We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
  • INDUSTRY PRESS ROOM
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • MEDIA FILE
  • Create Account
  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Newsletters
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • Webcasts
    • Blogs
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Global Logistics and Risk
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • Parcel Forum 2022
    • MODEX 2022
    • Upload Your Video
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • Webcasts
    • Blogs
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Global Logistics and Risk
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • Parcel Forum 2022
    • MODEX 2022
    • Upload Your Video
Home » good practice makes good business
big picture

good practice makes good business

April 1, 2007
Peter Bradley
No Comments

Green practices are good public relations. But as our cover story this month demonstrates, they're also good business. In that story, John Johnson reports on how large companies like Tesco and Staples are building distribution centers that make use of the latest technology to produce clean energy and reduce harmful emissions, saving money in the process. His article on what those companies are doing and Mitch Mac Donald's column on the good business sense in clean development point to a future in which sustainable business practices are a way of life.

Eventually, I suspect, business leaders that see the multiple benefits of environmentally friendly practices in their own businesses will start to look upstream in their supply chains at their vendors. Just as global businesses are becoming more insistent on better labor practices in their suppliers' plants, so, too, they may someday insist on doing business with companies that are working to improve their environmental practices. Our story on global sourcing, which leads off with the experience of a major European retailer, suggests that businesses feel an imperative to source from lower-cost producers. This story does not address the environmental issues, but looks instead at the complexities of attempting to manage a global supply chain.

The complexities of any business decision are further illustrated in our story on the debate raging in the pharmaceutical industry over what RFID tags make the most sense for the industry. With drug theft and counterfeiting on the rise, the industry is coming under increasing pressure from Washington and state legislatures to have in place systems for assuring the "pedigree" of a drug as it moves through the supply chain—something RFID is particularly well suited to do. That has added real urgency to the debate over the technical merits and drawbacks of competing technologies.

Speaking of technology, we also bring you a story on just how far warehouse control systems (WCS) have come. As James Cooke reports in his story, WCS can serve as the "brains" of an operation, overseeing and coordinating the activities of all the material handling equipment. Today's systems don't just move goods quickly through the DC, but intelligently as well—making sure, for instance, that workloads at packing stations are balanced. What's more, the systems can react to feedback from the material handling equipment and adjust operations on the fly.

Finally, we bring you a story on the latest developments in automated storage and retrieval systems, which have made large inroads into DCs. Next month, we'll bring you a story on another sort of green: Look for the results of our annual salary survey, and see how well you're doing.

Material Handling Facility Systems & Maintenance Automatic Data Capture RFID Global Logistics Business Management & Finance Green Logistics Logistics Network Design
  • Related Articles

    The right thing—and good business, too

    Doing good, and getting great results

    good question(s)

Peterbradley
Peter Bradley is an award-winning career journalist with more than three decades of experience in both newspapers and national business magazines. His credentials include seven years as the transportation and supply chain editor at Purchasing Magazine and six years as the chief editor of Logistics Management.

Recent Articles by Peter Bradley

From temp to management: interview with Diane Garforth

Watching over intermodal's interests: interview with Joni Casey

Building resilience into the supply chain: interview with Yossi Sheffi

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Most Popular Articles

  • Schneider welcomes first battery-electric truck

  • Fred Smith is not worried about Amazon

  • RJW LOGISTICS GROUP EXPANDS RETAIL LOGISTICS OPERATION TO DALLAS

  • Outlook 2023: What’s in store for logistics/supply chain?

  • Ports, maritime operators see tide turning as ocean freight tsunami subsides

Now Playing on DCV-TV

5afe63a5 7125 4318 b851 1e5738df1c91

Patterson Fan Co. | HVLS V-Series Ceiling Fan | Staging Area Air Movement

DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
The Patterson V-Series is a high-volume, low-speed industrial ceiling fan that is designed to circulate a lot of air at a very low speed. These fans, ranging in diameters of 8’ all the way to 24’, are perfect for large, open spaces such as staging and shipping areas. One 24’ fan can generate a cooling effect of 6 –...

FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

  • The five best applications for robotic lift trucks in warehouse environments

  • Fulfillment Facility Improved Efficiencies by 4x

  • 3PLs: Complete Orders Faster with Flexible Automation

  • Reusable Packaging for the New Wave of Supply Chain Automation

View More

Subscribe to DC Velocity Magazine

GET YOUR FREE SUBSCRIPTION
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • NEWSLETTERS
  • ADVERTISING
  • CUSTOMER CARE
  • CONTACT
  • ABOUT
  • STAFF
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Copyright ©2023. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing