Logistics Plus has a new introductory video focusing on its Logistics Plus International Division (LPI) global logistics solutions. The 3:30-minute video, shown below, can also be viewed on the Logistics Plus YouTube Channel or on the Videos menu of the Logistics Plus website.
Ready for an international quote? If you have any questions, feel free to contact us with any global supply chain challenge!
Logistics Plus Earns Another Top Supply Chain Projects Award
It’s the third straight year and the fifth time that Logistics Plus has been recognized by
Supply & Demand Chain Executive for a top supply chain project.
ERIE, PA (June 16, 2021) – Logistics Plus Inc. (LP), a leading worldwide provider of transportation, logistics, and supply chain solutions, is proud to announce it has been selected by Supply & Demand Chain Executive, an industry-leading publication covering the entire global supply chain, as a recipient of the Top Supply Chain Projects Award for 2021. This is the third consecutive year and the fifth time in the past six years that Logistics Plus has been honored for managing a top global supply chain project.
The Top Supply Chain Projects Award (formerly known as the SDCE 100) spotlights successful and innovative transformation projects that deliver bottom-line value to small, medium, and large enterprises across various supply chain functions. These projects show how supply chain solution and service providers help their customers and clients achieve supply chain excellence and prepare their supply chains for success.
The supply chain project submitted by Logistics Plus that earned this year’s recognition was an optimized load planning solution for a client in the industrial glove industry. The client received a large purchase order for 27 containers of product from a major big-box retailer via an Excel file that consisted of hundreds of lines and dozens of columns. Due to the complexity of the file, the client needed assistance building a load plan that would optimize container space for shipping. The Logistics Plus team used 3-D modeling software to build visual load plans and then filled the empty spaces with additional products to fully optimize the containers. As a result, Logistics Plus was able to identify 25 open pallet positions, which increased the client’s purchase order by $250,000. Logistics Plus also handled the FOB transportation of the goods.
“The supply chain industry has been challenged with a host of supply chain disruptions over the last year. Yet, the winners on this list continued to re-tool and innovate,” says Marina Mayer, editor for Supply & Demand Chain Executive and Food Logistics. “Whether it be moving a customer to a cloud-based solution or implementing a more sustainable shipping option, these top supply chain projects reflect the supply chain industry’s strength and resilience to overcome disruptions and work better, smarter, and more efficiently in the years ahead.”
“This project was spearheaded by our in-house Delta Team, a group of bright people who specialize in creating unique, out-of-the-box solutions to many of the supply chain challenges that companies bring to us,” said Jim Berlin, Founder and CEO of Logistics Plus. “I am very proud of our award-winning project teams. Thank you to Supply & Demand Chain Executive for recognizing us, once again, with one of their top supply chain awards.”
About Supply & Demand Chain Executive
Supply & Demand Chain Executive is the only supply chain publication covering the entire global supply chain, focusing on trucking, warehousing, packaging, procurement, risk management, professional development, and more. Learn more at www.SDCExec.com.
About Logistics Plus Inc.
Logistics Plus Inc. is a 21st-century logistics company that provides freight transportation, Warehousing, fulfillment, global logistics, business intelligence, and supply chain management solutions through a worldwide network of talented and caring professionals. The company was founded 25 years ago in Erie, PA, by local entrepreneur Jim Berlin. Today, Logistics Plus is a highly regarded, fast-growing, and award-winning transportation and logistics company. With a Passion For Excellence™, its employees put the “plus” in logistics by doing the big things properly, plus the countless little things, that together ensure complete customer satisfaction and success.
The Logistics Plus® network includes offices, warehouses, and agents located in Erie, PA; Akron, OH; Buffalo, NY; Chicago, IL; Chino, CA; Cleveland, OH; Dallas, TX; Des Moines, IA; Detroit, MI; Fort Worth, TX; Haslet TX; Houston, TX; Laredo, TX; Lexington, NC; Los Angeles, CA; Melbourne, FL; Nashville, TN; New York, NY; Olean, NY; San Francisco, CA; Australia; Bahrain; Belgium; Canada; China; Colombia; Czech Republic; Egypt; France; Germany; India; Indonesia; Japan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Libya; Mexico; Netherlands; Poland; Saudi Arabia; Taiwan; Turkey; UAE; Ukraine; Uganda; and United Kingdom; with additional agents around the world. For more information, visit www.logisticsplus.com or follow @LogisticsPlus on Twitter.
