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This is a story for the Eds, Franks, and Toms working together in supply chains across the globe. It is also a story for a young supply chain manager attempting to make a difference, but feeling stymied. Sharing My Experience. The year was 1982. MORE
My left arm hurts. I have been on a waiting list to get the shot for three years. This week, I rolled up my sleeve and got the Shingrix vaccine. Glaxo SmithKline introduced Shingrix in 2017, but shortages prevailed. I paused when the pharmacist asked, “Do you mind which arm gets the shot?” MORE
After a dramatic drop at the beginning of the pandemic, Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software public valuations are near twice the ten-year average. A consolidation wave continued with 299 Mergers and Acquisitions in 2020. MORE
Grounded during this pandemic, and unable to interact with clients in person, I try to write 3,000 words a day. Morning after morning, fueled by good black coffee, I type away. I share insights, based on research, for the supply chain leader. MORE
Each day through the COVID-19 pandemic, I tune into Anthony Cuomo’s (governor of New York) daily briefings. It is my break in the day. As a multi-tasker, when Governor Cuomo broadcasts, I use the time to work out on my rowing machine. His opening line is, “Let’s start with facts. MORE
When you misappropriate something, you steal it, or otherwise use it, in a way its owner didn’t intend. Dictionary.com. Words matter. As I sat and listened to Amanda Gorman’s poetry at Joe Biden’s inauguration, I gasped. MORE
On a cold Boston winter day, I slipped into my seat on a back row in a packed conference room at AMR Research. Heavily booked and running from meeting to meeting, I was late. As I squeezed into the middle seat of a crowded conference room, I got the stare. MORE
Today, supply chain excellence matters more than ever. During the pandemic, the supply chain discussions take new importance. Sniffing opportunity, the venture capitalists are like sharks in the water. MORE
Fatigue during home video conference meeting call. In my recent work with clients, I have been thinking a lot about S&OP and how we screwed it up. Let me take you back to some research findings that I shared last year for those who might not follow my blog. MORE
Today, I am reflective. My last post on the Supply Chain Shaman blog was forty-five days ago. I spent the month of March trying to help business leaders mitigate the impact of the pandemic. My first focus was on China sourcing. MORE
Supply chains quickly move through fads and buzz words. Over and over again, organizations fall in love with shiny objects moving from concept to concept. Unfortunately, shiny object love fests abound, but they do not drive value. The goal is to transition from fads to drive true innovation. MORE
After a dramatic drop at the beginning of the pandemic, Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software public valuations are near twice the ten-year average. A consolidation wave continued with 299 Mergers and Acquisitions in 2020. MORE
If the word collaboration was listed on a card as a drinking game at supply chain conferences, we would be drunk at many. The word, while bandied about frequently in speeches, is largely meaningless due to overuse and abuse. Here I share perspective on cash-to-cash abuse. While we speak of collaboration, the focus is on driving enterprise results not value in value chains. Today, most processes are a win/lose not win/win. Let me explain. MORE
…the weekend is just around the corner. Happy Valentine’s Day to all my blog readers. This is my 440th blog post and the tenth anniversary Supply Chain Shaman. It seems hard to believe that I have been typing away over these years building an audience of over 20,000 global readers. MORE
The Supply Chain Insights Global Summit is over, but we hope the energy to define Supply Chain 2030 is just beginning. Our goal is to build a guiding coalition to think differently to improve outcomes. Today only 12% of supply chain teams are driving improvement, performing better than their competitors and driving value (as determined by Price to Tangible Book Value). As companies prepare for Supply Chain 2030, we think that it is time to rethink the basics. MORE
As I flew to Dallas, I worked on this post. Before boarding the plane, I watched a traveler pull a diet Coke from the bin and thought about the struggle to source sweetener with the rise of COV-19. MORE
When a person suddenly hits or jams their toe, it hurts. It is one of those howling, bent over, moments of pain. A stubbed toe is often accompanied by words that you hope your children don’t hear. Stubbed toes hurt a lot, even when the injury is not severe. The reason? MORE
In the 1980s, I had a flip phone. (On On the left, I share a picture for those that never experienced the evolution of the cellular phone.) The device was limited to voice/calls–no music, no text, and no apps. This device was a portable phone. MORE
