In this section of the site you will find trade publication links, articles, briefs and a broad range of information to help keep you abreast of what is happening in the industry. This should provide you with a one stop resource for information and knowledge in the logistics and supply chain industries.
Industry Articles
Wireless Evolution Continues to Add Value To Logistics Operations
As the cost and complexity of wireless solutions comes down, even the smallest companies are taking advantage of mobile communications, while early adopters are finding new ways to leverage their wireless networks.
Wireless connectivity may be a new trend for many enterprise workers, but it is more than a decade old in the logistics arena, where truck drivers and warehouse employees were among the first to use wireless handheld and vehicle-mounted devices as a regular part of their jobs.
Today, distribution centers, warehouses and ports routinely use wireless local-area networks (WLANs) to support a variety of data collection and communications activities that enhance logistics productivity. General freight carriers employ satellite and cellular technology to track assets and transmit real-time transaction data, while express delivery companies like United Parcel Service, DHL and Federal Express have some of the most sophisticated wireless networks in the world.
Moreover, as the cost and complexity of wireless technology has come down, even the smallest companies have been able to take advantage of mobile communications.
“In logistics environments, wireless coverage is fast becoming a competitive requirement,” says Richard Bauly, vice president of strategy and business development at Psion Teklogix, a provider of mobile computing solutions based in Mississauga, Ont. “The cost of the technology is going down, the complexity is going down and maturity is going up. So you have a perfect storm of things all coming together to make it much easier and cheaper to deploy the technology, to keep the technology running and to get the return on investment.”
Bill Morris, director of hardware systems at Atlanta-based Manhattan Associates, agrees. “I would say today close to 100 percent of our customers implement wireless local-area networks, from large enterprises right down to the very smallest. It is almost a standard business practice today,” he says. Manhattan provides warehouse management and other supply-chain execution solutions.
As small companies make initial investments, early adopters are busy “refreshing” their systems with more advanced bells and whistles, which adds up to a positive outlook for wireless equipment and service providers. Bauly reports that Psion Teklogix’s market started to pick up in 2002 and remains strong. “We anticipate this market to continue for a few more years if the economy stays good,” he says.
To see the complete article go to
Supply Chain Brain.
Adopting Wireless Technology
The integration of new technology with existing systems is the biggest obstacle preventing the trucking industry from using more wireless applications, a survey found.
But the survey also said wireless technology offered carriers economic benefits from three areas: better cargo tracking, improved communications with drivers and faster schedule and route optimization.
Chris Saynor, chief executive officer of Eye for Transport, the London-based transportation consulting firm that conducted the survey, said it showed trucking companies are trying to balance the economic benefits of using wireless technology with the costs of implementation. Eye for Transport also sponsors transportation conferences.
To see the complete article go to Transport Topic News
Mobile computing technology is on fleet carriers’ radar
BOSTON—Mobile computing technologies and applications for tasks like basic driver communications, value-added information collection, automatic vehicle location (AVL), and vehicle sensors are considered a principal competitive tool by three quarters of 80 companies surveyed in a recent report from the Aberdeen Group.
The report, dubbed “New Fleet Mobility
Strategies,” surveyed private fleet carriers (51%), commercial
transportation companies (42%), and 3PLs (7%). Of the 80 companies
participating in the report, 40 said they have seen more than 10 percent
boosts in productivity, and 87 percent of respondents said that customer
service requirements from mobility technology have met or exceeded
expectations.
Lower Costs
Part of the reason for more widespread adoption of mobility technology is due to its affordability, says Beth Enslow, Aberdeen vice president of enterprise research. “We now have cellular networks with much better coverage and two-way pager devices that are highly functional, so you don’t need to have a more expensive, full-blown mobile computing device,” says Enslow. “Fleet carriers can do a lot of things with this type of technology for AVL and simple pick up and delivery notification status.”
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Logistics Management
