Must Follow Twitter Accounts for Logistics and Supply Chain Professionals

Here is a list of @Twitter handles with information regarding logistics:

@kennethkowal to be added to the list!

Individuals/ Information:

@3plnews

@womenintrucking

@truckerdesiree

@peterpetch

@kennethkowal

@eroutingguide

@innovativelog

@shipstarter

@logisticsmgmt

@logisticsviewpt

@logisticsmanagr

@3plnews

@logisticslist

@logisticsmatter

@scdigest

@supplychainmgt

@logitweets

@aboutlogistics

@transportopics

@ilmagazine

@supplychaind

@cscmp

@supplychainblog

@scm_enterprise2

@logisticsforums

@sclblog

@glm_group

@scmr

@logisticsonline

@knichellogistic

@smc3_inc

@transporttopics

@kinaxis

@beckyjboyd

@uship

Jobs:

@logjobs

@getlogisticjobs

@transjobsnet

@jobsdirectusa

@ryderjobs

@logisticsjobs

Want free industry advice from "experts" on shipping and fulfillment?

Two websites you may want to check out if you have questions on shipping and fulfillment are Quora and Focus. Both give you the chance to post questions and get answers from industry "experts" that will hopefully be helpful. Here is a link to an example of a question from Quora.

http://www.quora.com/Whats-the-cheapest-shipping-method-for-businesses-shipping-high-volumes-of-small-boxes-within-the-U-S-where-the-box-weighs-more-than-13-ounces?__snids__=18166978#ans388442

Or, feel free to contact me at kenneth.kowal@yahoo.com to talk about order fulfillment and logistics. Visit kennethkowal.com.

Selling online and thinking of outsourcing your shipping and order fulfillment?

If you have an online store and are finding it tough to keep up with packing and shipping your customer orders, it may be time to think about working with a 3rd party order fulfillment center. But like all the other difficult business decisions a growing company has to make, it is important to understand all the costs associated with outsourcing your shipping operation to an outside company. The following is a breakdown of the general areas of cost a typical business will face when bringing on an order fulfillment service resource. Each company's needs and situation are different, but understanding these costs is vital to making the best business decision possible to position your company for maximum future growth.




Storage Costs: Fulfillment centers will charge storage or "rent" for the space a retailer’s products take up in the warehouse. This is generally done on a per square foot basis or by the pallet.



Inventory Inspection and Receipt: Since most online retailers are having their suppliers ship the products directly to an order fulfillment warehouse, the online retailer is not able to inspect the shipments to make sure the products are the correct quantity and in good condition. A fulfillment center becomes that extra check to make sure the supplier is sending the right products and will report any discrepancies to the client.



Order Charges: Packing orders is the main part of the whole order fulfillment service, although not necessarily the largest cost. These are the labor costs for preparing and boxing up orders. The rates are generally based on a flat per order fee, plus a cost for each additional item included in the order. The more orders a retailer ships with a fulfillment company the lower the per order cost will be for the most part. The order cost is intended to cover the systems and time to receive the order, prep the pick ticket and other paperwork, as well as the time to physically build the carton, locate and pick the items on the order.



Material Costs: Simply stated, material costs include the cost of cartons and packing materials. Most fulfillment centers are buying boxes in bulk so this is one area a 3rd party fulfillment center can help reduce costs.



Shipping Costs: These costs will make up the majority of the expense of getting products to customers. Here's a link to reference useful information on calculating costs for shipping small packages. Many fulfillment operations will allow their customers to ship on their account numbers with FedEx and UPS, thus providing better shipping rates than most customers could negotiate on their own.



Returns: As some products are inevitably returned from a retailer’s customers, the fulfillment center can help inspect items and report to the retailer details on the returns.



Initial Move: There is often an initial inventory move of products from the online retailer to the fulfillment warehouse. This means there are potential costs for the shipping and receipt of the products as they are brought into the fulfillment center.







System Integration: The process for integrating an online retailer’s ecommerce shopping cart software may require some customized programming expense. How orders get communicated to the fulfillment warehouse can happen in a variety of ways (EDI, API, Email, or even fax).



Some fulfillment centers will offer bundled pricing that includes a certain amount of storage space and a certain number of orders shipped in a period of time. Or, the fulfillment charges may be calculated as a percentage of sales. There is nothing wrong with either method of pricing, just be certain the rates accurately reflect your true activity levels.



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Kenneth Kowal  ecommerce order fulfillment.

Quick Primer: What is SEO and Why It Matters to Logistics Companies

Frankly stated, SEO, or Search Engine Optimization is the process of getting your companies website found when people search for certain terms on Google (or any other search engine like Bing or Yahoo).

As an example, if you are a third party logistics company that specializes in frozen food service distribution, then you want your name to appear in Google's Search Engine Results Page (SERP) when customers are looking for the type of services your company offers. SEO is the process of creating and positioning your site to rank well on Google's search pages - organically. If someone goes to Google and searches on "frozen food logistics" you want to be the first company that potential customer sees on the page.

You will notice there are other listings at the very top and right margin of the Google results pages. Those are ads that company's pay for to be located in those areas. Each time someone clicks on one of those links it is costing the company $.50 to several dollars for the privilege of a user clicking on their link. Organic search like we are talking about here is the process of getting your site to rank high on the page without paying any of Google's pay per click fees.

