LQ Blogs

…Is ambidexterity possible in logistics? There are those occasions in which service can be improved and costs are reduced.

We waste considerable energies lamenting the “necessary evil” and “necessary cost of doing business” labels so often applied to the work of logistics in commercial activity. But, it is here, in the most dire of circumstances that the function, science, and beauty of logistics are realized to their fullest.

Will 2010 be the year of the Great Rebound? Perhaps, but the economy is a social animal. It will not rebound on its own.

…a supply chain left unto itself will only grow in complexity. Too often, we find ourselves consumed by the complexity and the fire fighting efforts associated with sustaining the system, let alone improving the system.

Today’s 3PL is not the one of old. It seems that leading 3PLs are no longer the purveyors of heavy lifting, but rather lending their extensive expertise, independent perspective, and — in some cases — capital to create solutions that would otherwise be unavailable to trading partners in the supply chain.

Consider the risks that just a single company in the supply chain might face: financial failure, market uncertainty, disruptions in operations, strikes, floods, competitive actions, government actions and regulations, just to name a few. Now, extend this analysis to the larger network of companies that make up the supply chain and just try to keep your head from spinning.

Manufacturers and retailers alike have prepared for weeks and months by carefully planning holiday inventories. The big question is whether consumers will respond eagerly or bide cautiously this season.

Are companies gaining market share as a result of their Lean efforts? There are some out there who answer to the affirmative, but many more who would imply that they are pursuing Lean solely for “internal benefits.”

So it’s early November and that can only mean one thing… basketball season is upon us.  [To my friends in the Great White North, think “hockey”].  For a fellow who grew up in the basketball crazed state of Indiana and now teaches at an institution with one of the most storied of collegiate sports traditions, [...]

Are you seeing positive signs of life in your business?