A chronic shortage of drivers means America’s long-haul trucking companies are struggling to capitalize on cheap fuel prices that could allow them to take goods shipments away from railroads. A 50 percent fall in oil prices from their peak last year should have erased some of the cost advantage railroads enjoy, especially for longer hauls. […]
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google’s secretive research laboratory is trying to build a fleet of drones designed to bypass earthbound traffic so packages can be delivered to people more quickly. The ambitious program announced Thursday escalates Google’s technological arms race with rival Amazon.com Inc., which also is experimenting with self-flying vehicles to carry merchandise bought […]
Manufacturers feed on the flames of innovation, R&D, and operational efficiency. But when it comes to seeing beyond the plant, supply chain excellence can spark a world of change. One core foundation of Lean manufacturing and the Toyota Production System (TPS) is the Japanese concept of heijunka—leveling production by volume and mix to mediate variability. […]
Since the early 1980’s when Keith Oliver of Booz, Allen and Hamilton first coined the term “supply chain management,” the concept of harnessing the power of a company’s supply chain to drive business growth has been rapidly evolving. Through the expansion of more comprehensive software and holistic management practices, improved supply chain management techniques have […]
