inbound
A “slow ramp to hell”
The National Defense Industrial
Association’s (NDIA) 2013 National
Logistics Forum offered a clear reminder of
the tightened purse strings in Washington:
Instead of the usual four-day conference in
Florida, this year’s outing ran for two days
in Northern Virginia, within walking distance (albeit a long walk) from the
Pentagon. Even with the relocation, attendance—particularly by government civilians and uniformed personnel—was light.
The “current fiscal constraints” was a recur-
ring theme for many speakers. Lockheed
Martin’s Lou Kratz, chair of the Logistics
Management Division at NDIA, called on
industry to concentrate on “focused innova-
tion” and anticipate “over-the-horizon
threats,” even as he acknowledged there is “no
constituency for readiness.”
“Focused innovation” is the polite way of
saying we will have to invest wisely, spend
judiciously, pick our targets carefully, and
be very creative because there isn’t enough
money to cover all the defense requirements
that potential threats dictate. As for future
threats, it’s important to plan ahead, but
crystal balls never work that well, and who
knows what threats will emerge in 2020?
Kratz’s comment about “no constituency
for readiness” reflects the sad reality that
nobody who influences spending is strong-
ly advocating for equipment maintenance
and repair, even though it’s sorely needed.
Euphemisms for the impact of budget
cuts abounded. “We must be vigilant
[about] trade-offs,” said Alan Estevez, assis-
tant secretary of defense for logistics and
materiel readiness. During a roundtable
hosted by retired Army Lt. Gen. C.V. “Chris”
Christianson, now the director for joint and
strategic logistics at National Defense
University, we heard that the military’s
focus these days is on “getting the most out
of what you’ve got.”
The message is clear. After years of growth
and profitability, a reset is under way in
aerospace and defense logistics, and it’s
going to be painful.
In the words of Alan Estevez, “We’re on a
slow ramp to hell.” ;
Dematic’s 2013 conference promises to
rock … literally
From Sept. 8 to 11, the streets of Park City, Utah, will fill with material handling, logistics, and supply chain professionals as Dematic’s
28th Material Handling & Logistics Conference gets under way. You
don’t have to be a Dematic customer to attend, but you must be an
end user of supply chain, logistics, and material handling solutions.
(Dematic reserves the right to approve attendees.)
The educational component will include more than 50 sessions in
six tracks covering leadership, talent, case studies, technology and
operational solutions, a hands-on
“innovation lab,” and warehouse
technology. Among the subjects to
be addressed are supply chain
trends and strategies; warehousing
and distribution best practices;
“how to” sessions on operational
and technical challenges; and financial, human resources, and social
issues facing the industry, to name just a few.
Outside the classroom, attendees will hear from consultant
Patrick Lencioni on team building, Dr. Marcia Rossell on the global
economy, entrepreneur Guy Kawasaki on creating new products and
services, and The Container Store’s Amy Carovillano on her company’s unique corporate culture. Need a break from the technical talk?
Outdoor sports, networking receptions, and performances by comedian Jay Leno and rockers REO Speedwagon will fill the bill.
For all the details, go to www.mhlc.com. ;
| 8 – 11 September Park City
www
, Utah
. mhlc.com
International trade statistics aren’t exactly the most exciting things
to look at ... or are they? The table of contents for the “2013 U.S.
Import and Export Product Report” issued by Zepol, an Edina,
Minn.-based provider of international trade data, market research,
and trade compliance software, lists some intriguing topics: “Top
products imported and exported”; “The latest and greatest: Fastest-
growing products”; “From top-notch to dirt-cheap”; and our per-
sonal favorite, the cleverly written “We import THAT?!”
That last category includes such gross-out surprises as sewage
sludge (gee, thanks, Canada) and live worms (all the way from
Europe, no less).
The report is based on data from U.S. Customs and Border
Protection (CBP) and the U.S. Census Bureau. The sample report is
free with registration at www.zepol.com/SPECIAL/Contact.
aspx?formid=75. While you’re on the website ( www.zepol.com),
check out the company’s blog, which is chock-full of interesting
articles. Topics go well beyond trade data to include such current
issues as customs data and its impact on privacy, and gems like
“How many HTS (Harmonized Tariff Schedule) codes are there?”
(Answer: 18,986, but only 16,379 have been used in 2013, according
to Zepol.) ;
Fun and funky trade stats
