TMC Blog

Editor’s Note: How to deliver urgently needed supplies in the aftermath of disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes is one of the most difficult challenges facing responders. This guest post, originally written for the http://humanitarianmit.wordpress.com/*, goes behind the scenes of the Hurricane Sandy relief effort to highlight some transportation challenges that may not be obvious even to seasoned logistics professionals in the commercial sector.

A few days after Superstorm Sandy struck New York, a call came into the city’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) that a woman was on her way into the city with an 18-wheeler full of donations from her church group. She needed to know where to bring her haul. Read More...

This week, David is speaking at our annual TMC Client Forum in Chicago.  Given the relevance of this topic to many, David has provided some information from his session for this guest post contribution.

It is probably a good thing that the economic law of supply and demand is not subject to the whims of the legislative, executive or judicial branches.  At the same time, that iron-clad law does tend to limit the ability of policy-makers to provide relief to fuel consumers.

In general, the U.S. energy picture has perhaps never looked better.  Technological advances have brightened significantly the domestic supply outlook for oil, both from shale oil reserves and from deep water offshore resources. Higher oil prices and better technologies have made it economically feasible to develop the liquid hydrocarbons trapped in low-permeability/low-porosity formations.  Meanwhile, improvements in drilling technology and the opening of additional areas in the Gulf of Mexico and other areas of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) are expected to increase offshore oil production in the coming years.  Read More...

Here’s a prediction for 2013: something big will happen.

OK, I’m not exactly going out on a limb here, but bear with me.

By “big” I mean a world-scale event such as a natural disaster, a political upheaval, or a technological breakthrough. Unfortunately, the statistics favor the first possibility. Read More...

Whether it’s a burning question that needs to be answered or a gap in your knowledge that has the potential to yield some valuable insights, taking the time to do the research – assuming you have the right resources – is often a tall order. Partnering with academia is one way to get the work done. But how can you make sure that your academic partners will deliver?

There are no standard rules for such engagements, and projects vary widely in terms of their scope, subject matter, and goals. Read More...

It is difficult to keep pace with technological change, particularly where the relevance of a technology to the logistics business is not immediately obvious. To help you track developments like these we are introducing a series of posts on new technologies, starting with this piece on 3D printing by guest blogger, Ken Cottrill. 

The project team at a US-based fashion apparel company has received approval for the digital design of a new multicolored shoe for women the enterprise plans to launch. At the press of a key, the design data is fed to a 3D printer that begins to “print” a prototype shoe. Simultaneously, a supplier’s 3D printer in China starts the same process. Later that day, the team calls its Chinese supplier to discuss the finished prototype and production of the stylish new model.  Read More...