![Boston’s snow logistics [Infographic]](https://fronetics.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Boston-snow-logistics-800x675.png)
by Fronetics | Feb 17, 2015 | Blog, Current Events, Logistics, Strategy
The logistics of Boston’s snow #snowpocalypse
For the past three weeks we have been pretty much like this: shovel, snow blow, tackle commutes, juggle school cancellations, repeat.
Charlotte Wilder expressed the sentiments of many when she penned A Breakup Letter to Snow From the City of Boston. 95.7 inches of snow within 3 weeks is a lot of snow. The sheer amount of snow has forced the city’s public transportation to cancel operations. Schools have been cancelled, several for two weeks or more. Cars have been buried. Businesses have been forced to close. Businesses that have remained opened have realized dismal sales. Boston has opened snow farms and has purchased melting trucks. National Guard troops have been called in to help remove snow. #snowpocalypse 2015.
The snow has complicated the logistics of life. As we, individuals and businesses, complain about the economic, physical, and mental challenges associated with the snow it is important to put things into perspective. NPR’s Barbara Howard’s Blizzard of Perspective does just that.
by Fronetics | Feb 9, 2015 | Blog, Logistics, Strategy, Supply Chain
Reducing paper in the distribution center is good for business (and trees).
Paper isn’t a thing of the past in workplaces, but it probably should be. The reasons go well beyond simply saving trees to an even more compelling argument: it’s just better business. A 2014 survey conducted by the Association for Information and Image Management (AIIM) found that more than half of responding businesses posited that the single largest way they could improve productivity would be to remove paper from their organizational processes.
The study’s implications for companies in the supply chain industry echo a 2005 Inbound Logistics article in which Leslie Hansen Harps wrote that the speed through the distribution center is critical. “Effective operations use best practices within the four walls of the facility — and beyond.” One of the best-practices discussed in the article: reducing reliance on paper. Specifically, the article referenced moving to hands-free solutions. Denny McKnight of Tompkins Associates Inc. told Harps: “People writing numbers on pads of paper or keying strings of numbers into a keyboard is a bad sign.”
Of the companies reporting superfluous paper use as an impediment to greater productivity in the 2014 AIIM study, less than 20% have paper-reducing policies in place. This finding highlights the fact that many companies have identified the need to reduce their use of paper, but most lack a clear vision for doing so. While the shift to a paper-free distribution center can seem overwhelming and cost prohibitive, small efforts to eliminate unnecessary paper can dramatically improve efficiencies. To start, consider the identification of one organizational process where it would make sense to introduce a paper-free method and spend an hour researching how other companies have transformed similar processes and which solutions have proved to be the most successful.
No doubt, as faster, more sophisticated technology couples with a more computer literate workforce, distribution centers will see an organic shift to a paper-less work environment. Including regular reviews of ways your company could implement paperless processes ensures paper doesn’t slow you down. After all, finding ways to eliminate paper is akin to finding gains in operational efficiency.
Here are 10 (more!) reasons why your company should tame its paper tiger:
- Increased inventory visibility
- Increased fulfillment accuracy
- Fewer lost sales
- Fewer out-of-stock situations
- Reduced search time
- Increased communication with customers
- Waste reduction
- Overhead cost cuts
- Document storage cost cuts
- A safer work environment
Has your company reduced its reliance on paper? If so, what benefits have you realized? If not, what barriers to the implementation of paperless processes have you experienced?
by Fronetics | Feb 5, 2015 | Blog, Logistics, Strategy, Supply Chain
Think inbound marketing isn’t for the supply chain and logistics industries? Guess again. Here are 5 reasons companies in the supply chain and logistics industries need inbound marketing.
Companies within the supply chain and logistics industries tend to disregard inbound marketing. The reason being they do not think inbound marketing will prove successful. The common objection is that prospects and customers for these industries are not online.
The reality, however, is that inbound marketing can be wildly successful for companies within the supply chain and logistics industries.
Here are five reasons why companies in these industries should use inbound marketing:
1. Customers are online.
B2B buyers are online. 93% of B2B buyers report that they use search engines to research purchase decisions. These buyers go online for a number of reasons including to:
- Learn about new market developments and industry practices;
- Discover new solutions to address a specific problem;
- Address a project or a program being undertaken by their company.
2. 60% of the sales process takes place before they engage your sales rep.
The average customer progresses nearly 60% of the way through the purchase decision-making process before engaging with a sales rep.
Before engaging with a sales rep, customers are turning to the internet and to social media for information. The 2014 UPS B2B Buyers Insight Study found that 68% percent of buyers research supply purchases via supplier website, and 52% use search engines.
3. You can present solutions to your prospects’ problems via social media and content.
When prospects go online they are looking for information and for answers. By creating valuable content and leveraging social media you can attract and engage prospects, and convert these prospects to customers.
4. Inbound marketing is more effective than traditional marketing.
Research conducted by HubSpot found that inbound marketing is more effective than outbound marketing:
- 200% average ROI;
- 62% lower cost head;
- 15% increase in top line revenue.
5. The proof is in the pudding.
Freight logistics company Cerasis decided to make the switch from outbound marketing to inbound marketing. Within 25 months the company gained 98 new customers and increased revenue by 14%.
