How do you speed up delivery and lower costs at the same time? Technology is helping shippers move goods more quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively than ever, especially when using transportation management systems, or TMS. These allow companies to manage scheduling, routing, carrier oversight, load tendering and consolidation from a central dashboard. In this podcast, we explore the benefits of using TMS, including its potential to improve customer service.

PNC Bank Manufacturing

The Value of Transportation Management Systems

Senors. Data. Information. It's all coming together in a ton of logistics and supply chain use cases. Self-driving cars are being road tested. Drones are delivering packages to consumers' doorsteps. "Smart glasses" could soon replace your tablet. It doesn't take much imagination to visualize wearable technology reshaping every link in the supply chain as advancements plug us all into the internet of things. This podcast highlights four areas of your business where wearables could have an impact.

The Promise of Wearable Tech in the Supply Chain

The use of sensors in manufacturing, wholesale and supply chain processes is not a new phenomenon. Radio frequency and machine to machine communications has been around awhile. Making these sensors internet-enabled and a little more data centric, however, is an emerging and heavily-invested area. Research backs it up. In 2016, there was over $102 billion being spent. This podcast gives guidance on where and how the internet of things will impact profitability through improved demand planning, better workflows and more accurate asset tracking.

The Supply Chain and the Internet of Things

It may be time to take a fresh look at the metrics that matter. We’re in an age of data-driven business decisions, but the manufacturing sector could be lagging. A recent survey found that a large majority (86 percent) of industrial companies do not have an analytics program that includes manufacturing data. Developing sustainable metrics can be daunting, so guidance can help—as can including employees in the process. One expert believes using the wrong metrics can do more harm than good. This podcast gives guidance on where and how to target your metrics, how to develop milestones to track progress and how to improve along the way.

Make Metrics Count

When customers decide to pare down their supply base, you don’t want your company to be on the chopping block. What does a manufacturing customer want in a supplier? This podcast outlines key areas where suppliers can shine, from green practices to meeting international standards for quality and environmental management.

How to Become a Preferred Supplier

Leading companies are realizing it’s not enough to assess and improve their own habits. They’re looking to the practices of their supply chain, too. Companies who become stronger links in a sustainable supply chain appear more attractive to leading companies. They strengthen relationships with their best customers, attract new customers and increase their competitive advantage. This podcast describes how sustainable practices can help companies do good for the world, reduce costs and increase profits.

The Sustainable Supply Chain

The rise of third-party logistics companies, known as 3PLs, provides new options to reduce costs in supply chain operations. They can help you handle the physical and IT aspects of logistics and save you time and money. This podcast explores specific ways they can achieve these goals and gives insights about how to find and partner with quality 3PLs.

When is a Third-Party Logistics Provider the Right Choice?

Four manufacturing experts share their experiences developing good communications skills over a lifetime. From listening intentionally to working hard to establish face-to-face meetings, ideas for honing communication skills can lead to greater success.

How to Improve Your Communication Skills

Logistics doesn’t end when products ship to customers. Companies are beginning to pay more attention to why, when, and how products get back to the plant. Here’s how to take a more strategic approach to efficient and cost-effective returns.

Keep Up with Reverse Logistics

As 3-D printing has matured into a more versatile and capable technology since its beginnings in the 1980s, it is transforming relationships between customers and suppliers. To keep up with such dramatic changes, suppliers need to use 3-D printing to their own advantage.

How 3-D Printing Is Disrupting Supply Chains

When it comes to team selling, some companies take “the more the merrier” approach. But given how many ways any meeting can go wrong, it’s key to find the right mix of people before you head to the customer’s office. This podcast explores best practices for team selling.

Team Selling Tips

The 2015 State of Logistics Report from the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals forecasts the factors that will impact inbound and outbound shipping in the coming year. Here are a few things to learn from the report.

In Transit: Logistics in the Coming Year

Software solutions advancing in integration, centralized data and control, mobile computing and the cloud are giving supply chain management a much broader meaning. This podcast explores four trends you should be aware of when evaluating your current I-T capabilities.

4 Trends in Supply Chain Software and Systems

By the end of this year, ISO 9001 for 2015 will be released. ISO 9001 is the most-used quality standard in manufacturing. More and more of your customers are looking for suppliers compliant with this standard, so it’s important that you make the transition. This podcast explores what you need to know about the changes.

ISO 9001 for 2015 — What Does It Mean for You?

Companies that relocate operations to lower-wage countries often fail to achieve the savings they seek. The total cost of manufacturing in any location depends on a number of factors, not labor costs alone. Besides wages and inventory, the sourcing decision should be based on many other factors. This podcast explores the many reasons to invest in production in the United States.

Bringing Manufacturing Back Home

PNC Bank is a highly diversified and growing financial services organization spanning the retail, business and corporate markets. PNC Bank's manufacturing podcasts help keep you current on industry developments, and provide informative banking commentary for manufacturing businesses.

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PNC Bank Manufacturing

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