This site uses cookies to improve your experience. To help us insure we adhere to various privacy regulations, please select your country/region of residence. If you do not select a country, we will assume you are from the United States. Select your Cookie Settings or view our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Used for the proper function of the website
Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Strictly Necessary: Used for the proper function of the website
Performance/Analytics: Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
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than ever—juggling cost control, compliance, supplier risk, and internal complexity, all while trying to modernize outdated systems.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.
Solvoyo’s Solution Bugaboo: something that causes fear or distress out of proportion to its importance. 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? Absolutely!
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?
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.
As supply chains become more interconnected and risks more dynamic, traditional procurementtools 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 procurementtools 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. Greed for more data.
Companies like DHL and Amazon are already setting benchmarks by integrating EVs into their logistics operations. Investment in research and partnerships is crucial for scaling these solutions industry-wide. Advanced route optimization tools further support these goals.
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.
Factors like planning tools, inventory management, demand patterns, and innovations in technology contribute to the success or failure of fulfillment optimization. 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.
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. The solution solved a relevant industry issue. In the height of the e-commerce craze, the marketplace offerings started with a focus on e-procurement. At the time, I was a junior Gartner analyst. was controversial.
Thats why modern BI systems are quickly becoming the go-to solution for data-driven enterprises. They integrate, align, and activate data across the business to drive better, faster decisions unlike legacy reporting tools that can’t. BI Has Come a Long Way The concept of business intelligence has been around for decades.
Digital commerce efficiently requires the digitalization of many customer-facing operations and sourcing and procurement. Ensure that, somewhere along the way, data diagnostic tools will be used to check for missing and inconsistent data automatically. . Accurate and timely reconciliation of purchase orders with receipts.
From harvest to hands, the food & beverage (F&B) industry leaves no room for guesswork, especially without supply chain optimization software. The key to creating an effective market-driven demand plan is access to rich forecasts based on inputs from multiple sources.
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.
Recently, I was on a panel discussing AI in the supply chain industry, and much of the conversation revolved around its applications in forecasting. Immediately afterward, a group of experts privately argued that forecasting is precisely where AI models tend to hallucinate the most. People are implementing AI for its own sake.
Accurate and demand-driven forecasting has never been more important than in the past two years. The supply chain planning software of Blue Ridge does exactly that. In addition, a software-driven approach provides more scope for performance benchmarks, as it gives a better understanding of suppliers’ service levels.
Our inventories were in line with benchmarks, but we knew that intensifying the pace of launches could become challenging in the long run.”. We could not manage our business with that tool,” Mr. Stephens realized. Ipsen purchased the RapidResponse supply chain planning product from Kinaxis. The results?
Today’s risk management solutions focus largely on supply sensing and early alerting. Some solutions now include proactive event management driving recommendations to correct/prevent disruption. The company’s focus on item proliferation resulted in 40% of items moving into a non-forecastable category.
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.
Streamline Your Route Planning Process Daily route planning can quickly become overwhelming, especially if you’re managing delivery routes using spreadsheets, manual methods, or basic mapping tools. Top 10 Route Planning SoftwareSolutions: Overview Here’s a quick comparison of the top route planning softwaresolutions in 2025.
Expectations for short delivery times, 100% fulfillment accuracy, and large product selection and availability have become a key deciding factor on which customers make their purchase decisions. The warehouse automation market is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of approximately 14% and be worth USD 30 billion by 2026.
For teams looking to systematize their logistics documentation practices, SCMDOJO’s Logistics Management Track and Mastering Transportation Management System courses offer practical training on how to implement digital tools, automate document flows, and optimize transportation records across the supply chain.
As I read the literature, I felt out of touch and old-fashioned. “How could I not know about supply chain planning software?” On the plane to my interview, I read everything I could about planning software and thought about the simple spreadsheet challenge that was the genesis of my journey. ” I thought.
Rising software costs, lack of procurement oversight, compliance headaches, and clunky vendor management. Many organizations are discovering that without clear procurementsoftware best practices, costs spiral, risks multiply, and efficiency stalls. Find Out More What Is ProcurementSoftware? Sound familiar?
The Lean journey should focus on straightforward activities that everyone can see and understand because the tools take on a life of their own, causing the operation to lose sight of the simple goal of waste elimination. Aggregate forecasts are more accurate than individual forecasts. These are three examples: Rule 3.1:
And we will speculate where billing software development in the supply chain will be heading in the years to come. OCR software can “read” scanned or photographed documents without human input. IBM states that its Watson Discovery OCR tool achieves enterprise-grade character‑recognition accuracy competitive with leading OCR services.
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 procurement cost reduction. The key thing to remember is that cost reduction in procurement isn’t just about slashing expenses.
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?
In the realm of efficient procurement management, understanding the various types of procurement reports becomes paramount. These reports serve as navigational tools, offering insights into different facets of the procurement process.
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 ”.
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.
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.
Procurement transformation, although innovative and beneficial, often arises alongside a resistance to change, lack of skills and data issues within teams. As modern supply chains become larger and more intricate, strong procurement strategies are needed to minimize any risk and maximize growth and efficiency.
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. Work collaboratively with suppliers in real time to improve parts and material quality while responding quickly based on demand forecasts.
Meanwhile, customer demand for eco-conscious practices is influencing packaging choices and last-mile delivery solutions. Platforms like Shopify Fulfillment Service are setting benchmarks by integrating advanced logistics tools with reliable scalability for growing e-commerce brands.
To remain competitive, retailers who invest in open-to-buy planning software are able to keep an eye on their financial health and grow a successful business, while aligning inventory optimization with revenue goals. The benefits of open-to-buy. Reach Optimal Inventory Levels by Having the Right Amount of Stock Available.
Weve even included some examples of these KPIs using pre-built views for inventory reporting from our Stratum business intelligence solution. Supply chain managers use ATP to trigger reorders or adjust forecasts. Benchmark against your industry average for best insight. Sales teams use ATP to give accurate delivery dates.
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?
There is a range of manufacturing software now available to help businesses streamline their processes and maximise efficiency. Here we look at 15 types of manufacturing software, and for each answer three questions: What are the main functions of this software? What type of business is this software suited to?
We organize all of the trending information in your field so you don't have to. Join 102,000+ users and stay up to date on the latest articles your peers are reading.
You know about us, now we want to get to know you!
Let's personalize your content
Let's get even more personalized
We recognize your account from another site in our network, please click 'Send Email' below to continue with verifying your account and setting a password.
Let's personalize your content