Linux News: SCM

Tempering the Supply Chain With Better BI
October 22, 2009

Many organizations in the consumer packaged goods industry are experiencing a trade-off between the benefit of high product volume sales coming at the expense of extreme data complexity. At the same time, these companies struggle to maintain open lines of communication with their retail customers and distributors in order to better manage the upstream flow of product.

Sailing Toward the New Supply Chain Management World
October 19, 2009

You might say that supply chain management has entered the philosophical realm. SCM investment has flatlined to a large extent, and the market's focus has changed as supply chain headaches become more complex and cut a broader swath. Although there is no one compelling trend in the SCM space, cost optimization and fulfillment are becoming top priorities.

Making the Cloud Rain Business Productivity
October 04, 2009

As enterprises seek to exploit cloud computing, business leaders are focused on new productivity benefits. Yet the IT folks need to focus on the technology in order to propel those business solutions forward. As enterprises confront cloud computing, they want to know what's going to enable new and potentially revolutionary business outcomes.

The BPO Outlook: Mostly Cloudy With Patches of Sun
August 17, 2009

Five years ago, megadeals were all the rage in the business process outsourcing (BPO) world. Global players such as IBM, Accenture, ACS and CSC were racking up billion-dollar multiyear contracts, mainly for accounting, human resource and procurement functions. Now that's changing.

Oracle Gives JD Edwards a PIP of an Upgrade
August 11, 2009

Oracle is giving users of JD Edwards -- one of the myriad enterprise software suites the company has acquired over the last decade -- a new set of tools to leverage through its value chain planning applications. It's upgrading the JD Edwards offering with a bundle of SCM-related applications and best practices that Oracle developed for its own products over the years.

SaaS Keeps Recession Wolves at Bay: Q&A With E2open CEO Mark Woodward
July 06, 2009

It is has been a roller-coaster year for E2open CEO Mark Woodward, mainly because that is how long he has been at the helm of the Software as a Service provider of supply-and-demand chain, procurement, and B2B integration applications. Over the past twelve months, he oversaw a shift in product focus and the introduction of new functionality, primarily on the sell side.

Use the Cloud, Luke: Easier Shipping Is in the Stars
June 18, 2009

The past decade of e-commerce has been a story of small companies using online and Internet-delivered services to "act like the big boys." To date, the leveling of the playing field made possible by the Internet has not carried over to physical infrastructure investments like warehousing or shipping. However, all that is changing with Internet-delivered warehousing and order fulfillment.

Inventory Management on a Shoestring
May 29, 2009

Fidelitone Logistics works with large retailers to manage their inventories and ship consumer goods worldwide. Executive VP Mike Schoenfeld recently gave a group of executives from a venture capital firm a tour of the company's operations. They were thinking of the small firms in their portfolios that needed the benefits of a streamlined inventory management and warehouse distribution system.

RFID: A Revolution in a Holding Pattern
May 26, 2009

RFID has been on a bit of a roller coaster ride. It started with a bang a few years ago, when Wal-Mart and the Department of Defense issued their edicts that all suppliers would need to get on the RFID bandwagon within a set time frame. Well, that deadline has come and gone, and uptake has fallen well short of the mark.

The Supply Chain Gang, Part 2: Man vs. Metal
May 21, 2009

Recent developments in robotics are promising to reshape supply chain fundamentals. Specifically, robotic devices are improving warehouse operations to a degree unforeseen only a short while ago, by automating a slew of repetitive, difficult and usually monotonous tasks.

The Supply Chain Gang, Part 1: Robots on the March
May 19, 2009

Zappos, online shoe emporium extraordinaire, has been expanding its line of merchandise in recent years -- offering clothes, watches and other jewelry, and even housewares. For the consumer, the shift has appeared effortless -- just more categories to explore on the Web site. Behind the scenes, though, Zappos had to realign its warehouse operations.

E-Commerce Ace in the Hole: Drop Shipping
April 30, 2009

The declining economy has led to an increased trend toward drop-shipping transactions and has allowed e-tailers to remain competitive while brick-and-mortar stores hedge their bets as they see physical retail sales and profits slide precipitously. By tapping into drop-shipping programs, e-tailers can effortlessly expand product lines to meet shoppers' demands.

Customer Service in the Shipping Industry: Lost in Transit?
November 21, 2008

The joke used to be on the U.S. Postal Service. Indeed, jabs about the government's mail system may have driven business to private-sector competitors like United Parcel Service, Federal Express and DHL. That was decades ago; now, it seems, some of the same companies designed to outperform the USPS have attracted complaints about sluggish deliveries and failure to deliver.

The Green Supply Chain: Cutting Out Weak Links
October 28, 2008

As companies evaluate their carbon footprints, supply chains are one area of business that have come under increased scrutiny. Making the complex network of manufacturers, packagers, shippers, wholesalers and retailers greener protects the environment, saves energy, and ultimately reduces costs.

Zappos.com: These Boots Were Made for E-Commerce
October 16, 2008

Among dreamy startups and salty e-commerce veterans alike, Zappos.com appears to be the golden grail -- certainly one blessed, at least, with heavenly rewards. "Zappos is the Amazon of the shoe business, and its model is extremely difficult to mimic," Gene Alvarez, vice president of research at Gartner -- and former employee of shoe-biz powerhouse, Nine West Group -- told the E-Commerce Times.

ModusLink Digitizes the Supply Chain's Front End
September 16, 2008

There is a near-universal desire among firms to link all aspects of their supply chain -- including the customer front end -- on one platform. However, there are relatively few applications on the market today that address that demand. ModusLink hopes to fill that void with its newly launched e-business suite.