INDUSTRY INSIGHTS YOUR PEERS ARE READING
Editor's Note: There will be no blog next week due to the US Thanksgiving holiday. Last month we published a primer on probabilistic forecasting , an alternative to deterministic or ‘single number’ forecasting. MORE
Editor’s Note: Two years ago we posted a blog about how to set an annual forecast accuracy target and it was one of our most popular topics. As we approach that time of year again, we decided to run an updated version. Many companies have already started their 2019 planning and budgeting cycles, so if you are in charge of demand forecasting for your company, it’s about time to thinking about your organization's 2019 goals. MORE
Gartner says that future supply chain planning will look less like a "control tower" and more like a refinery "control room'" with many value-added analytics that automate, guide and control the supply chain. MORE
Eight years ago ToolsGroup was one of the first supply chain planning software vendors to employ machine learning to improve demand forecasting. As the tag line to a popular commercial goes, by now “we know a thing or two because we've seen a thing or two.”. MORE
Editor's Note: Starting today we will begin publishing this blog once every two weeks. MORE
Here is the scenario. The C Suite says it wants “digital transformation". Your company has an older supply chain planning (SCP) system of record (SOR) like SAP APO that was developed in the 1990s. MORE
Cloud-based supply chain planning is gaining traction. Each year more users opt for cloud-based systems and there is a lot of support in the analyst community. MORE
Precisely balancing the tradeoff for each inventory item is a hallmark of inventory optimization. Editor’s Note: Last year ToolsGroup became Microsoft’s partner for Multi-echelon Inventory Optimization (MEIO) in Industrial accounts. MORE
“78% of respondents to Gartner’s most recent Chief Supply Chain Officer Survey identify talent as the No. 1 long-term supply chain risk”. There is a lot of documented evidence of a shortage in supply chain talent. Why is it happening? MORE
Brad Householder, Founder and CEO of b2i, spoke at the ToolsGroup TG18 user conference recently and presented an innovative approach to strategically analyze your value chain to focus digital investments. Brad, by the way, comes from a great pedigree. MORE
Source: Gartner Supply Chain Executive Conference. Procter & Gamble (P&G) is known for best-in-class supply chain planning. MORE
Source: Gartner 2018. Gartner recently polled both users and vendors on which supply chain planning (SCP) applications are employing machine learning and in three different analysis, demand planning and demand forecasting came out top of the list. MORE
Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP), a process often focused around a monthly meeting, is evolving into a more continuous process. A recent whitepaper by supply chain planning and optimization firm Optilon explains why and how. MORE
Most companies are still trying to use Excel to optimize their inventories. Supply Chain Insights’ 2018 Inventory Optimization Technologies Study suggests the number may be as high as 75%. MORE
Source: Gartner Research. Gartner Research analyst Paul Lord has developed a thought-provoking approach (shown in the above diagram) for tailoring supply and inventory tactics to different inventory segments. MORE
In a previous blog we described a new concept introduced by Gartner Research about the need for both macro-agility and micro-agility. Now we apply this same macro-agility and micro-agility concept to risk management. MORE
Gartner analyst Paul Lord has developed a framework to better understand inventory trade-offs by categorizing those decisions according to the objectives they are meant to achieve: structural, operational and situational. MORE
If you’ve been in supply chain for any length time, you might be wondering what caused demand forecasting to develop so many different ‘personalities’ over the years. Demand forecasting, planning, sensing, shaping…what’s going on? MORE
Editor's Note: Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, there will be no blog post next week. In 2016, it seemed as if everyone in supply chain was looking to improve their forecasting performance. MORE
Gartner’s most recent Magic Quadrant for Supply Chain Planning System of Record (21 August 2018, Amber Salley, Tim Payne, and Alex Pradha) calls out the concerns most often cited by users. MORE
Gartner Research recently released its new Magic Quadrant for Supply Chain Planning System of Record (SCP SOR) in which 485 user companies identified their top ten rated planning capabilities for delivering SCP goals. MORE
Since demand forecasting has developed many “personalities” over the decades, I recently wrote a blog that “decoded” the language of demand. MORE
Now that more companies are embracing supply chain planning productivity and automation, many firms are asking which processes they should automate. Let's first address that question and then look at where this trend is heading in the future. MORE
Editor’s note: Due to the upcoming holidays, this will be our last blog for 2018. The next posting will be on January 8 th , 2019. MORE
Is the latest technology enabling some mid-market companies to leapfrog supply chain planning (SCP) stages of maturity? The evidence suggests that it is. Publicly, analysts are still cautioning mid-market companies not to aim too high. MORE
Editor’s note: There will be no blog post next week due to summer holidays. There is a shortage of supply chain talent. Supply Chain Insights reports that more than half of all companies are seeing an increase in employee turnover and experiencing unfilled job openings. MORE
Gartner says that clients are increasingly asking, “What will the future of supply chain planning look like?” and in a recent report ( Technology Reference Model for Stage 5 Maturity Supply Chain Planning, June 2018 ) they see three “mega trends” driving that vision. MORE
As the (U.S.) economic expansion enters its ninth year, supply constraints are showing up in supply chains. MORE
Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) presents special supply chain planning challenges for both smaller microbrands (e.g., eyeglass brand Warby Parker or mattress seller Casper) and much larger consumer goods incumbents, but the planning challenges are different depending on which type of company you are. MORE
An experienced gambler might hedge their bet on multiple outcomes, rather than just the most likely "single number forecast". At ToolsGroup we have been big advocates of probabilistic forecasting (sometimes also known as stochastic forecasting). MORE
ToolsGroup
JANUARY 22, 2019
Now that more companies are embracing supply chain planning productivity and automation, many firms are asking which processes they should automate. Let's first address that question and then look at where this trend is heading in the future.
