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Fragmented systems, rising cost pressures, and shifting risk profiles are making it harder than ever to manage procurement effectively. But what does it actually take to regain control and build a procurement strategy that’s both resilient and scalable? How do you begin developing a procurement strategy?
Fragmented systems, rising cost pressures, and shifting risk profiles are making it harder than ever to manage procurement effectively. But what does it actually take to regain control and build a procurement strategy that’s both resilient and scalable? How do you begin developing a procurement strategy?
When it comes to running a company, when things break down executives have traditionally said “we need to improve our forecasting!” Would better forecasting accuracy be a good thing? Unfortunately, most companies cannot, and will never be able to, consistently rely on highly accurate forecasts. Absolutely!
Enterprise procurement teams face growing pressure to deliver strategic value – managing supplier risk, ensuring compliance, and supporting sustainability – all without sacrificing speed or control. This blog explores the most common challenges in digital procurement and the capabilities that matter most.
In May 2025, one in seven home-purchase agreements fell through resulting in the cancellation of 56,000 purchase contracts. Each organization has multiple demand streams with different characteristics–forecastability, demand latency, and bias. Most companies forecast a single stream with a focus on error.
As supply chains become more interconnected and risks more dynamic, traditional procurement tools fall short. AI agents offer a smarter, faster way to manage sourcing, risk, and spend across the entire procurement lifecycle. What’s the technology behind autonomous procurement agents? You may also have heard of Agentic AI.
As supply chains become more interconnected and risks more dynamic, traditional procurement tools fall short. AI agents offer a smarter, faster way to manage sourcing, risk, and spend across the entire procurement lifecycle. What’s the technology behind autonomous procurement agents? You may also have heard of Agentic AI.
(NYSE: ETWO), the connected supply chain SaaS platform with the largest multi-enterprise network, announced today at its annual Connect customer conference the release of its highly anticipated 2024 Forecasting and Inventory Benchmark Study.
Machine Learning for demand forecasting has matured to a level of accuracy, transparency and replicability that translates into transformative results, including in these five areas: Accuracy, transparency, thoroughness of analytical options and results. Accuracy and transparency.
Enterprise procurement leaders are under more pressure than ever—juggling cost control, compliance, supplier risk, and internal complexity, all while trying to modernize outdated systems. AI, automation, and generative tools are redefining efficiency, allowing procurement teams to move from reactive to proactive decision-making.
Key strategies include: Electrification of Transport: The use of electric vehicles (EVs) for freight and last-mile delivery reduces emissions and operational costs. Companies like DHL and Amazon are already setting benchmarks by integrating EVs into their logistics operations.
The formula for OTIF is: Measuring a supply chain against OTIF metrics is a key strategy that helps decision makers attach a tangible value to the success of their fulfillment and allows them to determine key strategies. Establishing standard benchmarks for services and innovations in fulfillment centers is crucial in this context.
In a previous post , I made a case for how the Chief Supply Chain Officer (CSCO) and Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) are smarter together. Accordingly Supply Chain and Procurement will need continuous collaboration. By aligning supply chain and procurement, spend can be considered more holistically.
If you’re evaluating procurement technology or exploring ways to drive more value from existing systems, chances are you’re looking beyond tactical fixes – you want a smarter, scalable strategy. Misaligned priorities across finance, legal, and procurement create friction that delays decision-making and reduces impact.
This week, the organization reported that net sales decreased 2 percent to $19.5 It does not fit into traditional supply chain models. The combination of a negative Forecast Value Added (FVA) with a bullwhip in this range amplifies and distorts the signal to manufacturing, logistics and procurement increasing waste.
Introduction Gardner, (1954) and Huntzinger, (2007) define Purchase price variance (PPV) as a metric used to measure the effectiveness of cost-saving efforts by calculating the difference between the planned cost (standard pricing) allocated for purchasing activities and the actual cost incurred.
At a time that marketplace offerings were super-hyped, I forecasted the doom of ten e-marketplace providers. In the height of the e-commerce craze, the marketplace offerings started with a focus on e-procurement. The widely-held view was that the e-procurement market would fuel the next generation of marketplace applications.
Analytics and business intelligence (BI) are no longer optionaltheyre essential. They integrate, align, and activate data across the business to drive better, faster decisions unlike legacy reporting tools that can’t. Flexible Delivery Options Interactive dashboards, scheduled reports, alerts, mobile access, and more.
Digital commerce efficiently requires the digitalization of many customer-facing operations and sourcing and procurement. The First Step: Bring all the data together and ensure analytics and planning can happen on the same platform. . Accurate and timely reconciliation of purchase orders with receipts.
Definition: Financial forecasting is a projection of the company's future financial performance based on historical data, market research, and business needs. The forecasts act as a guide, which you can use to make strategic decisions on resource allocation and define clear, attainable goals.
In the realm of efficient procurement management, understanding the various types of procurementreports becomes paramount. These reports serve as navigational tools, offering insights into different facets of the procurement process.
What is procurement? In simple terms business procurement is the process of locating and acquiring goods and services from external sources for the business to use. Procurement activities include planning, sourcing, and negotiation, along with risk management, legal and value analysis. Procurement in 2021 and beyond.
