Ten years ago, a small group of us decided the logistics business could use a new magazine.
The editors and publishing team brought long experience in logistics and material handling to the new venture. We decided we ought to align this new publication with the way logistics managers and executives actually looked at the world. That is, we would focus on both operations within the distribution center—the world of material handling, warehouse management, and the like—and external operations—all modes of transportation and the issues related to successful source-to-consumption logistics. Added to that, we committed to looking at broader supply chain management issues—not just the how of operations, but the strategic imperatives as well.
Much has changed since that time. The term "supply chain" has become ubiquitous in business publications far removed from those that specialize in the topic and often appears in the general press as well. Ten years ago, "the cloud" was a purely meteorological term, and software as a service was in its infancy. Few if any were thinking about nearsourcing or onshoring. Logistics professionals have become far more adept at managing logistics flows and inventory. The information revolution has given those professionals access to far-flung operations from a device you can hold in your hand.
The publishing business has changed markedly as well. When we launched DC Velocity, a magazine and a website sufficed to reach and inform readers. Now, we strive to deliver our content in any number of ways so you can obtain information in the way you want to receive it.
But many of the issues faced by logistics professionals in January 2013 would have sounded familiar a decade ago: trucking capacity, potential driver shortages, wrangling over freight rates, debates over regulation. Our first issue included a story on how new regulations were affecting food distribution—an issue we revisited in our November 2012 edition. That same January 2003 issue had stories on network design and returns management—issues that still occupy much management and editorial attention. Cliff Lynch, in his very first column for us, wrote about the importance of metrics in the DC (and quoted Galileo on the criticality of measurements). That column would still be relevant today. In fact, in a couple of months, we'll publish the results of our 10th annual metrics study.
One other thing that has not changed: our commitment to keep abreast of the latest in tools, services, technologies, and practices critical to success in logistics and distribution today, and to report those to you in an engaging and lively way.
