DC Velocity - March 2015

It can be difficult to snare that one idea that will transform your warehousing operation or catch wind of that emerging trend that will disrupt your industry. You can improve your odds, however, by attending the Warehousing Education & Research Council’s (WERC) Annual Conference from May 3–6 in Orlando, Fla.

The conference’s educational sessions and peer-to-peer discussions offer fertile hunting grounds for insights into how to implement Lean and just-in-time programs in the DC, how to use activity-based pricing in outsourcing, and how to manage store-based fulfillment. Attendees can also get a sneak peek at the results of recent studies.

The opening keynote address, “Better & Faster: The Proven Path to Unstoppable Ideas” by innovation expert Jeremy Gutsche, should set the tone for the rest of the conference. Gutsche, founder of Trendhunter.com, promises to teach attendees how to see patterns and clues that will help them become more adaptable investors, innovators, and creators. ( www.werc.org/2015/)

roadtrip

WERC: The hunt for new ideas

April 8–9

The co-located Home Delivery World, Etail Show, and Click & Collect USA 2015 events in Atlanta will cover how retailers and grocers can enhance their home delivery operations, improve the online customer experience, and implement store pickup programs. (www. terrapinn.com/conference/ click-and-collect-show-usa/ index.stm)

April 15–16

The Transportation Intermediaries Association’s Capital Ideas Conference and Exhibition in Orlando, Fla., offers third-party logistics service providers an opportunity to network with peers from throughout North America and beyond. (www.tianet. org)

April 21–23

Descartes’ customers and partners will gather in Miami for the software developer’s Evolution Global User & Partner Conference to learn more about the company’s new solutions and how to improve their operations. ( www.descartes.com/ usergroup)

April 26–28

The SCOPE Supply Chain Conference in Baltimore will include strategic presentations by industry thought leaders as well as custom-er-led case studies and panel discussions. (www. scopespring.com)

Walt Disney World may have closed Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride in 1988, but it’s unlikely that attendees at NASSTRAC’s 2015 Shippers Conference & Transportation Expo in Orlando, Fla., will miss the long-gone old-time car ride, which was packed with sudden turns, near misses, and a head-on collision with a train. After all, they’ve been on a wild ride of their own this past year, what with weather-related transportation delays and service problems, tightening capacity, falling fuel prices, and the rise of density-based pricing.

The conference, scheduled for April 12 to 15, is designed to help them understand the twists and turns of the past year and set a smoother course for the next. To accomplish this, NASSTRAC will reprise a few of its annual favorites: the transportation provider CEO panel discussion, featuring executives from FedEx Ground, UPS Ground, ArcBest, and Werner Enterprises; the Wall Street perspectives educational session, which will look at the economic prognosis for the transportation sector in 2015 and beyond; and a “Washington Update” that will address the new highway bill, CSA rules, and hours-of-service regulations.

Other sessions will focus on dimensional weight pricing, sustainability, and the value of internships for identifying supply chain talent. ( www.nasstrac.org)

In search of the right logistics service provider? The folks at Richmond Events are willing to broker a match at their annual Logistics and Supply Chain Forum at the Sawgrass Marriott in Jacksonville, Fla.

Qualified supply chain and logistics executives receive complimentary conference registration, accommodations, and meals for the duration of the three-day event, which includes discussion groups on disruptive technologies such as drones; case studies from companies like Google, Dow AgroScience, and Perry Ellis; and a keynote address on trends and challenges in today’s global supply chains.

Top supply chain and logistics providers foot the entire bill in exchange for a chance to meet one-on-one with you. You, however, get the final say on which companies you meet with. ( www.logisticsforum.com/Spring-Conference.aspx#3)