When I started my business in 2012, I frequently wrote about the future using the moniker of Supply Chain 2020. We had just recovered from a recession, and my goal was to help supply chain leaders create a better supply chain by the end of the decade. MORE
In my work with clients, customers bandy about the term “customer-centric supply chain.” ” I find most of these discussions are loquacious, even bellicose, but not actionable. As a pragmatic gal, they make me itch. I have a passion for clear and direct communication. MORE
When I was six, my mother volunteered me for a new polio vaccine trial. It was risky, but my determined mother took a chance. She believed in science and patted my shoulder reassuringly as I rolled up my sleeve. During my toddler years, polio fear gripped the nation. MORE
Remember the Peter, Paul and Mary song, Puff the Magic Dragon ? It was a song from my youth. While there is a raging debate on song intent— Was the goal of the song to celebrate a children’s story from Oliver Wilde about the loss of innocence or is it a statement about the use of drugs? —in MORE
During August, I moved and I spent the weekend painting my new shed with gloppy, wet deck paint. As I methodically pivoted the roller to apply the stain, I made quite a mess. Standing in the hot sun covered in paint was a good time for reflection. MORE
I remember standing in the temperature screening queue in Doha. As the line wound around multiple stations, my backpack cut into my shoulders. I was tired and cranky as I read the overview of MERS. MORE
Joe died Wednesday. As a great supply chain leader and my client for ten years, his energetic spirit always lifted my soul. In 2018, after a severe operation for kidney cancer, Joe declared to me in a positive voice that he was going to beat his diagnosis of stage 4 liver, brain, and lung cancer. MORE
Supply chain management is a team sport. Just as there are many flavors of sports teams, there are many types of supply chains. Success depends on a team pulling together against a common goal. Team play requires clear rule-definition, timekeepers, referees, and coaches. MORE
At what point does erosion cause the side of a mountain to give way? It is usually the small shifts… over time, there is degradation. And, then suddenly, the mountain gives way collapsing to the land below. S&OP Slip Slidin’ Away. MORE
The Covid-19 pandemic tested the global supply chain. While prior risk management disruptions occurred and quickly established a new normal, in the COVID-19 pandemic, the only normal is constant change. MORE
It was not my goal; but by accident, it became my mission. At Supply Chain Insights , as we combed through over 9000 quantitative responses on supply chain management from business leaders to understand what drives supply chain excellence in preparation for the Supply Chain Insights Global Summit , in the process, we proved Hau Lee’s theorem in the Famous Harvard Business Review Article, “Triple A Supply Chains.” MORE
Excellent firms don’t believe in excellence – only in constant improvement and constant change. Tom Peters. The idiom, rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, symbolizes working on something pointless or insignificant because it will soon be overtaken by events. MORE
Supply Chain Shaman
APRIL 9, 2021
When a person suddenly hits or jams their toe, it hurts. It is one of those howling, bent over, moments of pain. A stubbed toe is often accompanied by words that you hope your children don’t hear. Stubbed toes hurt a lot, even when the injury is not severe. The reason?
Supply Chain Shaman
JANUARY 25, 2021
When you misappropriate something, you steal it, or otherwise use it, in a way its owner didn’t intend. Dictionary.com. Words matter. As I sat and listened to Amanda Gorman’s poetry at Joe Biden’s inauguration, I gasped.
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Supply Chain Shaman
JULY 19, 2020
Excellent firms don’t believe in excellence – only in constant improvement and constant change. Tom Peters. The idiom, rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, symbolizes working on something pointless or insignificant because it will soon be overtaken by events.
Supply Chain Shaman
FEBRUARY 28, 2021
After a dramatic drop at the beginning of the pandemic, Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software public valuations are near twice the ten-year average. A consolidation wave continued with 299 Mergers and Acquisitions in 2020.
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Read how Unilever developed a first-of-its-kind digital Control Tower with ClearMetal that provides extremely accurate real-time visibility across their sea freight operations.
Supply Chain Shaman
SEPTEMBER 10, 2020
During August, I moved and I spent the weekend painting my new shed with gloppy, wet deck paint. As I methodically pivoted the roller to apply the stain, I made quite a mess. Standing in the hot sun covered in paint was a good time for reflection.
