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'Yesterday, I presented to 700 global attendees on an APICS webinar. In the presentation, I shared data on the evolution of supply chain planning and the results on user satisfaction. The results confound me. They are not consistent with market perception. Let me share the story. As shown in Figure 1, users are more satisfied, the implementations are shorter and there is greater Return on Investment of solutions from Best-of-Breed solution providers—especially if the best-of-breed solution provi
Image credit: Moviepilot. Overwhelmed by the dark forces of supply chain planning? The best supply chain planners share a common trait with Jedi knights: No matter how tough things get, they never give up. So how do they overcome a supply chain’s darkest force: complexity? Here’s what they don’t do: Assign different parts of their planning challenge to different departments.
'Editor’s Note: This blog post is from SupplyChainOpz. We found it as a great summation of all the things companies must consider when mastering their supply chain. Many studies state that those who can manage the functions with the supply chain, they have a competitive advantage. As a transportation management third party logistics company, we know at Cerasis that transportation makes up a large portion of the costs and efficiencies of any supply chain.
'by Alexa Cheater In honor of Earth Day I thought I’d take the opportunity to outline in my humble opinion why having a green supply chain is no longer a nice-to-have – it’s a necessity. Gone are the days when consumers would look the other way while companies rode roughshod over the environment in pursuit of a more profitable supply chain. Nowadays even governments (the good ones at least), are actively involved in making sure Mother Nature is protected, at least to some extent.
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.
There are various lists that include the world’s most sustainable companies: Corporate Knights, the Climate Performance Leadership Index, and others. Walmart does not make those lists. None of them. Walmart is doing more in sustainability, particularly in the supply chain area, than they are given credit for. In contrast, there seems to be some sort […].
Feel like you keep on reading headlines about “ the Uber-ificiation of 3D printed big-data drones “? We know how you feel. Logistics startups are popping up everywhere. Logistics start-ups investments shot up from 0.1% of total tech investments in 2012 to 1.37% in the first half of 2014. We’re here to make some order out of the chaos.
Feel like you keep on reading headlines about “ the Uber-ificiation of 3D printed big-data drones “? We know how you feel. Logistics startups are popping up everywhere. Logistics start-ups investments shot up from 0.1% of total tech investments in 2012 to 1.37% in the first half of 2014. We’re here to make some order out of the chaos.
'It is morning in Orlando. The sun is rising. I am speaking this morning at the Terra Technology conference and doing a book signing of my new book, Supply Chain Metrics That Matter. It is my seventh year of speaking at this small, and intimate event. The world of supply chain is active on my iPhone. Several good friends in consulting roles are sharing information on SAP HANA from SAP Insider; and this morning, LLamasoft announced the acquisition of the LogicTools assets from IBM.
'The logistics industry has come a long way. Just a few years ago, most people had no idea what logistics was about, or they simply equated the term with trucks and warehouses. UPS helped to raise awareness about the industry with its “ We [Heart] Logistics ” ad campaign, which the company launched in 2010 (and recently replaced with a new slogan ).
Editor’s Note: Almost 14 months ago we wrote one of our most popular posts entitled, “ The History of Supply Chain and Logistics Management ” contained a bit of history, definitions, and a great infographic visually going through the history of supply chain and logistics management. Today, we bring you yet another infographic. We feel infographics are a great way to explain a big idea.
'by Bob Ferrari The following guest blog commentary is contributed by Bob Ferrari, Founder and Executive Editor of the Supply Chain Matters blog and Managing Director of the Ferrari Consulting and Research Group LLC. We often context and plan supply chain transformation initiatives under the three-pronged perspectives of People , Process and Technology enablers.
'Cash is the life blood of any organization and the supply chain is one of the most powerful ways to maximize any company’s cash. If you listen to publicly-traded companies’ earnings calls, the CFO will talk about cash generation from operations and days-sales-outstanding (DSO) as 2 important metrics of company performance. The right combination of […].
'Agile Supply Chain concept has been discussed widely but the definition can be a bit vague. In this article, we will explain how agile supply chain theories were developed and 7 ways to create agility in your organization. Agile Supply Chain Agile Supply Chain is based on the concept of "Agility" which was developed at Lehigh University in the United States.
'It is finally spring in Philadelphia. Yesterday, as I walked the streets on the way to ballet, I saw flowers for the first time in a year. I love spring. It is a time for awakening. My body is decompressing from travel, but my mind is full of ideas. I have been on the road for the past three weeks speaking at seven events. Travel is both enriching and exhausting.
'Inventory optimization has always been a challenge while designing and planning a supply chain. A variety of barriers can impact an effective inventory strategy, such as working in functional silos and demand/supplier volatility¹. The good thing is that companies are beginning to appreciate the importance of inventory form and function instead of narrowing it down to just setting optimal safety stock targets.
“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.