What is Inventory Forecasting? Wait, what has this got to do with inventory forecasting? So, for the majority of small and medium businesses, inventory forecasting is simply an inventory reordering strategy to ensure that your stock levels are in the Goldilocks zone. And it is critical for inventory forecasting.
Our inventories were in line with benchmarks, but we knew that intensifying the pace of launches could become challenging in the long run.”. Ipsen purchased the RapidResponse supply chain planning product from Kinaxis. The company now knows, because of this system, that 55 percent of near misses are driven by forecast errors.
It is critical to monitor inventory effectiveness using five key metrics: Expedited orders, inventory turns, obsolete inventory, safety stock and stockouts. Whether you measure purchase orders or customer orders—and you should do both—high numbers indicate problems in your inventory planning and flow.
Almost two decades of reporting. The company’s focus on item proliferation resulted in 40% of items moving into a non-forecastable category. Demand latency is the time cycle to translate a channel purchase to an order.) The analysis is now in its ninetieth year. But does it help the profession?
Striking the perfect balance between available stock and cost efficiency is key. By leveraging analytics and key performance indicators (KPIs), manufacturers can optimize inventory, reduce waste, and boost profitability. Supply chain managers use ATP to trigger reorders or adjust forecasts.
Featuring Our 12 Best Procurement Articles! Purchase Price Variance, or PPV, is a common term in the realm of Purchasing/Procurement and Finance. For some, PPV is a mechanical metric only, measured and reported on but without any further attention paid to it. What is Purchase Price Variance (PPV)?
Following a forecast to suppliers, a Tier-1 supplier collaborates with its suppliers—Tier 2 for the buyer—to obtain critical components for producing products and/or services. Leveraging advanced analytics : You can use analytics to identify top-performing suppliers as well as address any issues based on supplier performance metrics.
This morning, unexpectedly, I found myself in the middle of a debate between my two panelists on the Planning Benchmarking Panel for the Summit. Recently through my analysis of the planning benchmarking work, I have become fascinated on the role of inventory in the market-driven value network. This is a series of preparation calls.
Rising costs, supply chain chaos, and economic swings put businesses under enormous pressure to protect their margins. According to McKinsey & Company, procurement accounts for 50% to 80% of a company’s cost base. That’s why organizations zero in on strategies to achieve procurementcost reduction.
Using KPIs for performance measurement ensures that you are continuously evaluating your business activity against a static benchmark. Another powerful use of KPIs is in the benchmarking of your companys performance against that of your competitors and industry peers. Why Are KPIs Important?
In the procurement phase, documentation begins with purchase orders and supplier contracts. Receiving reports, inspection logs, and storage records help verify incoming goods during warehousing and inventory management. Real-time documentation also powers data systems that forecast demand and highlight inefficiencies.
At last year’s Gartner Supply Chain Executive Conference analyst Tom Enright summarized the essence of successful demand forecasting with the following statement: “ Demand forecast accuracy depends on your ability to recreate the environment in which historical demand occurred.”. At ToolsGroup we call this “ demand modeling ”.
Invoice processing AI will integrate with procurement, logistics, and payment systems. Professionals looking to understand the core technologies behind this transformation can benefit from the AI in Procurement Basics course , which explains predictive algorithms and AI-powered workflows in procurement and billing.
Planting the Seeds of Resilience Most companies understand that accurate forecasts are critical to minimizing inventory, maximizing production efficiency, streamlining purchasing, optimizing distribution, minimizing waste, and projecting future performance confidently.
In an uncertain environment, affordability and predictability are at a premium, and a supply-chain organization can deliver these through effective management and oversight of its suppliers. This causes a misalignment of actions, such as suppliers not making the right item at the right time due to forecast inaccuracy.
As the markets plummet, it is time to remind ourselves that demand is not a forecast. Traditional forecasting approaches are not adequate in a time of market volatility. In the real world, companies operate with a Mean Absolute Forecast Error of 24-60%, and have a bias of 9-40%. Markets drive supply chains.
Procurement has never played such an important role in the increasingly globalised economy. Has procurement fundamentally changed itself in the past 10 years? Strategic Procurement can mean totally different things in different industries and sectors. The time when Procurement was almost a synonym to Purchasing has long gone.
Last week, I interviewed Robert Byrne, founder of Terra Technology on his demand planning benchmarking study. I enjoy creating the podcast series, and Rob’s findings in his benchmark study are always thought-provoking. This requires analytics that can learn and adapt as markets shift. Manage New Item Bias.
This month, we continue our Procurement Basics series and would like to introduce our readers to yet another set of often misused business terminology. As both sourcing and procurement are related to obtaining supplies for the organization, confusing these two terms is easy. Procurement. What Is Procurement Process?
To monitor supply chain performance, stakeholders of successful companies typically define supply chain metrics that are relevant to the given business and track these KPIs regularly. By setting benchmarks for metrics, analysts can recognize unsettling trends and take preventive measures on time.
The Procurement, or Purchasing, function is considered by many to be a necessary but non-strategic part of any organization. But there is a profoundly significant Procurement value chain. Procurement is strategic! Now is the time for Procurement to SELL! Could the CPO Be Replaced by the Chief Value Officer?
Rising software costs, lack of procurement oversight, compliance headaches, and clunky vendor management. Many organizations are discovering that without clear procurement software best practices, costs spiral, risks multiply, and efficiency stalls. Find Out More What Is Procurement Software? Sound familiar?
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