Supply Chain Shaman
APRIL 15, 2020
Today, I am reflective. My last post on the Supply Chain Shaman blog was forty-five days ago. I spent the month of March trying to help business leaders mitigate the impact of the pandemic. My first focus was on China sourcing.
Supply Chain Shaman
MARCH 9, 2021
Supply chain management is a team sport. Just as there are many flavors of sports teams, there are many types of supply chains. Success depends on a team pulling together against a common goal. Team play requires clear rule-definition, timekeepers, referees, and coaches.
Supply Chain Shaman
MAY 15, 2020
I remember standing in the temperature screening queue in Doha. As the line wound around multiple stations, my backpack cut into my shoulders. I was tired and cranky as I read the overview of MERS.
Supply Chain Shaman
FEBRUARY 22, 2021
Fatigue during home video conference meeting call. In my recent work with clients, I have been thinking a lot about S&OP and how we screwed it up. Let me take you back to some research findings that I shared last year for those who might not follow my blog.
Advertiser: GEP
Supply chains have weathered a lot recently: a pandemic, natural disasters, trade wars and more. The Economist and GEP surveyed 400 senior execs to find out their real business impacts. The results? Shocking, but not surprising. Read the report now.
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Supply Chain Shaman
APRIL 30, 2020
My left arm hurts. I have been on a waiting list to get the shot for three years. This week, I rolled up my sleeve and got the Shingrix vaccine. Glaxo SmithKline introduced Shingrix in 2017, but shortages prevailed. I paused when the pharmacist asked, “Do you mind which arm gets the shot?”
Supply Chain Shaman
FEBRUARY 28, 2021
After a dramatic drop at the beginning of the pandemic, Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software public valuations are near twice the ten-year average. A consolidation wave continued with 299 Mergers and Acquisitions in 2020.
Supply Chain Shaman
FEBRUARY 18, 2021
The Covid-19 pandemic tested the global supply chain. While prior risk management disruptions occurred and quickly established a new normal, in the COVID-19 pandemic, the only normal is constant change.
Supply Chain Shaman
DECEMBER 28, 2020
When I started my business in 2012, I frequently wrote about the future using the moniker of Supply Chain 2020. We had just recovered from a recession, and my goal was to help supply chain leaders create a better supply chain by the end of the decade.
Speaker: Mauro Gonzalez, Founder and CEO of Alkimius Group & Andrew MacMillen, Principal Analyst at Nucleus Research
There are several competing definitions of supply chain control towers. Here to demystify their meaning and what it takes to have a successful implementation is Principal Nucleus Research Analyst, Andrew MacMillen in conversation with Alkimius founder & CEO, Mauro Gonzalez.
Supply Chain Shaman
MARCH 9, 2020
As I flew to Dallas, I worked on this post. Before boarding the plane, I watched a traveler pull a diet Coke from the bin and thought about the struggle to source sweetener with the rise of COV-19.
Supply Chain Shaman
JULY 6, 2020
This is a story for the Eds, Franks, and Toms working together in supply chains across the globe. It is also a story for a young supply chain manager attempting to make a difference, but feeling stymied. Sharing My Experience. The year was 1982.
Supply Chain Shaman
AUGUST 24, 2020
In the 1980s, I had a flip phone. (On On the left, I share a picture for those that never experienced the evolution of the cellular phone.) The device was limited to voice/calls–no music, no text, and no apps. This device was a portable phone.
Supply Chain Shaman
JUNE 23, 2020
Grounded during this pandemic, and unable to interact with clients in person, I try to write 3,000 words a day. Morning after morning, fueled by good black coffee, I type away. I share insights, based on research, for the supply chain leader.
Speaker: Sander van Lokven and N.S. Krishnan
S&OE provides an early warning system that helps business stakeholders sense and optimize their responses. This keeps the supply chain out of firefighting mode, smoothens relationships with customers and suppliers, and helps sustain margins by reducing the cost to serve.