Most people show up to an office, restaurant, resort, hospital, retail store, hotel, or even a casino with little understanding of how the space was planned, organized, and created. The reality is that many hours went into the design, procurement, purchasing, transportation, storage, and installation of all the products and items contained in each of these spaces. For those responsible for outfitting these spaces, the tasks involved can be overwhelming and expensive if they aren’t handled correctly. That’s where an experienced FF&E logistics and supply chain partner can help.
FF&E stands for Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment, and it comprises everything that is not connected structurally to a building. FF&E refers to items such as chairs, tables, desks, cabinets, beds, decorative lighting, artwork, shelving, technology equipment, data servers, and more that designers choose to place throughout a building to achieve various purposes such as design or functionality.
The Difference Between FF&E and OS&E
(Download our FF&E Flyer)
Another phrase synonymously used when discussing FF&E logistics is OS&E. Operating Supplies and Equipment is primarily used within the hospitality industry. FF&E usually refers to items that must be unpacked, assembled, and placed, such as technology or lab equipment, stools, couches, conference tables, beds, dressers, and lamps. In contrast, OS&E are those items that are essential to make the space functional such as towels, glassware, linens, trash bins and liners, coffee makers, and pillows.
There’s a common vision that’s often used to describe FF&E and OS&E. Imagine that you were able to pick a building up, flip it upside down, and shake it. Everything falling out would be identified as FF&E or OS&E.
Why Choose Logistics Plus for FF&E Logistics?
The Logistics Plus FF&E and Project Installations teams have years of experience minimizing customer complexities and creating successful projects. Logistics Plus not only understands FF&E and OS&E, but we have also perfected the process. From purchase order (PO) to install, we do it all! Our teams listen, then design customizable and comprehensive supply chain solutions for our clients. With over 25 years of growth and experience, we have proven that we are dedicated to our customers and know how to get things done right. We have processed, transported, stored, and installed millions of pieces of furniture, fixtures, technology equipment, accessories, and operating supplies globally. Additionally, our FF&Eplus™ management system makes it easy for logistics and supply chain managers to gain control over their projects.
The entire process of managing FF&E projects can be a daunting task, but that is where the Logistics Plus FF&E experts shine. Regardless of what stage our clients are in with their projects, we have fine-tuned the how, when, what, and where to accomplish every step necessary to deliver results.
If you are curious about FF&E and OS&E or would like to learn more about how we can help with a current or upcoming project, click the button below. We have key services to help every business streamline and scale in nearly every country around the world.
A supply chain control tower is a central hub with the required technology, organization, and processes to efficiently capture and use transportation data. Control towers use real-time data that provides supply chain managers with enhanced visibility for short- and long-term decision-making. Although each supply chain may be unique, a supply chain control tower can offer common goals to all.
What a Control Tower Is Not
There are a few common misconceptions about control towers. To understand what a control tower is, here are a few things that it is not:
It does not directly communicate with drivers, pilots, or captains
It does not control production, storage, or procurement/sourcing
What a Control Tower Is
It is a centrally coordinated framework for logistics activities
It is managed by qualified personnel
It is powered by specialized technology
It is intended to support the efficiency goals of the broader organization
Supply Chain Control Tower Benefits
Control towers add value to supply chain management through easy access to big data and real-time analytics. Leveraging the power of supply chain data, a company can do the following:
Respond to and resolve supply chain disruptions in real-time
Use predictive data for more accurate forecasting and decision-making
Track fuel consumption, vehicle speed, location, and delivery time estimates
Why Implement a Control Tower?
Companies that have complex global supply chains are especially well suited for control towers. Real-time networks eliminate information delays while increasing optimization thanks to fresh data that reflects the reality of the current supply chain. Implementing a supply chain control tower can help you increase your inventory turns, reduce expedite costs, and reduce material shortages.
A control tower can push your business to the next level with autonomous decision-making and end-to-end visibility. Implementing a control tower is no easy task, but the benefits far outweigh the costs. Control towers are proof that automation and real-time data are the future of the global supply chain industry.
