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
Companies leaning heavily on global sourcing? Theyre feeling the heat most, as sudden trade policy curveballs throw procurement plans into chaos. manufacturer I know saw their import costs jump overnight, forcing a rethink of a decade-old sourcing strategy. What Is Agile Procurement?
In a survey we conducted in October 2020, 91% of our Indago supply chain research community members, who are all supply chain executives from manufacturing, retail, and distribution companies, either Agreed or Strongly Agreed that the time had come to transform the traditional transportation procurement process.
Home Introducing Freightos Enterprise: End-to-End Procurement, Benchmarking, and Management Freightos Enterprise unifies market intelligence, tender management, and shipment operations into one solution, enhancing logistics efficiency for large import-export businesses.
They noted the fact that companies whose leaders had supply chain experience took a more proactive approach to addressing potential supply-chain challenges, and in leveraging the supply-chain function to generate new business opportunities. They are no longer just vendors of goods and services.
For global manufacturers, managing direct and indirect material spend can get very complicated very quickly. Multiple legacy systems prevent procurement from standardizing processes and tracking what they’re spending with each supplier.
This is the largest area of investment for the company outside of ERP. SAP is embedding its generative Joule across the SAP Ariba source-to-pay solution portfolio to make it easier for their customers to manage routine inquiries, such as status updates, summarization, and frequently asked questions. It is a brilliant tool.”
The manufacturing sector is facing unprecedented volatility in global trade, with tariffs becoming the latest in a series of uncertainty drivers that are impacting virtually all industries. Manufacturing plants are deeply entrenched; tied to infrastructure, suppliers, skilled labor, and regulatory requirements.
Procurement and supply chain management are often used interchangeably—but in practice, the lines between them can blur in ways that create real friction. Misaligned priorities, siloed systems, and unclear ownership can directly impact key performance indicators like cost savings percentage and procurement cycle time.
Strategic sourcing and innovative solutions are often viewed as two distinct procurement tools, but they should not be seen in isolation. Think of them as apples and gearseach essential and effective on its own, yet when combined; they create a formidable mechanism for achieving procurement excellence.
Speaker: Adam Robinson, Director of Marketing, Cerasis
We’ll address how automation in the supply chain will provide employees with the following: More Strategic Procurement. More Efficient Manufacturing as well as ability to fill the skills gap & make more strategic employees. Improved Picking & Warehouse Efficiency thanks to Picking Autonomous Mobile Robots & Voice Commands.
When you talk to companies that have implemented enterprise or supply chain applications, executives will usually admit that they have under-invested in training and preparing users to use the new technology. The most common form of trading partner collaboration is purchase order collaboration. People issues are always challenging.
Home Introducing Freightos Enterprise: End-to-End Procurement, Benchmarking, and Management Freightos Enterprise unifies market intelligence, tender management, and shipment operations into one solution, enhancing logistics efficiency for large import-export businesses.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping supply chain operations by enabling predictive planning, allowing companies to anticipate disruptions before they occur and adjust operations accordingly. Companies must react after the fact, often incurring higher costs and reduced service levels.
Fictiv , a global supply chain technology company, announced that it has entered into an agreement to be acquired by MISUMIGroup Inc., a leading global supplier of mechanical components for the manufacturing industry headquartered in Japan. Once closed, Fictiv will join MISUMI.
Medical and pharmaceutical manufacturers have faced increasing logistical challenges over the past two years. This report, produced by Worldwide Business Research, explores the progress companies have made toward supply chain digitization and logistics maturity.
Here I define value as improving market capitalization/employee for a public company. For example, if I improve the cost structure in transportation, procurement, manufacturing and sales independently, what decision support framework decides the right trade-offs? You are right. This work was expensive. How Do You Drive Value?
As preposterous as this thought experiment seems, it is the reality of procurement departments in manufacturing firms across the United States. Worse yet, their responsibilities are far more important than purchasing a pair of sporty sneakers. To manufacturing professionals, this may seem natural, even inevitable.
Reducing cost was the primary objective, and most operational decisionsfrom sourcing to fulfillmentreflected that mindset. Resilience is the ability to respond to disruption while maintaining core operations, and more companies are shifting their strategies accordingly. For years, supply chains were engineered to be lean.
Ivalua Spend Management Insights [ivory-search] 3 Powerful Ways Procurement will Drive the 2030 Saudi Vision Transformation May 30, 2023 | | Procurement Strategy by Sara Omer What is the Saudi Vision 2030 Program? Procurement and supply chain teams will play a crucial role in making this vision a reality.
From raw material sourcing to logistics and regulatory compliance, stakeholders across the value chain will need to prepare for structural adjustments. Sourcing and Ingredient Availability A central impact of this policy is the need to replace synthetic colorants with natural alternatives. Production scheduling may also be affected.
Companies that fail to modernize face supply shortages, revenue loss, and regulatory risks. Just-in-time (JIT) inventory models, lean supplier networks, and offshore manufacturing reduced expenses but left companies exposed to disruptions. Companies that fail to integrate these technologies risk inefficiencies and higher costs.
Companies today making a fundamental mistake: they are attempting to automate current processes with AI versus challenging and redefining work. In May 2025, one in seven home-purchase agreements fell through resulting in the cancellation of 56,000 purchase contracts. Most companies forecast a single stream with a focus on error.