Supply Chain Shaman
OCTOBER 29, 2020
If the word collaboration was listed on a card as a drinking game at supply chain conferences, we would be drunk at many. The word, while bandied about frequently in speeches, is largely meaningless due to overuse and abuse. Here I share perspective on cash-to-cash abuse. While we speak of collaboration, the focus is on driving enterprise results not value in value chains. Today, most processes are a win/lose not win/win. Let me explain.
Supply Chain Shaman
NOVEMBER 20, 2020
Joe died Wednesday. As a great supply chain leader and my client for ten years, his energetic spirit always lifted my soul. In 2018, after a severe operation for kidney cancer, Joe declared to me in a positive voice that he was going to beat his diagnosis of stage 4 liver, brain, and lung cancer.
Supply Chain Shaman
FEBRUARY 5, 2020
At what point does erosion cause the side of a mountain to give way? It is usually the small shifts… over time, there is degradation. And, then suddenly, the mountain gives way collapsing to the land below. S&OP Slip Slidin’ Away.
Supply Chain Shaman
OCTOBER 2, 2020
In my work with clients, customers bandy about the term “customer-centric supply chain.” ” I find most of these discussions are loquacious, even bellicose, but not actionable. As a pragmatic gal, they make me itch. I have a passion for clear and direct communication.
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Supply Chain Shaman
JUNE 2, 2020
When I was six, my mother volunteered me for a new polio vaccine trial. It was risky, but my determined mother took a chance. She believed in science and patted my shoulder reassuringly as I rolled up my sleeve. During my toddler years, polio fear gripped the nation.
Supply Chain Shaman
JUNE 12, 2020
Each day through the COVID-19 pandemic, I tune into Anthony Cuomo’s (governor of New York) daily briefings. It is my break in the day. As a multi-tasker, when Governor Cuomo broadcasts, I use the time to work out on my rowing machine. His opening line is, “Let’s start with facts.
Supply Chain Shaman
NOVEMBER 11, 2020
Today, supply chain excellence matters more than ever. During the pandemic, the supply chain discussions take new importance. Sniffing opportunity, the venture capitalists are like sharks in the water.
Supply Chain Shaman
AUGUST 12, 2020
On a cold Boston winter day, I slipped into my seat on a back row in a packed conference room at AMR Research. Heavily booked and running from meeting to meeting, I was late. As I squeezed into the middle seat of a crowded conference room, I got the stare.
Advertisement
As supply chain complexity increases, so do challenges to achieving the perfect order. ARC Advisory Group shares: hurdles faced in achieving the perfect order, opportunities to increase customer satisfaction and reduce costs, and how cloud SCM contributes to operational flexibility.
Supply Chain Shaman
FEBRUARY 13, 2020
…the weekend is just around the corner. Happy Valentine’s Day to all my blog readers. This is my 440th blog post and the tenth anniversary Supply Chain Shaman. It seems hard to believe that I have been typing away over these years building an audience of over 20,000 global readers.
Supply Chain Shaman
SEPTEMBER 3, 2018
It was not my goal; but by accident, it became my mission. At Supply Chain Insights , as we combed through over 9000 quantitative responses on supply chain management from business leaders to understand what drives supply chain excellence in preparation for the Supply Chain Insights Global Summit , in the process, we proved Hau Lee’s theorem in the Famous Harvard Business Review Article, “Triple A Supply Chains.”
Supply Chain Shaman
FEBRUARY 27, 2020
Remember the Peter, Paul and Mary song, Puff the Magic Dragon ? It was a song from my youth. While there is a raging debate on song intent— Was the goal of the song to celebrate a children’s story from Oliver Wilde about the loss of innocence or is it a statement about the use of drugs? —in
Supply Chain Shaman
SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
The Supply Chain Insights Global Summit is over, but we hope the energy to define Supply Chain 2030 is just beginning. Our goal is to build a guiding coalition to think differently to improve outcomes. Today only 12% of supply chain teams are driving improvement, performing better than their competitors and driving value (as determined by Price to Tangible Book Value). As companies prepare for Supply Chain 2030, we think that it is time to rethink the basics.
Advertisement
Many companies are looking to redesign their supply chain network to lower costs, improve service levels and reduce risks in the new year. Check out our updated Buyer's Guide for Supply Chain Network Design Software with research insights and learnings!
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