Quick Facts on Import Logistics
- Operate daily on the New York and New Jersey Piers to the Philadelphia Port and beyond
- Strip, stuff and transload pier containers
- Member of the Uniform Intermodal Interchange Agreement (UIIA)
- Direct Import and Exports
For competitive rates or contact information, please visit our Import Logistics page by clicking on the link.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
8 Ways to Boost Supply Chain Agility
The survivors of economic slumps have almost always been better able to change course more quickly than their peers. They benefit from more responsive and agile supply chains, allowing them to quickly cut back on manufacturing operations, close plants, sell assets, and reduce inventory in the pipeline. Here are eight proven practices to help you increase supply chain flexibility and reduce risk.
By Pierre Mercier, Harold Sirkin, and Jennifer Bratton -- Supply Chain Management Review, 1/1/2010
As the recent global recession deepened, some industries saw sales decline by 40 percent or more. Cash-strapped companies struggled with order cancellations, inventory pile-ups and underused assets. The business headlines showed that many organizations were unable to survive those pressures.
Yet many have survived, and are on course to do well as the global economy picks up. The survivors were almost always better able to change course more quickly than their more sluggish peers, minimize losses and generate much-needed cash. On the whole, they benefited from more responsive, more agile supply chains, allowing them to quickly cut back on manufacturing shifts, change batch sizes, stop and start entire production lines, close plants, sell assets, and sharply reduce inventory coming through the pipeline.
Although global recessions are rare, uncertainty and unpredictability are facts of life in today's business environment. Nobody can truly predict the future, no matter how complex or accurate a company's forecasting model is. And as supply chains become longer—reaching into low-cost countries for sourcing or manufacturing—it becomes increasingly clear that greater flexibility and the ability to react rapidly to changing market conditions are at least as important as forecasting skills when it comes to optimizing end-to-end operations.
These days, the prices of fuel and other commodities can shift overnight, customers demand increasing speed and customization, and port and road congestion add unwelcome variables to the supply chain. Other variability is self-inflicted—the result of needless complexity in products, portfolios and processes. This blend of complexity and unpredictability exacts a high cost. That's why it's critical for companies to create an agile, flexible supply chain that can react quickly to changes in conditions or demand and minimize the negative impact of uncertainty.
But flexibility often comes at an additional cost. Business leaders must wrestle with a range of strategic trade-offs: Should I build one massive manufacturing plant to optimize scale, or diversify my risk by staying closer to the customer and producing in multiple locations? Should I keep more warehouses in my network to make sure I can deliver products to my customers profitably even if diesel prices hit $10 per gallon? How much buffer inventory should I keep on hand?
Flexibility will be more critical in some areas than in others—when profit margins are high, for instance, or to gain access to strategic markets or customer accounts, or where unpredictability imposes particularly high costs. So it's important to know why you're making the decisions you're making, and to make them strategically and mindfully.
This article brings together eight proven practices for increasing flexibility and reducing risk. Although some of the themes are well understood by experienced supply chain professionals, it's likely that those leaders will not previously have been able to review or share all of the themes in an easily accessible form—a kind of “flexibility checklist,” if you will.
To view the article, click here.
By Pierre Mercier, Harold Sirkin, and Jennifer Bratton -- Supply Chain Management Review, 1/1/2010
As the recent global recession deepened, some industries saw sales decline by 40 percent or more. Cash-strapped companies struggled with order cancellations, inventory pile-ups and underused assets. The business headlines showed that many organizations were unable to survive those pressures.
Yet many have survived, and are on course to do well as the global economy picks up. The survivors were almost always better able to change course more quickly than their more sluggish peers, minimize losses and generate much-needed cash. On the whole, they benefited from more responsive, more agile supply chains, allowing them to quickly cut back on manufacturing shifts, change batch sizes, stop and start entire production lines, close plants, sell assets, and sharply reduce inventory coming through the pipeline.
Although global recessions are rare, uncertainty and unpredictability are facts of life in today's business environment. Nobody can truly predict the future, no matter how complex or accurate a company's forecasting model is. And as supply chains become longer—reaching into low-cost countries for sourcing or manufacturing—it becomes increasingly clear that greater flexibility and the ability to react rapidly to changing market conditions are at least as important as forecasting skills when it comes to optimizing end-to-end operations.