The company aims to change this with the expansion of its data fabric portfolio. When you combine the volume, complexity, and speed with which decisions need to be made and executed, the current way companies manage this is unsustainable. A supply chain data fabric can help companies augment their supply chain processes.
The resulting strategic question for companies is: How do we build resilient supply chains when even the rule-makers are unstable? Automotive: Can JIT manufacturing survive legal disruptions to tariff policy? Companies relocating to Mexico may face rapid reversal in cost advantage if emergency tariffs are struck down.
This includes the evolution of schema-on-read architectures and the use of advanced sensing and network automation as companies work through endless cycles of legacy technology like ERP and APS. The issue is that most companies are using new forms of technology to make bad decisions faster. The reason? Clarity on Value.
Digital Twin Screen Shot and Architecture The most comprehensive form of planning that companies engage in is integrated business planning. Executives came to understand that IBP should not constrain a companys ability to react to what was happening in the market. IBP balances what can be produced against projected demand.
Procuring transportation for freight is much different than any other procurement category. Transportation procurement needs to support both customer service and a company’s internal supply chain goals. One master of freight procurement is Kyle Masters. Almost all companies will say that “service” is important.
(If you would like to participate in a current research study, we would love your help and participation in the contract manufacturing study. We are trying to assess the value of a network in managing contract manufacturing.) One of the alignment gaps that is growing and is unfortunate is the gap between procurement and manufacturing.
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 past February we asked members of our Indago supply chain research community — who are all supply chain and logistics executives from manufacturing, retail, and distribution companies — “Is your company using Artificial Intelligence in its supply chain or logistics operations?”
Understanding how inflation impacts procurement and then taking action to mitigate its effects is essential for any business looking to stay ahead of the game. How Inflation Impacts Procurement Inflation affects a number of aspects of a business, including its ability to compete in the market, financial performance, and overall strategy.
Supply chains, which facilitate the movement of products from manufacturers to consumers, have historically encountered issues such as inefficiency, fraud, and a lack of transparency. Companies find it difficult to fully trust the data from suppliers, complicating efforts to ensure product authenticity, safety, and ethical sourcing.
Jack Fiedler, the vice president for digital transformation of the global supply chain at Lenovo Lenovo is ranked tenth by one leading analyst firm among a list of global companies with exceptional supply chains. I’ve not seen a company that does a better job of agile planning across an end-to-end, multi-tier supply chain.
In today’s dynamic and unpredictable business environment, companies face various challenges such as changing consumer demands, global uncertainty, and the impact of natural and man-made events. The purchasing of products at companies can be looked at in terms of two major dimensions: supply risk and impact on production (Figure 1).
On the positive side, companies such as a small manufacturer of advanced plastic components used across various sectors, such as medical, industrial, automotive and consumer products has experienced increased interest from clients eager to purchase American-made goods. Where do industrial companies focus to prepare for tariffs?
This is amplified across the supply chain into an exponential impact on inventory and planned orders for manufacturing. When we measure the bullwhip impact (in my class on outside-in process thinking), the bullwhip between manufacturing and procurement is 2-3X. Without a synchronized signal, companies make the wrong decisions.
Companies should evaluate it alongside cost, lead time, on-time delivery, and capacity utilization. A proactive approach to carbon management is essential for companies seeking to reduce their environmental impact while maintaining supply chain efficiency.
Ivalua platform selected to improve efficiency, transparency, and the employee purchasing experience. A top-10 Forbes 500 company, the Volkswagen Group is one of the world’s leading automobile manufacturers and the largest carmaker in Europe. Redwood City, CA, December 15, 2022. Learn more at www.ivalua.com.
However, recent disruptions have highlighted the vulnerabilities of these complex networks, resulting in significant financial losses for companies. It is crucial for organizations to understand the importance of Purchase Order collaboration to effectively manage their direct spend, optimize operations, and mitigate risks.
Running a manufacturing business isn’t easy. That’s where a manufacturing ERP comes in. Manufacturing ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software integrates all your core business processes into one powerful platform. It’s a lot to handle. Let’s get started.
What food and beverage companies need to know about tariffs: Lessons from Canada sharkins Fri, 05/16/2025 - 09:53 Tariffs have been a constant threat since the beginning of 2025, but one sector has felt the impact more immediately than most: consumer packaged goods. Enter a Canadian supermarket today, and you will witness the transformation.
Surviving the ride: How leading industries are turning tariff challenges into opportunities fbaker Thu, 05/29/2025 - 08:01 Navigating today’s unpredictable trade landscape can feel a bit like a white-knuckle ride, with companies constantly bracing for the next twist. Read more about how automotive leaders are adapting to tariff challenges.
GEP and the North Carolina State University (NCSU) Supply Chain Resource Cooperative surveyed supply chain, procurement and IT professionals across a range of industries to gain insight into their priorities and strategies regarding supply chain resilience and optimization. Alex Zhong, Director Product Marketing at GEP.
” In this work, my observation is that large companies have a more difficult journey to drive organizational alignment, than smaller companies. Companies became less clear on the definition of supply chain excellence and how to implement decision support technologies. This gap grew over the last decade. False Beliefs.
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