Effective Solutions for Distribution
Explore wireless and mobile solutions that can improve your operations and offer a fast return on investment.
Sponsored by Zebra and Motorola




Articles from CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly
Some of the best read articles from DC Velocity's sister publication, published in a partnership with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals

At Kraft, cash is king
When Kraft Foods needed to cut costs and free up cash, its supply chain organization rose to the challenge. Better inventory turnover played a leading role in boosting cash flow by 20 percent.

San Diego—you need to be here!
Just about anyone who's involved in supply chain management will converge on San Diego for CSCMP's 2010 Annual Global Conference.

Commentary: Modeling your competitor's supply chain: The untold story
Supply chain design software offers a tool for modeling a rival's network and performance. But few companies seem to be taking advantage of that opportunity.

Germany gets top marks for international trade logistics
Germany tops the World Bank's ranking of nations' capacity to facilitate international trade logistics.

Companies struggle to build "cash culture"
Many companies that are fighting to free up cash in their supply chains have not taken the necessary steps to make that happen.


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