inbound
We’re proud to announce that one of our own has
a new book out. In June, John Wiley & Sons Inc.
published Protean Supply Chains: Ten Dynamics of
Supply and Demand Alignment by James A. Cooke,
DCV editor at large and chief editor of our sister
publication, CSCMP’s Supply Chain Quarterly. He
has more than 30 years of experience covering topics that include supply chain trends, strategies and
best practices, software, and technology.
Starting with the assertion that supply chains
are an overlooked factor behind anemic economic
growth, Cooke argues that supply chains must be
more than agile or flexible; they must also become “protean”—capable of
changing shape in response to a volatile global business environment.
The book examines 10 trends that are shaping supply chain operations
worldwide: regional theaters of supply; global risk management through
control towers; customer segmentation; real demand realization; omni-channel retailing; demand-swing alignment with production and distribution; “customer of one” service; sustainability challenges; collaboration vs.
competition in the new economy; and financial dynamism. The book uses
real-world examples combined with insights into the impact of those trends
as a backdrop for discussing methods to reduce spending, boost revenues,
and streamline operations as well as the use of protean supply chains to gain
competitive advantages internationally.
The book is available in paperback and as an e-book. For a preview
and ordering information, go to www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/
productCd-1118759664.html.
Take a look at Cooke’s book!
“How could logistics service providers more effectively engage with you
when trying to build a relationship
and gain new business?” That was
the question posed to 200 buyers of
third-party logistics (3PL) services
who responded to a recent survey
conducted by Logistics Marketing
Advisors, a firm that counsels 3PLs
on marketing and communication
strategies. As you might expect, the
responses reflected a desire to hear
about cost, capabilities, and measurable results. But they also emphasized the importance of the personal
aspects of business relationships.
The most interesting part of the
survey asked respondents to offer
advice for 3PLs that “would like to
build a relationship with you in the
hope of gaining future business.”
The research identified four promi-
nent themes among the hundreds of
comments:
Logistics Marketing Advisors
President Jim Bierfeldt summed up
how potential customers want to be
treated by 3PLs: Respect me, respect
my time, respect your competition,
and don’t just tell me what you
can do—show me ideas in action
and the results others like me have
achieved.
What shippers want
from 3PLs
Pallet aficionados will be in their glory Oct. 11–12 in Denver. That’s when the
city’s Sculpture Park will host the first-ever PalletFest. The two-day program
will focus on creative reuse of the ubiquitous wooden platforms, which typically end up in landfills.
The festival will include large art structures made with upcycled materials
(“upcycling” refers to reusing materials that would otherwise be treated as
waste), a pallet maze, a pallet amphitheater with live musical performances,
sustainable living demonstrations, an upcycled fashion show, and more.
There’ll even be a “build-off” competition in which teams will create functional or artistic structures out of wooden pallets.
PalletFest founder Kenny Fischer got the idea for a pallet-themed program
after his family moved to a farm in search of a more self-sufficient life. There,
he discovered the versatility of wooden pallets. “We got some land, we got
some chickens and a goat, and I just started building things I needed—a
fence, a bench, a tool rack—out of pallets,” he said in an article on the festival’s website.
For more information about PalletFest, go to www.palletfest.com/home.
First-ever PalletFest comes to Denver
