Guest Commentary: Next Generation of Visualization and User Interaction

September 06, 2012 • News

by Fabrizio Brasca

Logistical Hub in Panama Strengthened by Damco and EBL Partnership

August 21, 2012 • News

A partnership to promote imports and re-exports of apparel and fashion between Asia, the Colon Free Zone (CFZ) and Latin American destinations was signed by the Panamanian company Exclusive Brands Logistics Corp (EBL) and Damco Panama. According to spokesmen, the logistics deal is the first of its nature for the fashion industry in Panama. The hub will handle approximately 35,000 cubic metres of goods per year.

New Book Explains Value of "Logistics Clusters" to Companies, Economies

August 21, 2012 • News

No man is an island, wrote the poet John Donne—and according to a new book by Yossi Sheffi, the same could be said of logistics operations. Sheffi, director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Center for Transportation and Logistics, believes companies gain a competitive advantage by locating their transportation and distribution operations within "logistics clusters"—geographically concentrated sets of logistics-related business activities—instead of in an isolated area.

Will Robot Cars Get Stuck in Policy Traffic?

August 19, 2012 • News

Imagine cars driving themselves seamlessly and safely down the highway. Gone are traffic jams, crazy drivers, and commute-induced headaches. A vision of the future? Actually, no, this was the vision of the 1939 World's Fair and an idea that has come, come again, and now seems closer than ever before. A combination of technological availability, continuing safety concerns, and escalating congestion and energy problems fuel transportation researcher and policy-maker dreams of robotic vehicles.

What Makes an Effective Analytics Group

July 12, 2012 • News

If you don't have one already, there is a fair chance that an analytics group (AG) will become part of your supply chain organization at some point soon. This type of resource is attracting more interest partly in response to the increasing complexity and strategic importance of supply chains. Other drivers are the growing volume of market data that companies need to interpret and the availability of more sophisticated analytical tools.

MIT to Launch the Megacity Logistics Lab at Crossroads Event

June 20, 2012 • Press Releases

New lab conducts ground-breaking research on megacity supply chains

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 19, 2012 – The MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics (MIT CTL) will launch the Megacity Logistics Lab at its Crossroads 2012 conference, June 28, 2012, on the MIT campus, Cambridge, MA, USA. How to design, build, and manage the supply chains that are critical to the sustainable growth and operation of these giant urban centers is the main focus of the new research initiative.

5 Rules for Carbon-Efficient Shipping

June 15, 2012 • News

Making sustainability central to logistics decisions is smart business but requires closer collaboration and creative thinking by shippers, suppliers, packagers and retailers. That's the conclusion of participants in a GreenBiz.com webcast this week. "Start by thinking about savings opportunities," said Stephen Silva, senior vice president of global logistics for toymaker Hasbro, during the webcast, "Smart Moves: Supply-Chain Decisions that Save Fuel, Cut Costs and Reduce Emissions." "They will go hand-in-hand with the environment and emissions.

How to Implement an S&OP "Rudder"

May 18, 2012 • News

Larry Lapide, research affiliate at MIT's Center for Transportation and Logistics, deploys a maritime metaphor to dramatize the pressing need for companies to implement an effective sales and operations planning (S&OP) process.

View the video here.

 

Managing the Expat Talent Option

May 10, 2012 • News

With increasing focus on supply chain performance, the recruiting, hiring, and retention of logistics and SC talent is becoming a key differentiator for companies competing in global markets. But as companies have expanded internationally, the demand for supply chain and logistics talent has also become international in scope. As a result, multinational companies with sources and markets on opposite ends of the earth face a significant staffing challenge: Finding the talent to support current and future growth across countries.

Disconnects in the Distracted-Driving Blame Game

April 30, 2012 • News

In 1930, former Massachusetts state senator George Parker tried to ban car radios because they were too distracting. He invoked the ire of both the Radio Manufacturers Association and motorists, who loved driving to music, even though early radios were expensive and sometimes burst into flames. After consumers protested at his office, Parker dropped the effort and decided to focus on drunken driving instead.

MIT AgeLab Scientist Bryan Reimer on the Perils of Driver Distraction

April 29, 2012 • News

The driver’s seat is a fascinating setting in which to study HUMAN DECISION MAKING. Where else do you have people practicing a highly learned activity with a major safety implication involved with failure? Hands-free technology can allow a driver to keep both hands on the wheel. However, it may not offer all the SAFETY ADVANTAGES that many believe.

