First

By Staff -- Modern Materials Handling, 1/1/2001

OSHA launches new partnership page

In an effort to create new and effective ways to reduce workplace injuries and illnesses, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has launched a new page on its Web site, www.osha-slc.gov/fso/vpp/partnership/index.html .

The site highlights successful safety and health partnerships between OSHA and employers, employees, and employee representatives, and encourages new voluntary partnerships.

A fulfillment bulls-eye - east central Illinois

East central Illinois is a leading U.S. location for e-commerce fulfillment and distribution. That's according to a survey sponsored by IPartner-SHIP, a private/public partnership formed by an economic development branch of the City of Effingham, the county of Coles Together (consisting of the cities Mattoon and Charleston), and Agracel, Inc., an industrial developer.

The study, conducted by Agracel and Iogistics, Inc., determined that east central Illinois offers a multi-million dollar advantage when comparing inbound, fulfillment center, and outbound costs for e-commerce fulfillment and distribution to six other sites already considered to be major distribution hubs. The six are Nashville, Memphis, Columbus, Indianapolis, Louisville, and Reno. For more information, visit www.ipartner-ship.com or call 800-500-1000.

EDI hangs on despite mid-life crisis

Born in the 1960's, electronic data interchange (EDI) is proving to be surprisingly solid despite an increasingly popular claim that it is no match for the Web, says AMR Research, Boston, Mass.

As extensive markup language (XML) moves into the mainstream for standardized business transactions over the Web, decision-makers are more likely to invest in new XML-based systems than to extend EDI-based ones. However, the XML consensus has been elusive thus far and EDI is far from being wholly replaced, according to AMR. At the same time, companies are intrigued by the possibilities offered by XML.

Buyers impatient for e-marketplaces to materialize

Buyers today expect to join industry-wide e-marketplaces, but the reality is that these vertical hubs won't materialize overnight, says Forrester Research, Inc. (Cambridge, Mass.). Because buyers already thirst for substantial benefits from their Net initiatives, they won't sit around and wait for e-marketplaces to live up to their potential. Many firms will move ahead on their own and cause surges in private and public supply chain marketplace and trading exchange efforts.

Forrester believes that firms will adopt one of four collaboration personas: isolationists; associators; cooperators; and dualists. To obtain a copy of the report, "Online Supply Chain Realities," send your request to press@forrester.com .