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90, then 80, followed by 76. The highway rolls ahead of me. There are endless mile markers. It is a long day. Today, I am cruising major freeways traveling from Chicago to my new home in Pennsylvania. Against my friends’ advice, I decided to drive to speak to 120 business leaders at the Gains Systems event. The rain delays through the summer soured me on air travel. The sun is shining. The fall harvest—on either side of the road—bountiful. MORE
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. I lived in Cincinnati and worked in R&D for P&G. My ex-husband decided that we were going to move to Delaware. As he spoke, I groaned. The problem? 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?” I replied, “Isn’t it all the same?” However, two hours after getting the shot, my arm throbbed and turned red. I now understood. Shingrex has side effects. MORE
Personalization. Market microsegmentation. New product launch. There are many good reasons to add items to product portfolios, but companies are better at adding than eliminating items. Discontinuing products is a struggle with tension between supply chain and marketing functions. Why is this an important topic? The lack of product rationalization results in the long tail of the supply chain with increasing complexity. Lumpy demand for product with low volume requires a supply chain redesign. 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. I write for this blog, craft reports from research for our newsletters, create blogs for Linkedin, and build articles for Forbes. I am also developing a framework for my new book. Stay tuned. MORE
François-Régis Le Tourneau leads the efforts at L’Oreal for Standards & Prospective Process Improvement. At the Supply Chain Global Summit 2018 , Francois discussed the impact of digitalization, Industry 4.0, and L’Oréal’s approach to business that has allowed the company to continuously rank as a Supply Chains to Admire winner for four consecutive years. 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. While we all have opinions, let’s start by reviewing the facts.” ” When he says this, I smile and row harder. I wish that all discussions could start with the facts. Reflection. 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
Nick Lynch is the Global Excellence Manager at Shell Lubricants, a division of Shell Global. Located in the United Kingdom (UK), he has more than twelve years of experience in progressive roles driving demand-drive projects for their global supply chain. Nick is a master of influence skills and building cross-functional, horizontal processes. At the Supply Chain insights Global Summit , Nick shared his story on driving demand-based improvements. In this post we share our take on his journey. 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. Then it was the redefinition of the supply chain for the global shutdowns Sick with the virus; I spent my energies writing and moderating podcasts. My goal was to drive insights for business leaders on Forbes and LinkedIn. 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
Inquiry is increasing. Company dissatisfaction with supply chain planning is growing. The goal is to improve insights while decreasing the number of planners. The growing dissatisfaction is on the inadequacies of today’s technologies. Yesterday, I facilitated a group of business leaders attempting to drive innovation in supply chain practices. The last five years were tough for the group. 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
…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. My friends would tell me to relax and get my Groove on b ut, I find myself deep into a presentation for a client’s design thinking session next week. MORE
We finished dinner. I pressed my neatly folded napkin to my lips. As we waited for coffee, silence hung heavy in the air. My client writhed in her seat and hung her head as she asked, “I read your article on control towers, but I am confused. What is an easy definition? I am embarrassed to ask, but we were discussing the topic at our board meeting yesterday, and I must admit that we have more confusion than clarity.”. I smiled. For me, this type discussion is the norm. 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. As I poured the dog food into the bowl for my pups, I wondered if I was going to have to switch kibble due to the looming issues of sourcing taurine—a health additive in many pet foods. 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. Mothers, anxious that children would catch the disease swimming, kept families secluded indoors in the sweltering heat in the days before air conditioning. 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. As an United States resident, I was blissfully unaware of this virus and worried about catching my flight to Singapore. My ignorance of a potential pandemic was low. Changing My Mental Model. MORE
I watch the news channels on mute. The reason? I hate political pundit debates. When the nonsensical banter reaches a crescendo, I shake my head and ask myself the question of “Why?” I wonder why people are listening. Fondly I remember the days of Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather with eye-witness accounts and on-the-ground reporting. Phenomenal photography brought the stories to life. In my lifetime, the 24-hour news cycle eroded the essence of TV news. News is the first write of history. 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
For the past six years, I have spent my labor day weekend preparing for the Supply Chain Insights Global Summit. Next week, I will welcome over 100 participants to the annual event. The event is designed to Imagine Supply Chain 2030. The format of the conference is different than most. There are no vendor booths or paid speaking engagements. I handpick each of the speakers and work with industry leaders to develop content. 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. …the same is happening in supply chain processes. MORE
July is my birthday month. In the middle of busy travel, I made time for the annual physical. The reason? I know that early detection is the key to wellness. It is a familiar ritual. The nurse quickly assesses blood pressure, pulse, blood oxygen, height and weight. Lab work testing follows vital sign analysis. Only when the tests are complete, can I have a meaningful conversation with the physician about my health. 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
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
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.
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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
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.
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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.
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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.
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. Then it was the redefinition of the supply chain for the global shutdowns Sick with the virus; I spent my energies writing and moderating podcasts. My goal was to drive insights for business leaders on Forbes and LinkedIn.
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
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. As an United States resident, I was blissfully unaware of this virus and worried about catching my flight to Singapore. My ignorance of a potential pandemic was low. Changing My Mental Model.
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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?” I replied, “Isn’t it all the same?” However, two hours after getting the shot, my arm throbbed and turned red. I now understood. Shingrex has side effects.
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.
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. As I poured the dog food into the bowl for my pups, I wondered if I was going to have to switch kibble due to the looming issues of sourcing taurine—a health additive in many pet foods.