So what is Google looking for to rank your company highly as a logistics software company, or as an ecommerce order fulfillment provider? There are two main things: relevant content on the site related to the search terms and site credibility, which means there are other sites with "backlinks" to your site. Backlinks are a type of "social proof" that other website are linking to your website because it is credible and worthy.

So what to do? Figure out what "keywords" your customers are typing into Google that relate to what services you are selling and add related content to your site in the form of blog posts or new pages that will show Google you have authority on those topics. Then, work to get backlinks to your website from other credible websites. This can be done by responding to blog and forum posts and getting your website address out there. Both these strategies are complimented by a well executed social media strategy.

These two ideas are just barely scratching the surface of ways to improve SEO for your site. The benefits of ranking well with Google are almost priceless, yet easy to achieve when executed properly.

New LinkedIn Group: Social Media for Logistics

We have created a new group on LinkedIn called Social Media for Logistics.

The Social Media for Logistics Group is a forum for individuals to share and discuss their experiences with Social Media as it relates to supply chain logistics.

Our goal is to build the group forum into a reference resource with examples and advice on how to use Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, blogs, and other social media platforms.

Members include thought leaders from 3rd Party Logistics Companies, Supply Chain Professionals, Carriers, Shippers, Manufacturers, Marketing, Logistics/ Transportation Management Software providers, and Order Fulfillment, as well as Supply Chain Industry Researchers and Publications.

Please visit LinkedIn and join in on the conversation.
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Social Media for Logistics Blog

Logistics and Social Media

Whether you recognize it or not, your logistics company has, and is a brand and social media is a key marketing platform for growing and protecting that identity.

So what are the various social media platforms available out there? Here is a partial list of the most popular and likely relevant that businesses need to be aware of:


•Twitter: A micro blogging site in which short notes can be broadcast to a list of "followers" in 140 character bites. Twitter is gaining popularity and has over 170 MM registered users. An under-appreciated fact is that Twitter is a great search tool and more effective than Google in a lot of ways.

•Facebook: A social networking site with over 500 MM registered users, Facebook is the largest social media platform on the internet. Facebook users are highly engaged and active so the right presence in that space is a powerful thing.It cannot be avoided anymore - it is vital for every business to understand and actively manage the tremendous upside that social media offers for companies today. As a logistics services provider social media is every bit as crucial to your company as it is for the large international consumer brands we all see in the media every day.

•Blogging: Yes, even you should have a blog... There are countless free services for hosting a blog (Tumblr, Blogger, Wordpress) and blogging gives you the chance to establish credibility in an industry, educate, and communicate with customers.

•LinkedIn: LinkedIn is a business focused social network in the way Facebook is a personal social network. LinkedIn is built to facilitate conversations and networking amongst its users.

You should be asking yourself if there really is any legitimate value to all of this to my organization. As an example, every logistics companyneeds to understand that Twitter is NOT just a way for some celebrity to tell the world what they ate for lunch today. It is a way to connect and interact with their community of fans. Think about what the person is really doing - they are actually furthering their personal brand among their core audience, and if they do it right they are attracting new followers who will get in line when their next movie comes out. These are the results any business that uses Twitter is also looking to achieve in its own way.

The opportunity and the challenge of social media for logistics services providers is to find where your core audience is online. It is certainly not worthwhile to Tweet or spend time creating a Facebook account online if there will be no one there to see it. Using social media is an investment of cost and time - the community and following does not happen quickly but the rewards can be significant if done right. Whether you are a logistics software provider or a truckload carrier, your customers are somewhere in an online community.

The key to building this following is to create interest in your presence through content or services that inspire people to engage. This can be educational content or tools that help people do their jobs better in some way, or it can just be funny or engaging activities that people develop an interest in (see Farmville on Facebook!). Marketing 101 states that engaged customers are loyal customers and getting customers to interact with you because they want to is winning the hardest part of that battle.

Social Media for Logistics Services Companies

It cannot be denied any longer - it is important for every company to understand and actively manage the role that social media plays for businesses today. As a logistics services company social media is every bit as important to you as it is for the large consumer brands we all read about every day. Recognize it or not, your company is a brand and social media is a vital tool for developing and protecting that brand.

Twitter is NOT just a way for famous people to broadcast what they had for breakfast, it is a way to listen and engage customers. The opportunities in the world of social media for logistics companies are limitless. Using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and some of the other social media services will support your efforts in the areas of sales, customer service, and marketing.

I am barely scratching the surface with this list, but here are some examples of how a logistics company can use social media:

• Read industry blogs (like EasyLogisticsManagement) and search on Twitter for what people in the Supply Chain and Logistics markets are talking about. Watch how people are being creative with their approach to using social media which will help inspire new ideas for yourself.
• Use Twitter and Facebook to engage customers and keep your name in front of them. Answer questions and make suggestions without an in your face sales pitch. Be helpful and the customers will think of you when they need you.
• People “tweet” and use social media outlets when they are not happy with service so if people are talking about your company, you want to know about it and be able to react.
• Participate in Social Networking Sites (like http://www.logipi.com/ or LinkedIn) and Supply Chain Forums to establish yourself as an expert in the space. These sites allow you to showcase yourself as a subject matter expert.