'Outsourcing in the supply chain of logistics teams may sound farfetched. After all, outsourcing typically refers to sending jobs overseas. Yet in outsourced logistics simply refers to hiring a third-party logistics service, 3PL, to handle the logistics services. From securing inventory to transporting goods from Point A to Point B, 3PL are taking over as in-house logistics teams fall flat.
by Andrew Dunbar Google “Top 10 supply chain challenges” and you’ll find 44 million different opinions on the biggest issues our industry faces today. Many are filled with our favourite industry buzzwords: Visibility , Risk Management , Cost Pressure, The Internet of Things, Security Threats… and the list goes on. These are all interesting and catchy concepts but they don’t necessarily address the fundamental challenges faced by your supply chain organization.
'A little over 6 months ago, I had the opportunity to talk about the most famous problem in Computer Science, the travelling salesman problem (TSP), and its real world corollary, the vehicle routing problem (VRP), which remains one of the most studied problems in transportation. The issue with these problems and others like them is […].
'Another year, another stretch goal. Your boss is expecting you to squeeze every last dollar of efficiency out of your plans. With pressure to deliver results, does your wish list look something like this? What if you could spend a day talking to industry experts for insights to improve efficiency? Proven strategies to convince your boss to try? The Quintiq World Tour is designed to help you fulfil your wish list.
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
'I pushed aside Shane’s motorbike helmet and jacket to take a seat in his crowded office. It was a beautiful spring day in March in Basel, Switzerland. Shane is a stocky man of medium build who I love talking to. He is an engaging personality: definitely a people person. He had recently returned from his stint as the commercial leader for Syngenta in Vietnam, and was excited to tell me about his beach-side investment in Australia.
'Supply chain technology is becoming mission-critical for global companies. One reason for this is that companies are outsourcing more, in order to raise profitability. 86% of logistics service providers (LSPs) said their shippers increased outsourcing this year over last, according to a recent Capgemini survey. For shippers, greater outsourcing means reduced control over their processes, which are now scattered across the world.
'Expected Transportation Capacity Issues. The concern and dialog about the transportation capacity issues for our country have bridged the past two decades and beyond. In fact, according to a released, in-depth analysis of the State of Logistics report from the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals , (CSCMP), the United States expects that by 2017, supply chain organizers will be less concerned with paying higher trucking rates than being able to find trucking container space availabl
by Alexa Cheater An interesting topic came up the other day at the office, the idea of non-traditional supply chain. Not non-traditional in the sense of a company that thinks and acts a little outside of what’s considered to be ‘normal’ supply chain operating processes. Rather, supply chains that don’t deal with material goods at all. Perhaps it’s because I’m a Millennial, part of Generation Y, and came of age at the same time the internet did, but my very first thought was of course there’s suc
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.
Recent massive strikes among dockworkers on the California coast brought the reality of supply chain continuity planning to the forefront once again for global businesses. The Los Angeles and Long Beach ports handle nearly half of the nation’s cargo, and are the main gateway for imports from Asia including automobiles, furniture, clothing, electronic products and […].
'Can you name one product that doesn’t involve logistics? It’s amazing how much logistics is part of our lives, and how much we take it for granted. So this Supply Chain Day, join us in celebrating the role of logistics by trying your hand at one of our exciting challenges below. Smart Trucker Challenge. The rules of the game are simple enough.
Customer expectations are not consistent with what companies offer. Therefore, the companies supply chains are not allowing the fulfillment of the customers’ expectations. Wow, what an opening to this message! Are these first two sentences true? Am I just trying to get your attention? How could these first two sentences be true, as it appears I am saying that no company has set customer satisfaction standards that meet customer expectations.
Omni-channel is transforming retail transportation’s supply chain and logistics processes. Unfortunately, many retailers are jumping in without a plan — that is, they are taking a short-term, silo’ed approach to transportation sourcing and execution, and as a result, are failing to meet their desired outcomes. But what are some of the unintended consequences retailers are experiencing by jumping in without a plan?
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.
'A growing trend across all industries has been the application of big data , with the use of algorithms and the hiring of data scientists becoming commonplace. As businesses collect and store an ever increasing amount of data, the algorithms required to make sense of this data will become even more valuable. This is due to the fact that algorithms can take any number of factors into account and provide unbiased insights into variation.
'by Alexa Cheater Our partner Celestica recently published the following article, ‘Staying Ahead of Today’s On-Demand Market: Push Versus Pull Strategies.’ The author, Robert Rejano, Processes and Applications Advisor, Celestia, discusses the key differences between push and pull strategies and their impact on the supply chain. Rejano asks ‘So why does technology even matter when supply chain principles haven’t really changed in decades?
'There is a rarely litigated – but often irritating – antitrust and distribution law known as the Robinson-Patman Act. The Act prohibits sellers from setting different prices for competing purchasers of like commodities, except when justified based on differences in volumes or cost of sale. In short, if a large supplier is selling the same […].
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