These days, the prices of fuel and other commodities can shift overnight, customers demand increasing speed and customization, and port and road congestion add unwelcome variables to the supply chain. Other variability is self-inflicted—the result of needless complexity in products, portfolios and processes. This blend of complexity and unpredictability exacts a high cost. That's why it's critical for companies to create an agile, flexible supply chain that can react quickly to changes in conditions or demand and minimize the negative impact of uncertainty.
But flexibility often comes at an additional cost. Business leaders must wrestle with a range of strategic trade-offs: Should I build one massive manufacturing plant to optimize scale, or diversify my risk by staying closer to the customer and producing in multiple locations? Should I keep more warehouses in my network to make sure I can deliver products to my customers profitably even if diesel prices hit $10 per gallon? How much buffer inventory should I keep on hand?
Flexibility will be more critical in some areas than in others—when profit margins are high, for instance, or to gain access to strategic markets or customer accounts, or where unpredictability imposes particularly high costs. So it's important to know why you're making the decisions you're making, and to make them strategically and mindfully.
This article brings together eight proven practices for increasing flexibility and reducing risk. Although some of the themes are well understood by experienced supply chain professionals, it's likely that those leaders will not previously have been able to review or share all of the themes in an easily accessible form—a kind of “flexibility checklist,” if you will.
To view the article, click here.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Vote for The Quality Warehouse!
Vote now!
From Inbound Logistics' 3PL Excellence Survey page:
“Each year, in its July issue, Inbound Logistics publishes the most definitive resource on third-party logistics and the outsourced logistics market. If you are already a subscriber, you know that we ask our readers which third-party logistics companies provide excellent service, and publish the results. If you are not yet a subscriber, you can get a list of this year's Excellence Survey winners, as well as the Top 100 third-party companies in the world, by checking the box below.
We're now conducting next year's 3PL Excellence Survey. The results will be presented in the July 2010 3PL issue. Give us your input and we'll express our appreciation by entering you in a drawing for a free 18-carat gold Parker pen, which includes a coupon for free engraving."
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For more info regarding Quality Warehouse and our New Jersey warehouse space and NJ local transportation, visit our site!
From Inbound Logistics' 3PL Excellence Survey page:
“Each year, in its July issue, Inbound Logistics publishes the most definitive resource on third-party logistics and the outsourced logistics market. If you are already a subscriber, you know that we ask our readers which third-party logistics companies provide excellent service, and publish the results. If you are not yet a subscriber, you can get a list of this year's Excellence Survey winners, as well as the Top 100 third-party companies in the world, by checking the box below.
We're now conducting next year's 3PL Excellence Survey. The results will be presented in the July 2010 3PL issue. Give us your input and we'll express our appreciation by entering you in a drawing for a free 18-carat gold Parker pen, which includes a coupon for free engraving."
------
For more info regarding Quality Warehouse and our New Jersey warehouse space and NJ local transportation, visit our site!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Happy Holidays
Happy Holidays to all of our customers and friends at Quality Warehouse & Distribution! We look forward to providing services for you in 2010! Take take great pride in providing economical and easy New Jersey third party logistics solutions for your supply chain needs!Stay warm and enjoy the season!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Logistics and business news: Indicators present "mixed bag" for economic outlook and recovery
As has been the case in recent months, many leading economic indicators continue to present a "mixed bag," when it comes to determining how strongly the economy is recovering. This is particularly acute when looking at retail figures released by the National Retail Federation and the Department of Commerce earlier today.
The NRF reported that October retail sales-excluding automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants-were flat compared to September and down 1.3 percent year-over-year. Meanwhile, the Department of Commerce had a rosier outlook, reporting that total retail sales-including both retail and food services-were up a seasonally-adjusted 1.4 percent compared to October and down 1.7 percent unadjusted year-over-year.
While the flat and 1.4 percent respective gains may portend some optimism for economic recovery as holiday shopping season begins to kick in, NRF Chief Economist Rosalind Wells noted that belief may be somewhat premature.
