inbound
heard in the aisles
With a full slate of educational sessions, the April North
American 2010 Material Handling & Logistics Show
offered plenty of chances to catch up on the latest industry developments. But the formal presentations were just
part of the story. Some of the most thought-provoking
comments came up in informal chats with exhibitors and
attendees. Here are just a few of the tidbits we picked up
as we walked the aisles:
;
Demand for integrated solutions that “connect the
dots” inside the warehouse is pushing vendors of complementary technologies to collaborate on the development
of integrated products. Among the examples mentioned
were voice picking technology and scanning, and forklift
vehicle management systems and tracking technology.
;
Vendors are producing scaled-down versions of their
hardware and software systems. By offering basic products and services that require little to no customization
and simplified installation, they are making their products affordable for small to mid-sized businesses.
;
Many software and equipment vendors are targeting
the grocery, food and beverage, and pharmaceuticals markets. These industries are increasingly facing mandates to
track products moving through the supply chain, but many
companies lack the necessary capabilities. Vendors have
been rushing to develop products to facilitate compliance.
it’s a wrap for Yankee hunk?
partial eclipse
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) ain’t what it
used to be—and that ain’t good, says Peter A. Friedmann,
Washington counsel for the Coalition of New England
Companies for Trade (CONECT).
Before it was folded into the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) in 2003, CBP was a “proud, independent”
agency, Friedmann said in a March speech at CONECT’s
annual Northeast Trade & Transportation Conference in
Newport, R.I. Even though Customs was under the aegis
of the Treasury Department, the commissioner was influential and made policy, he said.
Under DHS, however, that has changed. “The commissioner is an assistant secretary who spends one-third of
his time reporting to a boss who has his own policy
office,” Friedmann said. In many areas, Customs is not
allowed to make decisions on its own, and it’s unclear who
has executive oversight of some programs, he added.
The international trade community would be better
served if the commissioner had a freer hand, Friedmann
said. “How can we elevate CBP back to some position of
authority and policy making? That’s a conversation we are
having in Washington now.”
How’s this for an image: Derek Jeter encased in
Bubble Wrap?
PHOTO COURTESY OF SEALED AIR CORP.