28th Annual Salary Survey: Pulling Away from the Pack

April 22, 2012 • News

The highest logistics and supply chain salaries continue to be earned by those who concentrate on adapting new technological advances and maintain a life-long commitment to learning.

According to the findings of Logistics Management’s (LM) 28th Annual Salary Survey conducted by Peerless Media Research Group (PRG), average earnings and compensation have actually leveled off over the past year. However, our research team also found that an aging workforce is giving way to younger, more highly trained professionals who also happen to be savvy technologists.

Sustainability Report Gets White House Attention

April 09, 2012 • News

The MIT SMR – BCG 2012 Sustainability and Innovation research report “Sustainability Nears a Tipping Point” prompted an invitation to participate in a White House Sustainable Supply Chain Dialogue on March 30 in Washington, DC.

Global Trends Roundtable

March 19, 2012 • News

What are the major developments that will impact supply chain professionals in the months and years ahead? What challenges will they face in helping their companies compete in an increasingly global environment?

Is Talent Management the Next Frontier for S&OP?

March 19, 2012 • News

Supply chain management is not the only function that is grappling with the problems of matching supply and demand in a highly uncertain business environment. HR faces similar challenges. But with HR, the mandate is to deliver people--not products-to the right place, at the right time, at the right quality, and in the right quantity. In fact, the "personnel supply chain" obeys many of the principles that govern its goods-carrying counterpart.

Behind the Wheel: Not all Distractions are Equal

March 16, 2012 • News

As carmakers and lawmakers draw up plans for combating distracted driving, new research from MIT shows that drivers can lose focus even with their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel. Furthermore, the level of distraction that drivers encounter can best be measured in shades of gray rather than black and white.

The Future of Vehicle Safety

March 14, 2012 • News

Paul Hunter takes us for a ride into the future. He looks at technology that could save drivers from themselves, but there is a downside.

View the full news segment here.

Bridging the Gap Between HR and SCM

February 16, 2012 • News

There is much debate in supply chain management circles about how the profession can meet the demand for talent. The SCM community is putting a lot of effort into finding and developing career minded individuals, but it also has to rely on human resources departments to create effective employment programs. Are these HR practitioners up to the task?

Read the full article here.

Sustainability Contributing to Company Profits

February 06, 2012 • News

Edgar Blanco, a research director at the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics, says that although companies may find the collaboration process challenging, it is essential: “If you’re going to focus your strategy on carbon reduction or environmental impact or social impact, you need to engage your suppliers. Without them, you cannot succeed.”

Read the full article here.

2012 Cross-Border Roundtable: Will Hemispheric Trade Gain Traction

February 01, 2012 • News

While Mexico and Canada remain our primary international trade opportunity, LM’s analyst panel tell us that bolder players will be exploring more distant markets once the Panama Canal expansion is complete. 

Driving the green

February 01, 2012 • News

New study suggests that electric-powered trucks will save money for businesses.

Peter Dizikes, MIT News Office

A company looking to purchase an electric-powered delivery truck today will likely experience some sticker shock: Such a vehicle costs nearly $150,000, compared to about $50,000 for the same kind of truck with a standard internal-combustion engine.

MIT Selected by US Department of Transportation to Lead New England Consortium on Transportation Safety & Livable Communities

January 23, 2012 • Press Releases
The MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics (CTL) is pleased to announce that MIT has been selected to lead the US Department of Transportation Research & Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) University Transportation Center for the New England Region. The University Transportation Centers Program strives to advance research and education programs that address critical transportation challenges facing our nation.

Best of Both Worlds - Rail-truck intermodal shipping combines the best of each transportation mode, making global trade economical and efficient.

December 15, 2011 • News

What was intended as a way to reduce traffic congestion on the highways through short-sea shipping along the East Coast more than 50 years ago has ended up playing a key role in making offshore manufacturing in low-cost locations across the globe economically viable. The innovative use of large metal containers to ship goods eventually led to the development of an intermodal transportation system that today is the unsung hero of global trade.

Mega-Cities in Emerging Markets Pose Special Logistics Challenges

December 15, 2011 • News

SupplyChainBrain caught up with Dr. Edgar Blanco at the 2011 Annual Conference of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, in Philadelphia.

Read the full interview here.

Onsite Relationships: Challenging But Rewarding

November 16, 2011 • News

Companies commonly use outsourcing as a means to lower costs or cover an area of supply chain expertise they currently lack. These relationships also bring opportunities to collaborate on ways to improve operational efficiency. A type of outsourcing that offers these benefits and takes collaborative relationships to a higher level finds an individual or team of professionals from the vendor embedded in the client company’s organization.