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. I write for this blog, craft reports from research for our newsletters, create blogs for Linkedin, and build articles for Forbes. I am also developing a framework for my new book. Stay tuned.
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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. I lived in Cincinnati and worked in R&D for P&G. My ex-husband decided that we were going to move to Delaware. As he spoke, I groaned. The problem?
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 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. …the same is happening in supply chain processes.
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.
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Supply Chain Shaman
NOVEMBER 7, 2017
Inquiry is increasing. Company dissatisfaction with supply chain planning is growing. The goal is to improve insights while decreasing the number of planners. The growing dissatisfaction is on the inadequacies of today’s technologies. Yesterday, I facilitated a group of business leaders attempting to drive innovation in supply chain practices. The last five years were tough for the group.
Supply Chain Shaman
JULY 22, 2019
I watch the news channels on mute. The reason? I hate political pundit debates. When the nonsensical banter reaches a crescendo, I shake my head and ask myself the question of “Why?” I wonder why people are listening. Fondly I remember the days of Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather with eye-witness accounts and on-the-ground reporting. Phenomenal photography brought the stories to life. In my lifetime, the 24-hour news cycle eroded the essence of TV news. News is the first write of history.
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. Mothers, anxious that children would catch the disease swimming, kept families secluded indoors in the sweltering heat in the days before air conditioning.
Supply Chain Shaman
MARCH 5, 2019
We finished dinner. I pressed my neatly folded napkin to my lips. As we waited for coffee, silence hung heavy in the air. My client writhed in her seat and hung her head as she asked, “I read your article on control towers, but I am confused. What is an easy definition? I am embarrassed to ask, but we were discussing the topic at our board meeting yesterday, and I must admit that we have more confusion than clarity.”. I smiled. For me, this type discussion is the norm.
Speaker: Trish Uhl, Founder of Owl's Ledge LLC and the Talent & Learning Analytics Leadership Forum
Digital is disrupting every part of an organization's value chain at a record pace, creating a critical need to transform operations and employees' ways of working. Formal training alone can't keep up; it's often too slow, too generic, inconvenient, inefficient, unduly expensive and lacks or lags methods for measuring business-related effectiveness. Trish Uhl show you how to start leveraging Learning Engineering, a multidisciplinary approach that combines modern technology, data analytics, decision science, learning sciences and change management with human-centered engineering design methodologies to ultimately deliver targeted learning outcomes and business results that keep pace with the business and merge learning into the flow of work and lead Digital Adoption.
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. While we all have opinions, let’s start by reviewing the facts.” ” When he says this, I smile and row harder. I wish that all discussions could start with the facts. Reflection.
Supply Chain Shaman
AUGUST 7, 2019
July is my birthday month. In the middle of busy travel, I made time for the annual physical. The reason? I know that early detection is the key to wellness. It is a familiar ritual. The nurse quickly assesses blood pressure, pulse, blood oxygen, height and weight. Lab work testing follows vital sign analysis. Only when the tests are complete, can I have a meaningful conversation with the physician about my health.
Supply Chain Shaman
JANUARY 9, 2019
Personalization. Market microsegmentation. New product launch. There are many good reasons to add items to product portfolios, but companies are better at adding than eliminating items. Discontinuing products is a struggle with tension between supply chain and marketing functions. Why is this an important topic? The lack of product rationalization results in the long tail of the supply chain with increasing complexity. Lumpy demand for product with low volume requires a supply chain redesign.
Supply Chain Shaman
OCTOBER 5, 2018
François-Régis Le Tourneau leads the efforts at L’Oreal for Standards & Prospective Process Improvement. At the Supply Chain Global Summit 2018 , Francois discussed the impact of digitalization, Industry 4.0, and L’Oréal’s approach to business that has allowed the company to continuously rank as a Supply Chains to Admire winner for four consecutive years.
Speaker: Bhomik Jain, Paul van Nierop & Aanand Pandey
Companies around the world are struggling to cope with COVID-19 disruption. Are supply chain networks resilient enough to weather the storm? Watch this webinar to learn about our research findings in the realm of network design and optimization, and uncover the capabilities you need to build resilience and agility.
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. My friends would tell me to relax and get my Groove on b ut, I find myself deep into a presentation for a client’s design thinking session next week.
Supply Chain Shaman
OCTOBER 4, 2018
90, then 80, followed by 76. The highway rolls ahead of me. There are endless mile markers. It is a long day. Today, I am cruising major freeways traveling from Chicago to my new home in Pennsylvania. Against my friends’ advice, I decided to drive to speak to 120 business leaders at the Gains Systems event. The rain delays through the summer soured me on air travel. The sun is shining. The fall harvest—on either side of the road—bountiful.
Supply Chain Shaman
DECEMBER 17, 2018
Nick Lynch is the Global Excellence Manager at Shell Lubricants, a division of Shell Global. Located in the United Kingdom (UK), he has more than twelve years of experience in progressive roles driving demand-drive projects for their global supply chain. Nick is a master of influence skills and building cross-functional, horizontal processes. At the Supply Chain insights Global Summit , Nick shared his story on driving demand-based improvements. In this post we share our take on his journey.
Supply Chain Shaman
SEPTEMBER 1, 2019
For the past six years, I have spent my labor day weekend preparing for the Supply Chain Insights Global Summit. Next week, I will welcome over 100 participants to the annual event. The event is designed to Imagine Supply Chain 2030. The format of the conference is different than most. There are no vendor booths or paid speaking engagements. I handpick each of the speakers and work with industry leaders to develop content.
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