Looking for lift off with a new product? It could be your most innovative, disruptive concept to date, with consumers itching to get their hands on the latest hi-tech, luxury handbag or designer fashion. However, if your supply chain management falters your supply fails to meet demand – and your product launch falls flat. At best, you’ll face expensive, expedited transport to fulfil retailers’ needs; at worst, you could lose those crucial sales and forgo competitive edge ..read more

  Securing your supply chain is vital in every industry, but  for high value goods the stakes are even greater with the potential for costs to soar should something not go to plan. Whether during the launch of the latest hi-tech, the steady supply of sought-after designer trends, or the swift delivery of critical medications, your international supply chain could be worth billions at a time. As the value of your product peaks, so does the interest of organised crime. Beyond the simple loss of product, cargo theft or hijacking causes supply interruptions, a rise in supporting custome ..read more

  Each shipment of consumer electronics could hold goods worth millions even billions: their loss undermining the market and badly bruising your bottom line. However, the costs of cargo theft go beyond the simple loss of product, with interruptions to the supply chain, supporting customer services, criminal investigations, and increased insurance all draining potential profit. When evaluating a 3PL partner, then, their supply chain security is crucial for the handling of high value goods whether that be the newest tablet, mobile phone or even crucial medicines and pharmaceutical products ..read more

When it comes to critical medicines, entrusting your high value, highly sensitive product to a cold chain logistics provider is not always a safe bet. Security is becoming steadily more challenging, as logistics teams find new ways to protect your product with integrated supply chain security strategies. Certainly, healthcare companies face fresh challenges to maintain product integrity: requiring a partner who connects the dots throughout the supply chain to deliver robust, comprehensive solutions ..read more

When it comes to critical medicines, entrusting your high value, highly sensitive product to a cold chain logistics provider is not always a safe bet. Security is becoming steadily more challenging, as logistics teams find new ways to protect your product with integrated supply chain security strategies. Certainly, healthcare companies face fresh challenges to maintain product integrity: requiring a partner who connects the dots throughout the supply chain to deliver robust, comprehensive solutions ..read more

  Traditional high street retailing, via bricks and mortar can be expensive as retailers need to continually refresh their stores and displays to offer consumers enhanced buying experiences to build brand loyalty. Many retailers have included Multi Channel Retailing (MCR) into their portfolio, expanding their reach to current and potential customers. What is multi-channel retailing? Traditional multi channels such as catalogues and telephone have been joined by the ‘virtual store’. But even internet retailing has evolved and expanded into other new channels such as, apps and social ..read more

  Product returns is a stage of the supply chain that most electronic manufacturers would rather not think about, but today’s consumer electronics supply chain is more complex than ever, and customers demand an exceptional customer experience, from point of purchase through to delivery.  You work hard to build brand loyalty which can be lost all too quickly when the returns process is not managed effectively. Research suggests that consumers only spend half an hour trying to work a product before returning it.  Any new or innovative device then faces pressured reverse logistics ..read more

A simple recipe for identifying Kaizen and innovation opportunities in operational processes. How can brown paper, post-it notes and a few coloured pens improve your supply chain management, identify a Kaizen opportunity and highlight areas for potential innovation?  With just a few simple materials, you can create a Makigami ..read more

In business, everyone has their own preferred management style and way of working.  This is particularly relevant within logistics and supply chain management.  No two logistics operations will be the same and, even within the same warehouse, different operations will have specific and differing ways of working.  So, when it comes to change, how do you recognise what’s a good suggestion for improvement and what’s going to waste resources or distract you from achieving your primary goal ..read more