Author Info
Kenneth B. Ackerman
Columnist
Kenneth B. Ackerman, president of The Ackerman Company, can be reached at (614) 488-3165.
Advice you can trust ... maybe
Whatever your problem, there will be plenty of "experts" eager to offer you advice. The trick is finding one who will make you a hero.
Déjà vu all over again?
An earthquake and tsunami in Japan; then floods in Thailand. Are automakers ready to get serious about supply chain contingency planning yet?
Snug as a bug in a ... container?
Security initiatives that once seemed reassuring—think C-TPAT and TWIC—are not as comforting when the covers get pulled back.
Risky business
Contingency planning may not be your top priority right now. But remember, it's not just Californians who should prepare for The Big One.
Bot or not?
Whether you call them "robots" or automated productivity tools, they're on the march into the nation's DCs.
When soft is hard—winning value propositions
We tend to think of business strategy as essentially timeless, but that's not necessarily the case. A lot of times, yesterday's paradigms are worth about 20 cents.
Coming down out of the cloud(s)
Strategy is not a notebook on the shelf or a plaque on the wall. It's about answering the question, "Where's the beef?"
What it takes to be a leader
Rudy Giuliani has it. So does Steve Jobs. The control freak in the next office who hogs all the credit does not.
Temporary relief
The business of logistics and supply chain execution will continue to be variable, seasonal, and unpredictable. That means temporary staffing will likely be part of the pictures for some time to come.
Hold that wrecking ball!
Our tendency is to raze old buildings and build something new and state of the art on the site. But with warehouses and DCs, that could be a costly and unnecessary move.
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