Consumer spending remains the main driver of the domestic economy-accounting for roughly two-thirds of all economic activity. And based on sluggish retail numbers, coupled with the lack of a meaningful uptick in freight volumes, analysts have told LM it may take nine months until a true recovery takes hold.
"Though the October numbers show some signs of optimism for retailers, the industry is still not out of the woods," said Wells in a statement. "While categories like apparel, sporting goods, books, music and personal care fared well, housing-related categories such as furniture and home improvement continued to struggle."
This cloudy scenario is also evident in other economic data and freight trends, too, including last week's Commerce Department report that the U.S. trade deficit expanded 18.2 percent in September to $36.5 billion for its biggest deficit since January, as well as a 0.5 percent dip in consumer spending in September, and The Reuters/University of Michigan preliminary consumer sentiment index decreased to a three-month low of 66 from 70.6 in October.
Other recent data include:
* the Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing index topping 50.0 percent (which indicates positive growth) for the last three months;
* the October Cass Freight Index declining 12.3 percent year-over-year and flat growth from September to October;
* durable goods orders in September were up 1.4 percent and September inventories were down 0.4 percent from August and 13.4 percent year-over-year, according to the Department of Commerce; and
* the Association of American Railroads reporting that as of Thursday, November 12 volumes are down 17.8 percent year-to-date, and the Intermodal Association of North America's recent report that third quarter volume is down 16.4 percent.
"The economic recovery is going to continue to be choppy with plenty of stops and starts," said Eric Starks, president of FTR Associates. "Part of this has to do with international volumes not coming back to life yet...although some global economies-like parts of Western Europe-are showing some growth but not enough to generate freight."
Read the rest of the logisticsmgmt.com article here.
The NRF reported that October retail sales-excluding automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants-were flat compared to September and down 1.3 percent year-over-year. Meanwhile, the Department of Commerce had a rosier outlook, reporting that total retail sales-including both retail and food services-were up a seasonally-adjusted 1.4 percent compared to October and down 1.7 percent unadjusted year-over-year.
While the flat and 1.4 percent respective gains may portend some optimism for economic recovery as holiday shopping season begins to kick in, NRF Chief Economist Rosalind Wells noted that belief may be somewhat premature.
Consumer spending remains the main driver of the domestic economy-accounting for roughly two-thirds of all economic activity. And based on sluggish retail numbers, coupled with the lack of a meaningful uptick in freight volumes, analysts have told LM it may take nine months until a true recovery takes hold.
"Though the October numbers show some signs of optimism for retailers, the industry is still not out of the woods," said Wells in a statement. "While categories like apparel, sporting goods, books, music and personal care fared well, housing-related categories such as furniture and home improvement continued to struggle."
This cloudy scenario is also evident in other economic data and freight trends, too, including last week's Commerce Department report that the U.S. trade deficit expanded 18.2 percent in September to $36.5 billion for its biggest deficit since January, as well as a 0.5 percent dip in consumer spending in September, and The Reuters/University of Michigan preliminary consumer sentiment index decreased to a three-month low of 66 from 70.6 in October.
Other recent data include:
* the Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing index topping 50.0 percent (which indicates positive growth) for the last three months;
* the October Cass Freight Index declining 12.3 percent year-over-year and flat growth from September to October;
* durable goods orders in September were up 1.4 percent and September inventories were down 0.4 percent from August and 13.4 percent year-over-year, according to the Department of Commerce; and
* the Association of American Railroads reporting that as of Thursday, November 12 volumes are down 17.8 percent year-to-date, and the Intermodal Association of North America's recent report that third quarter volume is down 16.4 percent.
"The economic recovery is going to continue to be choppy with plenty of stops and starts," said Eric Starks, president of FTR Associates. "Part of this has to do with international volumes not coming back to life yet...although some global economies-like parts of Western Europe-are showing some growth but not enough to generate freight."
Read the rest of the logisticsmgmt.com article here.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Green logistics: Industry expert cites ways of going green and cutting costs at the same time
WALTHAM, Mass.-It's possible to save money and the environment at the same time, and if you need proof, just look at the Green Machine.
