Virtual inventories get real
About 10 years ago, when the Internet frenzy was taking off, many in the industry predicted the rise of virtual fulfillment and, possibly the end of inhouse
Operations & Fulfillment
TIDBITS
Who ya gonna call? Is your distribution center so loud that you can’t hear yourself think? Behold the NoiseBuster from Fort Pierce, FL-based Pro Tech
Six ways to respect your customers
It’s the unusual organization that’s set up to let people think and act collectively on behalf of customers. We’re stuck in our silos making independent
Study: RFID Adoption Moving At Modest Pace
Radio frequency identification (RFID) was supposed to revolutionize operations, only it never materialized. In fact, according to a survey compiled by NCR Corp. and Retail Systems Alert Group, the adoption rate of RFID is still modest primarily because technical and cultural roadblocks continue to impede RFID’s growth.
Improving Inventory Management
Inventory management is a pendulum that is constantly swinging from calm to chaos. When product demand increases, availability decreases. The immediate reaction is to over compensate and substantially increase purchase orders. Demand then declines leaving extensive overstocks. It is a cycle that repeats itself with each new product.
The Hidden Costs of Reverse Logistics, Part II
Companies ignore reverse logistics at their own peril, because improving the returns process is a relatively easy way to move dollars to the bottom line. An automated reverse logistics operations
Standard Mailers Could See 9% Postal Rate Hike
Better prepare to pay more in postage: The U.S. Postal Service on May 3 filed a proposal with the Postal Rate Commission (PRC) seeking an average overall rate hike of about 8.5%, with a 9% increase for standard mail. Priority Mail is proposed to increase by 13.8%; Express Mail by 12.5%; package services by 13.4%; and periodicals by 11.7%. The proposed price increases would take affect in mid-2007.
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On the front end, personalizing products is a great idea that can give you a distinctive edge over your competitors. On the back end, however, offering
A meaty discussion
Ron Eike has been the director of operations for Omaha, NE-based specialty foods mailer Omaha Steaks since 1986. He is responsible for fulfillment, logistics,
It’s a jungle in the DC
Did you hear the one about the guy who attended an industry conference and a reality television show broke out? That’s what happened during 60 Ideas in