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'Bookend: be positioned at the end or on either side of (something). Oxford Dictionary. Today, I published a new report on supply chain excellence. To prepare the report, I worked with Abby Mayer ( @indexgirl ) to analyze ten years of supply chain financial ratios. We waded through spreadsheet after spreadsheet of data for the last three weeks and contrasted the progress of the high-tech, consumer products, food, pharmaceutical and industrial industries.
'Highly effective 3PLs have developed the right habits, culture and processes to deliver excellent service to their clients. Innovation and new technology are obviously important, but when evaluating a 3PL, go with the one that excels at blocking and tackling. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective 3PLs. Habit 1 – Excellent Communication. The best 3PLs do a great job of communicating with their clients and logistics partners.
'It has been one year. We founded Supply Chain Insights on February 9th, 2012. One year later, we are an eight person team. Supply Chain Insights is a true bootstrap startup. The team of Mikey, Jill, Constance, Heather, Abby, Naomi, Regina and I have all worked together to deliver a year of firsts. We have laughed, worked hard, celebrated each success and tried to fail forward.
'In the face of disruptions and volatility, supply chain managers are concerned about resilience, which can be broadly defined as “the ability of a supply chain to cope with change” ( Wieland & Wallenburg, 2013 ). Two recent publications present ways to implement supply chain resilience. First, the Business Continuity Institute has published a report that summarizes the key outcomes of its 4 th Annual Supply Chain Resilience Survey.
The $53 trillion manufacturing economy in the US is undergoing a major automation paradigm shift due to Artificial Intelligence (AI). Thanks to new practical frameworks, automation projects that were once impossible or inefficient to implement are now being fast-tracked, and robotics automation is becoming increasingly relevant to a growing number of users and scenarios.
'The vegetables on a typical grocery store shelf in 2013 most likely did not come straight from a family-owned farm. In the olden days this was much more common, but with growing population and product demand, business around the world has changed. The items in grocery stores nowadays have usually taken a very long, interesting and methodical process to reach the eyesight of consumers.
Can young, smart, driven supply chain students and their professors teach us anything about the future of supply chain? Recently I went to the MIT Media Lab Building for an event co-hosted by the local chapter of CSCMP and MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics. There were two things going on. The first was a MIT Supply Chain Student Poster Session and Networking Night.
Can young, smart, driven supply chain students and their professors teach us anything about the future of supply chain? Recently I went to the MIT Media Lab Building for an event co-hosted by the local chapter of CSCMP and MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics. There were two things going on. The first was a MIT Supply Chain Student Poster Session and Networking Night.
'Tonight, I pour a toast. This is the third birthday of the Supply Chain Shaman. I created this blog three years ago. At the time, I had just left AMR Research. I was scared. I had a broken foot, and I was hobbling around on crutches, and thinking about starting a new chapter of my career. My best friends thought that I was daft. I was happy at AMR and I was sad to leave.
'Below is a list of useful logistics websites. There is also a list of great logistics blogs and supply chain websites. Logistics Websites. Air Cargo World - aircargoworld.com. Air Cargo – How it Works - air-cargo-how-it-works.blogspot.com/. American Shipper – americanshippers.com. Big Truck TV – bigtrucktv.com. Commercial Carrier Journal – ccjdigital.com.
'“It used to be easy to hire a supply chain planner. Today, the positions are open 9-10 months, and. they are tough to fill. I need to be able to build my own talent, but I just do not have the time. Would you consider helping me?” Supply Chain Vice President. We have heard the cry. This week, we are launching a new program to help companies build and retain mid-management supply chain talent.
'I spent the last couple of days at North Carolina State University to work on a joint research project with my good friend Robert Handfield. I was very impressed by NC State’s Supply Chain Resource Cooperative , an “industry–university partnership dedicated to the development of future supply chain professionals” Robert and two of his colleagues have published an article to describe how this cooperative works: NC State’s Supply Chain Resource Cooperative educates i
'This was school vacation week and I spent most of it either with cross country skis or ice skates on my feet, which isn’t so bad except for the fact you have to be out in the cold to ski or skate, and I’m allergic to the cold, unlike my kids who would outlast any polar bear in a blizzard. As I take a break to warm up, here’s a look at this week’s news: C.H.
Can young, smart, driven supply chain students and their professors teach us anything about the future of supply chain? Recently I went to the MIT Media Lab Building for an event co-hosted by the local chapter of CSCMP and MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics. There were two things going on. The first was a MIT Supply Chain Student Poster Session and Networking Night.
'Last week, at Supply Chain Insights , as part of our monthly webinar series, I hosted a panel discussion on the current state of the healthcare value network. Hosting this webinar series is one of the favorite parts of my job as the Founder of Supply Chain Insights. On this webinar, we shared data that we have collected on financial metrics for the healthcare value network (see figure 1) and we asked a panel of Karen Conway from GHX; Ken Thomas, previously of Eli Lilly, and now the founder of T
'Transportation industry confidence and being new to transportation is almost an oxymoron at first. Two months ago I had gone from being an Assistant Athletic Director/Strength Coach to a sales rep in the transportation world. For those of you who are just starting out in transportation or for those who remember, this industry can be very overwhelming.
“What should we do about the tariffs?” There’s no straightforward answer — every leader has a different expectation. CFOs want numbers. COOs want action. CEOs want strategy. And supply chain and procurement leaders need to be ready with the right response — fast. That’s why GEP has created a simple three-part framework that will help CPOs and CSCOs brief the board and C-suite with clarity and confidence.