ToolsGroup
DECEMBER 11, 2018
Source: Gartner 2018. Gartner recently polled both users and vendors on which supply chain planning (SCP) applications are employing machine learning and in three different analysis, demand planning and demand forecasting came out top of the list.
ToolsGroup
NOVEMBER 6, 2018
Source: Gartner Supply Chain Executive Conference. Procter & Gamble (P&G) is known for best-in-class supply chain planning.
ToolsGroup
OCTOBER 11, 2016
In a previous blog we described a new concept introduced by Gartner Research about the need for both macro-agility and micro-agility. Now we apply this same macro-agility and micro-agility concept to risk management.
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Every shipper in the world receives alerts that their shipment arrived at port 1.5 days after it actually happened. ClearMetal customers get alerted 31 hours earlier. Learn how ClearMetal is giving their customers a competitive advantage nobody else can.
ToolsGroup
DECEMBER 18, 2018
Editor’s note: Due to the upcoming holidays, this will be our last blog for 2018. The next posting will be on January 8 th , 2019.
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ToolsGroup
FEBRUARY 19, 2019
Is the latest technology enabling some mid-market companies to leapfrog supply chain planning (SCP) stages of maturity? The evidence suggests that it is. Publicly, analysts are still cautioning mid-market companies not to aim too high.
ToolsGroup
OCTOBER 23, 2018
Gartner says that future supply chain planning will look less like a "control tower" and more like a refinery "control room'" with many value-added analytics that automate, guide and control the supply chain.
ToolsGroup
DECEMBER 4, 2018
Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) presents special supply chain planning challenges for both smaller microbrands (e.g., eyeglass brand Warby Parker or mattress seller Casper) and much larger consumer goods incumbents, but the planning challenges are different depending on which type of company you are.
ToolsGroup
JANUARY 8, 2019
Editor's Note: Starting today we will begin publishing this blog once every two weeks.
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Many supply chain leaders realize the potential of analytics but need to see concrete examples. With our 30-year heritage in advanced analytics and our experience with Fortune 500 and mid-size companies, we have plenty of those to share. Sales and operations planning (S&OP) tools are increasingly being adopted by companies and while they enable data visualization and collaboration, they often miss the intelligence to recommend actions that improve your EBITDA. Find out how our self-configurable S&OP solution can help you take S&OP to the next level. This webinar covers: How to get more insights from your S&OP using analytics. How to get more "signals" to identify opportunities and risks which weren't traditionally visible. How to spend less time on data gathering, more time on reflection and discussion. How S&OP coupled with analytics will help you make better decisions than your competition.
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ToolsGroup
OCTOBER 9, 2018
Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP), a process often focused around a monthly meeting, is evolving into a more continuous process. A recent whitepaper by supply chain planning and optimization firm Optilon explains why and how.
ToolsGroup
OCTOBER 2, 2018
Gartner’s most recent Magic Quadrant for Supply Chain Planning System of Record (21 August 2018, Amber Salley, Tim Payne, and Alex Pradha) calls out the concerns most often cited by users.
ToolsGroup
FEBRUARY 5, 2019
Gartner analyst Paul Lord has developed a framework to better understand inventory trade-offs by categorizing those decisions according to the objectives they are meant to achieve: structural, operational and situational.
ToolsGroup
OCTOBER 16, 2018
An experienced gambler might hedge their bet on multiple outcomes, rather than just the most likely "single number forecast". At ToolsGroup we have been big advocates of probabilistic forecasting (sometimes also known as stochastic forecasting).
Advertisement
Supply chain data is flawed, we all know this. Hear ClearMetal CEO, Adam Compain, talk about how the right technology and strategies will give you better visibility and create value within your supply chain. The ability to move from reactive firefighting to proactive planning is closer than you think.
