June 19 2013

Every business needs to make sure it has a proper supply chain solution to ensure success. However, shipping costs continue to rise, meaning companies need to be even smarter with the solutions. A recent report released by the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) found that logistics and the supply chain continue to become a larger part of today's business world.

According to the 24th annual "State of Logistics Report," total U.S. business logistics costs rose by 3.4 percent to $1.33 trillion in 2012 over the year before. Transportation costs were up 3 percent due to inconsistent shipment volumes and pressure to hold rates.

"This year's report really underscores the competitive advantage a well-managed supply chain can provide shippers," Marc Althen, the president of CSCMP member Penske Logistics, said in a press release. "In spite of the 'new normal' business environment, we remain optimistic and see upside growth potential from this economic uncertainty especially for our core dedicated transportation, distribution center management and transportation management solutions."

He added that more shippers are outsourcing various elements of the supply chain to reduce warehousing, trucking and shipping costs while also helping to improve service levels and meet customer demand.

If costs continue to rise, many businesses will need to find better ways to handle shipping. If you are a small business in a city like Cleveland, turning toward a local courier service can be a smart way to improve shipping without needing to deploy a larger fleet that can become costly.

June 18 2013

With the economy down, many experts still believe that small businesses are the key to getting the ship righted. This was reported recently by WCTV - a CBS affiliate in Tallahassee, Florida - that called the sector the backbone of the economy "that consists of one-of-a-kind restaurants, boutiques and several locally owned business."

Many different organizations are pushing the growth of small businesses. There are countless "shop local" campaigns and a national small business week and month that encourage consumers to find their local establishments and spend money at the corner store instead of the larger, nationwide chains.

Officials from the Thomas County Chamber of Commerce said in the article that when small businesses are successful, not only does it help boost the local economy but also tourism.

According to a report from the Dayton Business Journal, Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted reported that in May there were 8,229 new entities that were filed to do business in the state. That is up 542 from the number that was filed in May last year.

This increase has been felt for the entire year. The Secretary of State's office reported to have helped with 40,733 new business filings in the first five months of 2013. Through the same time frame in 2012, there were only 39,252 new business filings.

Any company in Ohio that has filed to be a new business needs to make sure they have all the necessary solutions in place, like a local courier service to handle shipping needs.

June 10 2013

For any company that needs to ship products as a part of successfully doing business, even if it is just across a city like Cleveland, it would seem important to know the ins and outs of your supply chain. After all, if you do not know who is shipping what or where certain products come from, major challenges can result.

A recent article from Quartz profiled several different retailers and found that many of them know nothing about their supply chain. This was prompted by a recent factory fire in Bangladesh that claimed the lives of 112 workers. It was a facility making Wal-Mart apparel that the company knew nothing about, because the work had been outsourced by one additional factor beyond what the company was aware of.

"If a supplier or an agent chooses to subcontract without informing us, then that is a problem," said Rajan Kamalanathan, Wal-Mart's vice president for ethical sourcing, according to Reuters. "We can put all kinds of controls in place, but if they don't tell us where they're putting our order, then that is a problem."

The article also highlighted a survey of American companies and ranked them on a grading scale of A through F on how well they knew their supply chains. Of the 50 companies surveyed, 19 received grades of D or F and 10 were graded with a C. Only eight earned a grade of A.

It doesn't matter how big a business is, knowing every aspect of the supply chain is critical. Even if all a company needs to do is ship packages around Ohio.

June 7 2013

The world of eCommerce has grown, causing the retail world to shrink in the process. No longer is a merchant handcuffed by area restrictions when it comes to selling a particular good or service. The Internet allows businesses in Cleveland to sell to a consumer base in Los Angeles with very little hassle. However, this also brings about new challenges, particularly with supply chain management.

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal examined this problem and how it has impacted professionals and many college curricula. According to the piece, supply chain management is becoming a popular new M.B.A. path, which has lead universities to offer new, relevant programs, courses and concentrations. College grads are looking to come out of school with the skills to handle transportation, distribution, logistics, and elements of engineering and financial consideration.

"With global operations becoming more complex, companies in manufacturing, retail and technology—and the consulting firms that service them—are scrambling to hire people with supply-chain expertise. But these experts are hard to come by," the article reads.

Rutgers Business School in New Jersey has recently upgraded its M.B.A. supply chain concentration to include an undergraduate major. The College of Business at Bryant University in Rhode Island also added a new undergrad and M.B.A. specialization.

While adding new professionals to the talent pool is needed, many companies cannot wait for these graduates to finish getting educated and get the experience to handle their current supply chain issues. An Ohio courier service with experience maximizing supply chain efficiency is a partner every local business needs.