There’s an article we saw posted last week on the Global Trade magazine website entitled “What Makes a Good Logistics Provider?” written by Chris Hale, the Founder & CEO of Kountable, Inc. Mr. Hale’s company operates a platform that vets trade service providers, constructs deals and manages trade execution for a large volume of trades into challenging markets. As result, his firm has learned by necessity to identify the hallmarks of high-quality logistics providers and to note the red flags that signal ineffective ones. These are the qualities they look for in logistics partners they recommend to their clients, along with some comments about how Logistics Plus is an example of a logistics partner who has those same traits.
Experienced – A wave of brand-new companies have sprung up looking to fill the demand created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Always work with logistics companies that have been in operation for a number of years. Not only does this show that the company has a history of success, but experienced logistics providers will have a better understanding of local regulations and possible sticking points.
Logistics Plus will be celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. We were “born from the ribs” of GE Transportation as a lead logistics company. We have enjoyed growth every year, and today we have over 500 employees and over $300 million in global sales.
Good Customer Service Team – A professional, knowledgeable and robust customer service team will not only facilitate clear communication but is a sign of a quality company. Clear and effective communication from logistics providers also saves traders time and energy building and executing trades.
Logistics Plus humbly prides itself on providing award-winning customer service. In recent years, our services have been recognized as best-in-class by distinguished industry resources, such as Global Trade, SupplyChainBrain, Multichannel Merchant, Transport Topics, and others. Although we have transformed into a technology company as much as we are a logistics provider, it is still the quality of our people and the support they provide that sets us apart.
Responsive – It is important that logistics providers respond to messages quickly and are proactive in providing updates. When goods arrive at the right place on time, this should be communicated quickly. When communication is slow and sporadic, it is often the case that the company is unorganized, or goods are not where they are supposed to be.
Logistics Plus maintains a very flat, nimble, and responsive organizational structure. This allows us to be very responsive to our customers’ needs. Every employee is provided a company-issued mobile phone and we make it known that our customers expect 24/7/365 service to ensure their goods are delivered on-time. Our technology supports responsive communications by providing proactive tracking reports, weather impact dashboards, and other business intelligence that allow our employees and customers to more effectively manage their supply chains.
Diligent – The logistics of international trade are complicated. Attention to detail is necessary as goods change hands and pass-through ports. A diligent company will have the correct documentation for the goods and communicate effectively with the necessary parties, avoiding tax penalties, delays, and confusion that cut into revenue.
Logistics Plus is a global company with employees and offices in over 30 countries around the world. As a prominent international freight forwarder, we manage hundreds of thousands of import and export shipments around the world. We know diligence is important, which is why we also have a full-service customs brokerage and global trade compliance team to help keep us and our customers on pace with the changing rules of global trade.
Registered with Appropriate Government Agencies – Logistics providers must be registered with the necessary agencies to do business in the jurisdictions in which they operate, such as the local revenue authorities. It is important to confirm that the company is registered to conduct business in the countries where the goods are to be picked up and delivered, and anywhere they may land in between.
Logistics Plus maintains transparent certifications and compliance with all domestic and international agencies. Additionally, we are participating in many governmental programs focused on security and sustainability, such as CTPAT and SmartWay.
Global Presence – A global presence is both useful and a sign of a reputable logistics provider. However, many logistics providers do not operate globally. Minimally, the company you choose should operate in the countries relevant to the transaction. Established companies with a large presence are often more experienced, and may be able to offer additional services, or deal with complications more quickly and easily than smaller operations.
Logistics Plus has a network of people and resources that touch over 30 countries worldwide, and we have additional contacts and connections in many other countries. Whether it is standard freight forwarding cargo or big heavy-lift project cargo, we have engineers and logicians around the world making it happen.
In addition to the comments noted above, check out the “What it means to be A 21st Century Logistics Company” article we posted last week which includes additional traits shippers should expect from contemporary logistics providers.
Check out the Global Trade magazine website at www.globaltrademag.com for other good articles on global trade and logistics. Global Trade has named Logistics Plus a Top 50 3PL the past two years and there is an active Logistics Plus Profile in the Global Trade “Find a Partner” online directory.