Fronetics Strategic Advisors is a management consulting firm with a focus on inbound marketing. We create and execute successful strategies for growth and value creation. Unlike other firms, our approach is data driven. We know ROI is important, so we track and measure results to drive success. Read about our approach to inbound marketing, or get in touch.
by Fronetics | Jan 21, 2015 | Blog, Logistics, Strategy, Supply Chain
Share your experience with the use of content within the logistics and supply chain industries.
The amount of content on the internet is astounding, and it is growing by the second (check out One Second on the Internet). 93% of B2B companies are using content marketing and are thereby contributing to the increasing amount of content that is out there.
How do companies within the logistics and supply chain use content? What do companies see as the most effective methods of content creation and content distribution?
Fronetics Strategic Advisors is conducting a brief survey focused on the use of content within the logistics and supply chain industries. The survey will take less than five minutes to complete. All data collected will be used in aggregate and no identifying information will be shared or reported.
A report focused on the survey results will be published in March 2015.
Thank you in advance for your participation.
by Fronetics | Jan 13, 2015 | Blog, Logistics, Marketing, Social Media, Strategy, Supply Chain
In December 2014 Fronetics Strategic Advisors conducted a survey to learn the favorite social media accounts of the logistics and supply chain industries.
Here are the Facebook accounts which survey respondents identified as favorites:
Cerasis is a top North American third party logistics company offering logistics solutions with a strong focus on LTL freight management.
The Supply Chain Blog covers the top trends surrounding the topics of inventory and supply chain optimization. It also provides a weekly news summary for the supply chain industry.
Transplace is a non-asset, North American based third party logistics provider offering manufacturers, retailers and consumer packaged goods companies the optimal blend of logistics technology and transportation management services.
by Fronetics | Jan 12, 2015 | Blog, Logistics, Marketing, Social Media, Strategy, Supply Chain
LinkedIn is a must for companies and for professionals.
Profiles, company pages, and LinkedIn groups each serve a purpose, and each are tools which can be used and leveraged by both companies and individuals. With more than 3 million company pages, more than 332 million users (and with an average of 2 users joining every second), and close to 2 million LinkedIn groups determining “the best” can be challenging.
In December 2014 Fronetics Strategic Advisors conducted a survey to learn which LinkedIn company pages and LinkedIn groups are the favorites within the logistics and supply chain industries. The results are in.
LinkedIn company pages
Cerasis is a top freight logistics company and truckload freight broker. The company consistently distributes valuable industry content via their LinkedIn page.
Note: Cerasis was also named the best blog of the logistics and supply chain industries.
Quintiq’s vision is to transform the world’s supply chains. One way the company does this is through their LinkedIn company page. The company’s LinkedIn page is updated regularly with content that is valuable and relevant to the logistics and supply chain industries.
Quintiq also uses LinkedIn to attract and identify new talent. There are currently 12 open positions posted via LinkedIn.
Note: Quintiq was also named a “must-follow Twitter account for those within the logistics ans supply chain industries.”
Transplace is a North American 3PL and technology company committed to helping manufacturers, retailers and distributors reduce costs and improve service. The company’s LinkedIn page is a wealth of information for those within the logistics and supply chain industries.
C.H. Robinson is one of the world’s largest 3PL providers. The company provides freight transportation and logistics, outsource solutions, produce sourcing, and information services to over 45,000 customers through a network of offices in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.
The company’s LinkedIn page is a great resource of industry news and insight.
The Apparel Logistics Group, (a division of The Apparel Group Ltd.) provides the fashion and apparel industry with 3PL services . The Apparel Logistics Group offers a wide variety of logistics services and solutions to support customer needs world wide. The company’s apparel services include transportation management, warehousing and distribution, customs clearance management, vendor managed inventory (VMI) programs, and technical support such as EDI.
LinkedIn groups
Procurement Professionals is an open networking group. The group has more than 290,000 members and is one of the best and largest international networking group for all executives, directors, CFO’s, CPO’s, VP’s, procurement professionals, head hunters, job seekers, recruiters, consultants, financial managers, supply chain and sourcing specialists, and buyers and purchasers.
The Supply Chain Optimization Group is a global community, uniting all Supply Chain, Procurement, Logistics, Warehouse, Scorecard, SCOR, Auditors, Continuous Improvement experts, Management Consultants, Program Managers, Executives, Business Owners, Students, Professors, and Engineers.
The group is a central hub for authors books, articles, white papers, podcasts, blogs, events and conferences. Consultants, and thought leaders are visiting regularly to support members in projects, productivity, training, skills development, coaching, mentoring, financials, statistical software, simulation, teams, organizational development, and more.
The Reusable Packaging Association (RPA) is a collaboration between supply chain partners, including manufacturers, poolers, distributors, retailers, educators, and policymakers, to promote the environmental, safety, and economic benefits of reusable packaging.
The RPA leverages its collective voice of industry leading knowledge to advance the adoption of reusable packaging by clearly demonstrating supply chain efficiencies, environmental benefits, ergonomic improvements, and cost advantages to end users in all industries.
The LinkedIn group is a private group.
