Study Predicts Growing Demand for Protective Packaging
A new study from market research firm Freedonia predicts that demand for protective packaging in the U.S. will grow 4.6% annually over the next four years. The protective packaging industry will increase from $4.1 billion currently to more than $5 billion by 2012....
A Look at Two New Systems from the U.K.
Two systems making their debut on Multichannel Merchant's upcoming annual software roundup are imports from the U.K.: 1) Omnica, a new solution developed on the Microsoft Axapta platform, and represented in this country by nFocus in Deerfield, IL; and 2) the ActiveSeries, a suite of veteran SQL/Server applications installed in several dozen U.K. facilities, represented here by Datamann in Wilder, VT....
On the Return Trip: Managing Reverse Logistics
Multichannel marketers need to pay just as much attention to reverse logistics, or the process taking goods back into "forward-available" inventory, as they do getting goods out the door to customers. Why? Because returns are a fact of life: Return rates commonly range from 5% for hard goods and gifts to more than 25% for shoes and apparel. ...
Business Model Insight is Key Element of Successful Fulfillment Effort
If you’re a direct merchant that outsources your fulfillment, the single most important thing that can be done to ensure back-end success is to share information with your third-party provider. In so doing, you can enable your fulfillment provider to proactively offer the most effective solutions for your particular needs. ...
Drs. Foster and Smith Signs on with Bill Me Later
Drs. Foster and Smith, a provider of pet supplies and information, is now offering its customers the ability to pay for Website and catalog purchases with Bill Me Later, a secure alternative payments system which allows online shoppers to purchase items without the use of a credit card and pay for them later....
E-Learning Systems Revolutionizing Call Center Training
It wasn't until about five years ago that e-learning systems started seeing rapid adoption in the call center industry. Today, most enterprises are using e-learning in their contact centers, and many small to medium sized business have also discovered the many advantages it brings for improving agent performance....
An Inside Look at Logistics from Asia
A retired vice president for DHL, Gerard “Jerry” Hempstead spent most of last year on the ground in China observing the country's manufacturing, transportation and logistics. Hemstead, president of Hempstead Consulting (www.hempsteadconsulting.com), a firm that helps companies reduce their transportation costs, offers his take on Asian logistics....
Evaluating the Performance of Your ‘Net Reps’
It takes more than just technology to transform your call center agents into “net reps.” You also have to implement a comprehensive hiring and training plan to ensure your agents have the skills they need to deliver good customer service using Web-based channels. In addition to finding – and training – the ideal agents for supporting these Web interactions, you will also need to continuously monitor their performance to ensure consistency of service across all channels....
What You Can Learn From a Telemarketer
While the call center may be taken for granted in some quarters, it is truly the lifeblood of an organization. That’s why the call center is the perfect place to groom future business leaders....
Survival Tips for Supply Chain Professionals
Recently, APICS The Association for Operations Management released a report outlining the top five ways manufacturing and supply chain professionals can succeed at their jobs and gain job security....
Why You Should ‘Green’ Your Supply Chain
Recent years have seen an explosion in environmental awareness among U.S. businesses. Companies everywhere are jumping on the “green bandwagon” and are undertaking a wide range of initiatives to protect the environment – from reducing energy consumption to using environmentally friendly materials in their products to promoting homeshoring. There is, however, one area of business operations that has so far proven resistant to greening: The supply chain....
Turning Your Call Center Agents into ‘Net Reps’
It’s one thing to get e-mail and Web chat systems integrated in your call center, quite another to get your agents to use them well....
DBL Distributing Moving to Multisite DC Model
DBL Distributing is moving its warehousing and shipping operations from its headquarters in Scottsdale, AZ, to larger facilities in California and Pennsylvania owned by its parent company Ingram Micro....
Seven Signs of Logistics Fraud
What do you do when you receive an anonymous tip alleging that an executive running the transportation department is taking kickbacks?...
Your Call Center is Web-Enabled, But What About Your Agents?
Your call center is not just about handling phone calls. Today, customers demand the option to mix and match alternate communication channels based on type of contact, situation, and personal preference...
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