That was the message Jack Ampuja, president of the consulting firm Supply Chain Optimizers, and executive director of the Center for Supply Chain Excellence at Niagara University in Lewiston, N.Y., was trying to get across at a Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) New England Round Table event in Waltham, Mass. Tuesday night.
The event featured, among other things, a description of a new type of tractor for hauling freight, which Ampuja dubbed the "Green Machine" because of its environmentally-friendly design.
The tractor, he said, was conceived and built by a number of former trucking industry workers and veterans in Michigan. The tractor, Ampuja said, contains a long list of "green" enhancements, including nitrogen-filled tires (ordinary air escapes through the rubber over time), carbon-fiber springs, and a special hydrogen injector system for the engine.
Right now, companies like office furniture maker Hayworth, along with Pepsi, Anheuser-Busch and other companies, are expecting to save thousands of gallons of fuel per truck per year, and cut greenhouse gas emissions by amounts measured in metric tons.
But Ampuja was selling a point, not a truck: for all the cutting-edge improvements and patented design, Ampuja said the tractor is built out of off-the-shelf parts, and therefore costs the same as any other tractor on the market, so using them will not cost extra. If anything, Ampuja said, using them will save money long-term.
And that, Ampuja told the packed room, is the reality of the green movement in the corporate world.
"They (cutting costs and helping the environment) are not at odds," he said. "They complement each other."
Ampuja cited a recent study by the Aberdeen Group which found that leading companies are "greening up" by, among other things, redesigning logistics systems and redesigning packaging.
In addition to technological advances, Ampuja challenged the audience of supply chain managers, consultants and vendors to look to their own operations for other ways to go green and save money. Network optimization applications, he said, will be another major component of a green plan in the future, especially with oil prices expected to rise.
This week, prices passed the $80/barrel mark, and the room was silent when Ampuja asked if anyone thought prices would fall anytime soon. That will become a big problem, he said, for unprepared companies with poorly-organized supply chains.
"Most networks are built around lower energy costs," he said.
Right now, Ampuja said, the smart companies are working on "what if" plans for oil prices at $100, $120, or even $150/barrel, ready to implement when and if prices go that high. With each plan, companies have to think about how many distribution centers they have, how efficient the routes are between them, how they manage inventory to feed those routes, and other issues.
Read the rest of the logisticsmgmt.com article here.
That was the message Jack Ampuja, president of the consulting firm Supply Chain Optimizers, and executive director of the Center for Supply Chain Excellence at Niagara University in Lewiston, N.Y., was trying to get across at a Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) New England Round Table event in Waltham, Mass. Tuesday night.
The event featured, among other things, a description of a new type of tractor for hauling freight, which Ampuja dubbed the "Green Machine" because of its environmentally-friendly design.
The tractor, he said, was conceived and built by a number of former trucking industry workers and veterans in Michigan. The tractor, Ampuja said, contains a long list of "green" enhancements, including nitrogen-filled tires (ordinary air escapes through the rubber over time), carbon-fiber springs, and a special hydrogen injector system for the engine.
Right now, companies like office furniture maker Hayworth, along with Pepsi, Anheuser-Busch and other companies, are expecting to save thousands of gallons of fuel per truck per year, and cut greenhouse gas emissions by amounts measured in metric tons.
But Ampuja was selling a point, not a truck: for all the cutting-edge improvements and patented design, Ampuja said the tractor is built out of off-the-shelf parts, and therefore costs the same as any other tractor on the market, so using them will not cost extra. If anything, Ampuja said, using them will save money long-term.
And that, Ampuja told the packed room, is the reality of the green movement in the corporate world.
"They (cutting costs and helping the environment) are not at odds," he said. "They complement each other."
Ampuja cited a recent study by the Aberdeen Group which found that leading companies are "greening up" by, among other things, redesigning logistics systems and redesigning packaging.
In addition to technological advances, Ampuja challenged the audience of supply chain managers, consultants and vendors to look to their own operations for other ways to go green and save money. Network optimization applications, he said, will be another major component of a green plan in the future, especially with oil prices expected to rise.
This week, prices passed the $80/barrel mark, and the room was silent when Ampuja asked if anyone thought prices would fall anytime soon. That will become a big problem, he said, for unprepared companies with poorly-organized supply chains.