'Just about every year the RILA Logistics Conference is one of the best Events I attend and pleased to say #RILALogistics 2013 was no exception. Great sessions and excellent networking provided me with many insights and opportunities to take home and build on going forward as direct positive outcomes from the event. As described in my advance post Mission: Maximize Learning in Multichannel & E-Commerce this was the Track focused on and pleased to say that this mission was accomplished.
'I’ve been speaking to a number of procurement executives lately, leading to some interesting discussions around risk, category management, shared services, and a lot of other high level concepts that are no doubt important. There are also a lot of websites and presentations at conferences around the “next big thing” in procurement.
'Schools are closed, the roads are empty, and we’re all just waiting for the blizzard to arrive. It’s a stay-at-home-in-your-pajamas kind of day, my favorite. And the fact that it’s Friday makes it even better. I’m not looking forward to shoveling two feet of snow tomorrow, but there is something undeniably beautiful about seeing the world outside covered in white, and your kids laughing and playing in it, with their red cheeks and noses, shovels and buckets, snowmen and snow forts — winte
Ann Grackin and Bill McBeath of ChainLink Research recently published an article on Caribou Coffee’s supply chain. They spoke with Karen Francois, senior director of strategic sourcing at Caribou, to learn about the coffee retailer’s supply chain challenges and how the company reshaped its processes and turned to technology to help enable its success.
Speaker: Andrew Skoog, Founder of MachinistX & President of Hexis Representatives
Manufacturing is evolving, and the right technology can empower—not replace—your workforce. Smart automation and AI-driven software are revolutionizing decision-making, optimizing processes, and improving efficiency. But how do you implement these tools with confidence and ensure they complement human expertise rather than override it? Join industry expert Andrew Skoog as he explores how manufacturers can leverage automation to enhance operations, streamline workflows, and make smarter, data-dri
'The pace of change in the retail industry is unprecedented. So much so, Deloitte’s Alison Paul compared the digital revolution to the Industrial Revolution during her keynote at NRF 2013 in New York City, “The Great Convergence.” This so-called digital revolution is being driven by the rise of consumer technology that is transforming the retail landscape.
'In preparation for this year’s Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) Logistics event in Orlando February 17-20th my first task was to review the program and determine priorities for which sessions to attend. In my mind the most significant challenge facing retail logistics professionals bar none is the rapid rise of multichannel commerce and all associated complexities and surrounding issues.
'Growth of the global logistics network is fraught with increasing difficulty. Large BRIC country governments have recognized their power in the channel, and have raised the stakes for import and export requirements and regulation. There is also considerable debate among experts as to the path this will take. Some believe India will continue to grow, while many point to the many untapped domestic markets in China and Brazil.
Retailers know the clock is ticking–legacy SAP Commerce support ends in 2026. Legacy platforms are becoming a liability burdened by complexity, rigidity, and mounting operational costs. But modernization isn’t just about swapping out systems, it’s about preparing for a future shaped by real-time interactions, AI powered buying assistants, and flexible commerce architecture.
As sea-based supply routes become more important in the global movement of goods and services, ports have enacted new technologies like supply chain software to make sure boat shipments are processed more efficiently , global strategist Wolfgang Lehmacher wrote in a recent Port Strategy article. Ports have become more critical than ever for companies looking to move massive quantities of goods around the globe.
Ann Grackin and Bill McBeath of ChainLink Research recently published an article on Caribou Coffee’s supply chain. They spoke with Karen Francois, senior director of strategic sourcing at Caribou, to learn about the coffee retailer’s supply chain challenges and how the company reshaped its processes and turned to technology to help enable its success.
On January 31st the annual EcoVadis Client Committee took place in the suggestive location of la Maison de l’Amerique Latine, in Paris. Around 120 attendees, representatives of 53 EcoVadis client companies coming from Europe and United States joined to spend a day dedicated to Sustainable Supply Chain and Procurement topics. Morning session was dedicated to vision and future development of EcoVadis and Sustainability in general.
What is Remote-Insourcing? Sounds like an oxymoron, right? Not anymore. Remote-Insourcing isn’t outsourcing—it’s a revolutionary staffing model that lets our clients fill key entry-level positions with top-tier, loyal, long-term talent, integrated seamlessly into their businesses—just like local employees but without the turnover or W2 HR hassles. With under 4% unwanted attrition, you train once and keep the same team for years.
'Early in January of 2012 I found myself struggling with the current terms around multi-channel, cross channel and omni-channel to adequately describe the current retail and e-commerce marketplace reality we all face. Searching for a term that would better capture the full complexity and many drivers impacting the business, on January 3rd 2012 in a moment of epiphany I came up with the term and concept of Matrix Commerce on which topic this whitepaper is a primer.
'The Supply Chain Resource Cooperative (SCRC) in North Carolina State University’s Poole College of Management is one of several partners in a five- year, $3.9 million grant-funded project to build and evaluate supply chains for local farmers and fishers to supply large-scale markets in North Carolina. The project is led by the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) in NC State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), which has been awarded the first year’s funding of the gran
As sea-based supply routes become more important in the global movement of goods and services, ports have enacted new technologies like supply chain software to make sure boat shipments are processed more efficiently , global strategist Wolfgang Lehmacher wrote in a recent Port Strategy article. Ports have become more critical than ever for companies looking to move massive quantities of goods around the globe.
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