Viewpoint
Views and comment from Logistics Manager and IndustryMore than a set of tyres: Mick Jackson
I am privileged to have worked in the logistics sector for many years. While I don't quite go back to the days when Pontius was a pilot, I have been fortunate enough to work with and for some real characters whose working lives dated back to the post-war...
Published: 01 June 2008
The scene is set for e-procurement growth
Many companies are now using so-called e-procurement implementations to facilitate catalogue-based buying of indirect materials, such as office supplies. This is fine, but the savings on these types of deployments are rarely substantial. Shaving pennies...
Published: 01 June 2008
Come to a supply chain forum: Mick Jackson
When Skills for Logistics commissioned widespread research to find the issues of concern regarding training for the logistics sector, the two demands that kept being made were for training and qualifications to be relevant and consistent around the UK....
Published: 01 May 2008
Making life taste better…
A long time ago, I had an argument with a colleague about whether supermarkets were a force for good or a force for evil, logistically speaking....
Published: 01 May 2008
Shameful delay
In June last year, I criticised the government for failing to deal with the growing number of foreign vehicles in a dangerous condition or in which the driver had exceeded the hours regulations....
Published: 01 May 2008
Supply chains hold the key to survival
Supply chains hold the key to survival for thousands of companies caught up in the global economic downturn like never before… The next eighteen months will see supply chain issues come under the ...
Published: 01 May 2008
Ten ways to go greener
Allen Scott, UK managing director of Manhattan Associates, sets out his top ten ways to make supply chain operations more environmentally friendly...
Published: 01 May 2008
Flexibility is the order of the day
Across a wide range of industries, supply chain flexibility is moving to the top of the agenda. As a result, a fresh debate has been sparked on the relative merits of logistics automation...
Published: 01 April 2008
Focus back on fire risks
The story of the four Warwickshire firefighters who so tragically perished while fighting a blaze in a warehouse at Atherstone-on-Stour touched everyone. And with the Atherstone fire followed just days later by another huge fire at a warehouse on the...
Published: 01 April 2008
Game of Risk anybody?: Mick Jackson
It's that time of year (at least at the time of writing this) when business plans and budgets need to be completed. Probably in common with other organisations our plan places a high premium on the assessment and management of risk in all its shapes...
Published: 01 April 2008
Hard decisions for importers and producers
One area where the industry has come in for criticism is on carbon emissions. The Soil Association is currently running a second stage in its widely publicised consultation programme to decide exactly how it should approach the issue...
Published: 01 April 2008
Does your company qualify for qualifications?: Mick Jackson
Even though your columnist inevitably adopts a 'Just in Time' approach to the deadline for copy for this column, there is still a fairly long time lag before it appears. ...
Published: 01 March 2008
On the Move
NFT Distribution has recruited Steve Selby as sales and marketing director. Previously, he was group business development director at the CERT Group, a specialist drinks logistics company....
Published: 01 March 2008
The Supply Chain will have to change
The past couple of weeks have seen the leaders of two of the world’s largest retail groups taking the opportunity to set out their social and environmental credentials.
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Published: 01 March 2008
Wal-Mart gets sourcy with retail rivals
One of the most difficult issues that every major company faces is ensuring that the products they buy from outside suppliers are made well and made right. We all saw it this year as we headed into Christmas....
Published: 01 March 2008
Achieving supply chain excellence
The supply chain is the foundation of every retail business. Retailers can put distance between themselves and their peers in an increasingly-competitive market by good supply chain management which optimises product sourcing....
Published: 01 February 2008
Is London in the van vanguard?: Mick Jackson
At the time of writing, Transport for London (TfL) has just produced its Freight Plan....
Published: 01 February 2008
It's boom time for creative solutions
There are parts of the country that are rapidly becoming no-go areas for warehouse development - particularly in the South....
Published: 01 February 2008
Managing costs
Morrisons has cut its case cost by 11 per cent over the past year, supply chain director Malcolm Basey told delegates. It has also focused on extending its depot network and improving importing methods. Plans are underway to open a depot in Swindon, to...
Published: 01 January 2008
Nike, Tesco, Mattel and now Gap…
Gap, one of the world's largest clothing retailers, has recently been faced with child labour issues in India. Somewhere down the supply chain, a vendor had subcontracted to an unauthorised supplier without the parent company's knowledge or approval. ...
Published: 01 January 2008