"Most networks are built around lower energy costs," he said.
Right now, Ampuja said, the smart companies are working on "what if" plans for oil prices at $100, $120, or even $150/barrel, ready to implement when and if prices go that high. With each plan, companies have to think about how many distribution centers they have, how efficient the routes are between them, how they manage inventory to feed those routes, and other issues.
Read the rest of the logisticsmgmt.com article here.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
New Study Highlights Role of Third-Party Logistics Providers in Helping Shippers Adapt to Economic Challenges
The fourteenth Annual Third Party Logistics (3PL) Study examining the current global market for logistics outsourcing was recently released. The study surveyed shippers and logistics service providers in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. Key findings included:
* The economic downturn has created significant challenges for both shippers and third-party logistics providers (3PLs) – 82% of shippers are employing cost-cutting tactics and 60% are rethinking their supply chains and relationships with 3PLs
* 88% of shippers feel that IT-based logistics services are important, but only 42% are satisfied with the capabilities of their provider – as a result of this IT capability gap, shipper respondents reported a lack of the key performance indicators, alerts and visibility required for an adaptive supply chain and 3PLs reported similar difficulties in getting the data and commitment they need from shippers
* There are significant differences between how 3PLs evaluate their role in the supply chain and how they are viewed by shippers – 59% of shippers feel their use of 3PLs has a positive effect on customer service compared to 88% of 3PL respondents
* Shipper respondents devote an average of between 47% (in North America) and 66% (in Europe) of their total logistics expenditures to outsourcing and this is expected to increase in the next five years.
“Shipper-3PL relationships are being impacted significantly by the prevailing uncertainty and economic volatility in global markets,” said Dr. C. John Langley Jr., Professor of Supply Chain Management, Georgia Institute of Technology. “It is very important for 3PLs to mitigate or reduce any financial risk or service level impact that this may cause.”
Economic uncertainty and the use of 3PLs
Economic volatility has challenged shippers and 3PLs alike to contend with factors such as unpredictable demand, instability in fuel costs and currency valuation, and excess inventory. In response, not only are shippers attempting to cut costs, 77% are also seeking to improve forecasting and inventory management.
Cost reduction and improved reliability in services are the main factors likely to increase shipper respondents’ use of 3PLs. This includes converting fixed to variable costs (59%), expanding to new markets or offering new products (56%), and restructuring the supply chain network to improve financial performance (48%).
Read the rest of the mhia.org article here.
* The economic downturn has created significant challenges for both shippers and third-party logistics providers (3PLs) – 82% of shippers are employing cost-cutting tactics and 60% are rethinking their supply chains and relationships with 3PLs
* 88% of shippers feel that IT-based logistics services are important, but only 42% are satisfied with the capabilities of their provider – as a result of this IT capability gap, shipper respondents reported a lack of the key performance indicators, alerts and visibility required for an adaptive supply chain and 3PLs reported similar difficulties in getting the data and commitment they need from shippers
* There are significant differences between how 3PLs evaluate their role in the supply chain and how they are viewed by shippers – 59% of shippers feel their use of 3PLs has a positive effect on customer service compared to 88% of 3PL respondents
* Shipper respondents devote an average of between 47% (in North America) and 66% (in Europe) of their total logistics expenditures to outsourcing and this is expected to increase in the next five years.
“Shipper-3PL relationships are being impacted significantly by the prevailing uncertainty and economic volatility in global markets,” said Dr. C. John Langley Jr., Professor of Supply Chain Management, Georgia Institute of Technology. “It is very important for 3PLs to mitigate or reduce any financial risk or service level impact that this may cause.”
Economic uncertainty and the use of 3PLs
Economic volatility has challenged shippers and 3PLs alike to contend with factors such as unpredictable demand, instability in fuel costs and currency valuation, and excess inventory. In response, not only are shippers attempting to cut costs, 77% are also seeking to improve forecasting and inventory management.
Cost reduction and improved reliability in services are the main factors likely to increase shipper respondents’ use of 3PLs. This includes converting fixed to variable costs (59%), expanding to new markets or offering new products (56%), and restructuring the supply chain network to improve financial performance (48%).
Read the rest of the mhia.org article here.
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