ToolsGroup
SEPTEMBER 18, 2018
Gartner Research recently released its new Magic Quadrant for Supply Chain Planning System of Record (SCP SOR) in which 485 user companies identified their top ten rated planning capabilities for delivering SCP goals.
ToolsGroup
AUGUST 15, 2018
Editor’s note: There will be no blog post next week due to summer holidays. There is a shortage of supply chain talent. Supply Chain Insights reports that more than half of all companies are seeing an increase in employee turnover and experiencing unfilled job openings.
ToolsGroup
SEPTEMBER 11, 2018
Since demand forecasting has developed many “personalities” over the decades, I recently wrote a blog that “decoded” the language of demand.
ToolsGroup
NOVEMBER 27, 2018
Editor’s Note: Two years ago we posted a blog about how to set an annual forecast accuracy target and it was one of our most popular topics. As we approach that time of year again, we decided to run an updated version. Many companies have already started their 2019 planning and budgeting cycles, so if you are in charge of demand forecasting for your company, it’s about time to thinking about your organization's 2019 goals.
Advertisement
If you aren't running a well-oiled Sales & Operations Planning process with the added benefit of sophisticated supply chain analytics & optimization - you are probably leaving major revenue and margin opportunities on the table. S&OP has become a standard process to improve business performance, collaboration and predictability. Ready to take things to the next level? This Guide offers insights into where commonly used technologies fall short, and what you should look for to get more value from S&OP using analytics. Download the buyer’s guide for S&OP.
ToolsGroup
NOVEMBER 13, 2018
Editor's Note: There will be no blog next week due to the US Thanksgiving holiday. Last month we published a primer on probabilistic forecasting , an alternative to deterministic or ‘single number’ forecasting.
ToolsGroup
MAY 8, 2018
As the (U.S.) economic expansion enters its ninth year, supply constraints are showing up in supply chains.
ToolsGroup
SEPTEMBER 25, 2018
Precisely balancing the tradeoff for each inventory item is a hallmark of inventory optimization. Editor’s Note: Last year ToolsGroup became Microsoft’s partner for Multi-echelon Inventory Optimization (MEIO) in Industrial accounts.
ToolsGroup
JUNE 19, 2018
Most companies are still trying to use Excel to optimize their inventories. Supply Chain Insights’ 2018 Inventory Optimization Technologies Study suggests the number may be as high as 75%.
Advertisement
How do you move from “what happened” to “what would happen if”? Most supply chains struggle with the first, and the latter is wishful thinking. What stage are you in? Find out where your supply chain is on the maturity curve.
ToolsGroup
APRIL 17, 2018
Brad Householder, Founder and CEO of b2i, spoke at the ToolsGroup TG18 user conference recently and presented an innovative approach to strategically analyze your value chain to focus digital investments. Brad, by the way, comes from a great pedigree.
ToolsGroup
NOVEMBER 24, 2015
Cloud-based supply chain planning is gaining traction. Each year more users opt for cloud-based systems and there is a lot of support in the analyst community.
ToolsGroup
OCTOBER 30, 2018
Gartner says that clients are increasingly asking, “What will the future of supply chain planning look like?” and in a recent report ( Technology Reference Model for Stage 5 Maturity Supply Chain Planning, June 2018 ) they see three “mega trends” driving that vision.
ToolsGroup
FEBRUARY 21, 2018
Eight years ago ToolsGroup was one of the first supply chain planning software vendors to employ machine learning to improve demand forecasting. As the tag line to a popular commercial goes, by now “we know a thing or two because we've seen a thing or two.”.
Advertisement
If you aren't running a well-oiled Sales & Operations Planning process with the added benefit of sophisticated supply chain analytics & optimization - you are probably leaving major revenue and margin opportunities on the table. S&OP has become a standard process to improve business performance, collaboration and predictability. Ready to take things to the next level? This Guide offers insights into where commonly used technologies fall short, and what you should look for to get more value from S&OP using analytics.
ToolsGroup
JULY 10, 2018
If you’ve been in supply chain for any length time, you might be wondering what caused demand forecasting to develop so many different ‘personalities’ over the years. Demand forecasting, planning, sensing, shaping…what’s going on?
ToolsGroup
JUNE 8, 2018
Source: Gartner Research. Gartner Research analyst Paul Lord has developed a thought-provoking approach (shown in the above diagram) for tailoring supply and inventory tactics to different inventory segments.
ToolsGroup
MAY 15, 2018
Here is the scenario. The C Suite says it wants “digital transformation". Your company has an older supply chain planning (SCP) system of record (SOR) like SAP APO that was developed in the 1990s.
ToolsGroup
NOVEMBER 15, 2016
Editor's Note: Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, there will be no blog post next week. In 2016, it seemed as if everyone in supply chain was looking to improve their forecasting performance.
Advertisement
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