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Free Articles From The Current Issue
Glimmers of hopeLogistics costs plunged dramatically last year as the economy contracted. Preliminary data for 2010 show that a recovery is under way, but shippers still face a host of challenges.
Don't breathe a sigh of relief just yet
Despite the recovery, companies are likely to pressure supply chain managers to cut costs even further.
A bright future... together
We must move beyond the typical approach of "state the problem and talk about the frustrations."
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Finding the perfect fit
Over the past decade, product-selling companies have seen complexity increase in every link of their supply chains, from customers to retail channels to manufacturing processes, and all the way back to raw-material supply. Driving this added complexity is consumers' demand for products that match their needs, tastes, and lifestyles. At the extreme, this market fragmentation has fueled the growth of mass customization, with companies like Timbuk2 or Nike manufacturing bags and shoes to individual consumers' requirements. But mass-market producers have been affected, too. Nokia, the electronics giant, now produces as many as 170 handset variants and 250 sales packages based on a single product platform....
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