Blog Archives




 

  • The Food Service Supply Chain- A View from the Other Side
    By Pete Kontakos - Wednesday August 8, 2012
    As a former restaurant manager for over 20 years who’s family still currently owns and operates food service establishments, I feel uniquely qualified to help vendors help themselves when it comes to the efficiency involved with the actual unloading of the product which can consume valuable time and productivity in the supply chain. It is important to realize that the vendor and the restaurant staff both share in the overall efficiency of the delivery; I will point out some common sense steps that both parties should take to shrink the time needed to deliver the product. Establishment Tips- Have a staff dedicated to unloading the truck - These staff members should be available to move product off the truck and not be charged...

  • Label Me Agile
    By Michael Edgett - Monday July 2, 2012
    The latest labeling battle is coming out of California where voters will decide in November whether to require that retail products containing genetically modified ingredients be clearly labeled as such. If that happens, it will require food manufacturers to know the source of all their ingredients and either modify their formulas or adjust their labels accordingly – the associated cost of which can be significant. Estimates from the FDA show the cost of label changes to range from $800-$7,700 per SKU while a recent study in the UK conducted by Camden BMI put this at £1,800 to £6,500. This is just another example of how in the Food & Beverage industry you’re only as good as your formulas and your knowledge. While that’s been...

  • The Role of Information Technology in Logistics
    By Pete Kontakos - Tuesday June 26, 2012
    In recent years, the logistical landscape has become a rapidly evolving business environment, and as such, more and more enterprises are looking for that competitive edge to gain a larger market share. As in most industries, it is toward technology-led solutions that team leaders are looking as a vehicle for innovation in their supply chain processes.   Growing Trends In the world of logistics there is a constant need to do things faster and more efficiently. Order cycle times seem to be ever shrinking, and pressures from customers call for a finely-tuned focus on supply chain execution. Transportation management systems (TMS) are the IT answer to these demands and there seem to be some growing trends within the industry...

  • Food Safety Modernization Act And Your Supply Chain
    By Pete Kontakos - Thursday May 31, 2012
    The FSMA, or Food Safety Modernization Act , was signed into law by the President in January 2011, with the intent of granting the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) additional power to monitor and police food companies as a means of improving detection and response if an outbreak were to occur. With increased concerns about food-borne illnesses, allergens/allergies, contamination and even terrorist threats, it’s more important now than ever for policies to be in place that will protect the public and prevent both real and potential health scares. The FSMA looks at four key areas of improving food safety: prevention, inspection and compliance, response and imports. These components will give the FDA the power to implement...

  • Allowing Drivers To Get Involved Can Greatly Improve Your Operation
    By Rob Shelton - Tuesday May 22, 2012
    I am often surprised by haulers in the UK who don’t engage drivers more in the day-to-day running of a fleet. I don’t mean inviting them to board meetings, or allowing them free-reign to do what they want – I mean asking for feedback on how routes are planned, how a customer could be better served or how equipment could be better utilized. Drivers see an operation in a very different way to a planner, traffic clerk or transport manager and I think they can add real value to an operation - even down to how the TMS which plans their routes is configured. What are the benefits? More than you’d think. An involved driver is a proud and hard-working driver – they feel valued and listened to and because of this will in turn go that...

  • "Graying" With Envy
    By Sean O'Farrell - Monday May 21, 2012
    I recently received a call from a major retailer, requesting a presentation addressing automation in the grocery industry.  Offering a strong background in grocery and automation, I welcomed the invitation but asked that we answer a few questions together as I needed to better understand what was driving the automation decision.  I quickly produced five critical questions that I knew would help prepare my slide deck – they are as follows: 1. Did they feel competitive pressures from another grocer in their region automating? 2. Were they considering network consolidation / optimization? 3. Was the growing SKU count inside the distribution center requiring ways to store and pick more in the same footprint? 4. Do they want to...

  • Intermodal Equipped With Opportunities
    By Tyler Wolfe - Tuesday May 1, 2012
    By: Tyler Wolfe As manufacturers begin inching toward recovery and truck tonnage climbs, capacity shortages remain among the top of shipper’s concerns. With CSA regulations looming; some experts fear as high as 15 percent of trucks could disappear from US roadways threatening an already fragile capacity market. These capacity threats coupled with intense consumer cost pressures are leading many companies to rethink their supply chain strategies and consider expanding their service options in search of new cost containment opportunities. It is for this reason that manufacturers and retailers alike are beginning to transition freight volumes traditionally managed by truckload carriers over to intermodal channels. This growing trend has...

  • The Sizzle Sells the Steak!
    By Neetin Datar and Paul Pretko - Monday March 12, 2012
    By: Neetin Datar and Paul Pretko Its evening time and you are sitting at a restaurant. You have already given some thought to what you going to eat for dinner. You are about to order when suddenly another waiter briskly walks by you with a sizzling platter of steak in hand. What happens next? Yes, you know it – you end up ordering that steak. Don’t deny it; it happens to all of us! A similar phenomenon is occurring in foodservice distribution industry. The sizzle in this case is enterprise mobility i.e. sales reps equipped with smart phones or tablets and cool enterprise mobile apps to be used anytime anywhere. And steak of course continues to be a foodservice distributor’s existing customer relationships backed up by their...

  • Fuel: Making the Difference for Foodservice Fleets in 2012
    By Sean Evans and Ryan Mossman - Tuesday December 13, 2011
    By Sean Evans, Marketing Specialist – Fuel Center By Ryan Mossman, Vice President and General Manager – Fuel Center While 2011 has been a tremendously challenging year for foodservice fleets of all sizes, 2012 looks to bring more of the same. Fuel costs in 2011 climbed to levels not seen since 2008 with even greater price swings, and a number of severe weather events across the country wreaked havoc on logistical plans. Instability and political events in the Middle East continue to add pressure to supply translating into higher fuel prices and a greater burden on fuel manager budgets. Higher fuel prices have also meant alternative methods of transportation, such as rail, are gaining ground on foodservice fleets. So what can a...

  • Preparing for the NLRB's Proposed Changes To Union Election Rules
    By Robert T. Quackenboss - Monday November 21, 2011
    By: Robert T. Quackenboss On November 30, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) will vote on sweeping proposed changes to the rules by which it conducts union representation elections.  The proposed changes fall broadly into three categories: (1) a shortened time period between the filing of the initial election petition and the election date; (2) post-election NLRB review of contested issues that were previously resolved pre-election; and (3) increased disclosure requirements for employers.  Should the proposed changes be adopted as the NLRB moves forward with an implementation plan, employers will need to substantially alter their approach to union elections.    A Shortened Election Process Under the new rules, elections...

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