Creating a Not-for-profit pallet pool

Supply Chain industry dependence on pallets is obvious. On one way, it is needed in the movement of materials and goods. On the other hand, it is an expense that cuts deeper when pallet damage causes product damage. The National Wooden Pallet and Container Association (NWPCA) of the USA is solving this issue with the formation of an industry-wide pallet supplier management system. The program will be directed by a not-for-profit entity, giving pallet owners a cost-effective advantage at the outset.  It will be governed by a board of directors comprised of pallet purchasers and providers. Pallet quality will be guaranteed through rigorous and continuous third-party inspections by qualified inspection agencies. Pallet movement will be managed by a secure closed-loop logistic tracking system operated by NWPCA in cooperation with pallet suppliers and owners. Each pallet will be a block style and have RFID and bar code identification. This program is being modeled on Europe’s EPAL and the Canadian Pallet Pool (CPC).

DHL Express in greening move

DHL Express says it’s aiming for a 30 per cent improvement in carbon efficiency across its entire network by 2020 and will offer customers the opportunity to offset carbon emissions produced when shipping individual parcels. Its GoGreen shipping service, available in Europe since 2006, is being expanded to 17 countries in Asia-Pacific as part of a network-wide rollout.

Penang Port Set for A New Image

Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) is carrying out a rebranding exercise which will see it enhancing its facilities and services to clients while positioning its entire port operations under a new image. The changes are in order for PPSB to play a bigger role in driving the region’s logistics industry in line with the government’s aspirations to make Penang as the logistics hub for the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER). PPSB is also working to attract bigger ships from the Middle East and India to use the Penang Port as their cargo delivery and loading centre in the future.

Survey finds businesses are ignoring global supply chain risks

A new survey by UPS shows that nearly half of companies with global supply chains say they fear major disruptions in their ability to source, produce and ship goods around the world − and they are not doing much to prevent it. UPS revealed that 47% of the companies surveyed had said they needed to pay more attention to risk mitigation compared to just 16% which believed they paid an adequate amount of attention. As a result, only 38% of those surveyed rate the resilience of their supply chain above average, while a troubling 42% say the expansion of their global supply chains has outpaced their ability to manage risk. The global survey of nearly 350 senior executives, released by that company and the Economist Intelligence Unit, had been supplemented with interviews of academic experts and leading supply chain practitioners.