Evolution of Supply Chain Collaboration: Implications for the Role of Knowledge

Increasingly, research across many disciplines has recognized the shortcomings of the traditional “integration prescription” for inter-organizational knowledge management. This research conducts several simulation experiments to study the effects of different rates of product change, different demand environments, and different economies of scale on the level of integration between firms at different levels in the supply chain. The underlying paradigm shifts from a static, steady state view to a dynamic, complex adaptive systems and knowledge-based view of supply chain networks. Several research propositions are presented that use the role of knowledge in the supply chain to provide predictive power for how supply chain collaborations or integration should evolve. Suggestions and implications are suggested for managerial and research purposes

Financing America\u27s Roads: The Past Is Prologue

This article provides a historical perspective of American roadway financing. It explores revenue collection and expenditures at the federal, state, and local governmental levels. Accounting practices of the Highway Trust Fund are discussed including the enactment of the Truth in Budgeting Act to shift revenue collection closer to a direct-user tax. Factors affecting roadway tax revenues are identified and the impact of increasing taxes is discussed. Four key considerations which will continue to shape roadway revenue collection are identified

An Analysis of Logistics Pedagogical Literature: Past and Future Trends in Curriculum, Content, and Pedagogy

There presently is no comprehensive review which systematizes and summarizes the burgeoning body of logistics educational literature. The purpose of this paper is to provide a guide for both educators and practitioners to assess the history, current status, and future trends in logistics education in order to nurture advancement in logistics education. This paper draws its conclusions based upon a literature review and categorizes the evolution of logistics education into three areas: defining curriculum, developing content and skills taught, and refining teaching methods. Logistics education continues to benefit from strong ties to industry. Additionally, four principle macro-environmental factors were discovered that impact the current status of logistics education: an increase in the number of logistics educational programs, limited supply of logistics-trained faculty, changes to content requirements, and a changing teaching environment. Future research directions from the published literature are summarized. As current logistics programs continue to evolve and the number of logistics and supply chain management programs continue to increase in response to industry demand, this comprehensive review of the logistics literature may help serve as a benchmark for past and current practices in logistics education. The early partnership between industry and education set the stage to help guide educators to evolve logistics education to address practitioner needs. Increased interest in logistics education and changing environmental factors suggest the need for continued collaboration to further logistics education. The literature demonstrates successful dynamic behavior in response to dynamic industries. It highlights factors which may drive further evolution of logistics education and proposes areas impacted

Carrier portfolio management

This article investigates the concept of carrier consolidation and how it impacts the performance measurements of the carrier for measured variables to the shipper. It recommends treating the carrier base as a portfolio of assets, with each carrier contributing unique, strategic advantages to the sum of the whole

Feasibility of Warehouse Drone Adoption and Implementation

While aerial delivery drones capture headlines, the pace of adoption of drones in warehouses has shown the greatest acceleration. Warehousing constitutes 30% of the cost of logistics in the US. The rise of e-commerce, greater customer service demands of retail stores, and a shortage of skilled labor have intensified competition for efficient warehouse operations. This takes place during an era of shortening technology life cycles. This paper integrates several theoretical perspectives on technology diffusion and adoption to propose a framework to inform supply chain decision-makers on when to invest in new robotics technology

Where have all the on-line grocers gone? Lessons learned from the demise of on-line grocers

The grocery concept has evolved over many years to drive cost out of the process. Grocery margins are very thin, typically ranging from 1% to 1 1/2 % such that the grocery business continues to look for innovative ways to take cost out of the process. Ordering groceries on the Internet was initially thought to be a very promising new opportunity. So what happened to on-line grocers? This paper considers what went right and what went wrong for the on-line grocers and uncovers a few logistics lessons along the way

Leaving A No-Risk 36 Percent Return On The Table: Supply Chain Finance Opportunities Managing Payables Discounts

Supply chain management has traditionally emphasized managing the physical flow of parts and finished goods. The next natural evolutionary step is developing the management of supply chain finance across multiple trading partners. One of these opportunities requires investigation of managing payment discounts. Traditionally, suppliers offer a discount to buyers to encourage earlier payment. Terms such as 2/10 n/30 allow for a 2% discount if the entire purchase is paid in full within the 10-day discount period instead of the customary 30 days. This 2% payment reduction translates into the equivalent of an annual return of 36%, resulting in the traditional rule of thumb to take the discount whenever possible. For a variety of reasons, only a small percentage of buyers actually are capturing these high returns. There is a disconnect between trading partners for using discounts for managing working capital across the supply. This paper explores the beneficial impact of participating in early payment discount programs, potential reasons for failing to capture discounts and possible solutions and offers research questions to guide future research to aid in improving this supply chain finance opportunity

The Rise, the Fall, and the Resurrection of the Egrocery Channel: A Transformation in Retail Logistics and U.S. Consumer Behavior

Nearly 20 years ago this journal published “Where Have All The On-Line Grocers Gone?” about the growing online grocery market and correctly predicted that the concept would fail until logistics issues were resolved. This article considers the changes that have taken place since then and why there has been a resurrection and exponential growth in the eGrocery channel. It considers how the forced disruption from the COVID-19 virus has served to help further the development and growth of this channel

Financing America’s roads: The past is prologue

This article provides a historical perspective of American roadway financing. It explores revenue collection and expenditures at the federal, state, and local governmental levels. Accounting practices of the Highway Trust Fund are discussed including the enactment of the Truth in Budgeting Act to shift revenue collection closer to a direct-user tax. Factors affecting roadway tax revenues are identified and the impact of increasing taxes is discussed. Four key considerations which will continue to shape roadway revenue collection are identified

Using Cash-To-Cash To Benchmark Service Industry Performance

The cash-to-cash (C2C) metric is a measurement tool which may be used to bridge the management of firms and functions in a supply chain.  C2C can be used by management to improve firm liquidity position and overall firm value.  Measuring C2C also offers a consistent measure across time, helps to identify the greatest leverage points and opportunities for improvement, serves as a means to set goals for improvement within the supply chain, and can help to optimize the entire supply chain, instead of sub-optimizing individual portions.  In this study, the authors illustrate the calculation of cash-to-cash, investigate changes in C2C between product and service industries to identify key differences, review and discuss key leverage points of C2C, and provide insights for today’s service industry managers to understand the C2C metric from both accounting and supply chain management perspectives.  Data in this study can also be used for benchmarking purposes