May, 2016

article thumbnail

Groundhog Day

Supply Chain Shaman

Groundhog Day is celebrated on February 2. According to folklore, if it is cloudy when a Groundhog emerges fro m the burrow, then the forecast of an early spring is predicted. If it is sunny, and the groundhog sees his shadow, then the groundhog retreats back into the hole and the prediction is for winter weather to persist for six more weeks. It is a ritual.

Gartner 211
article thumbnail

Building Talent: A New Approach

Supply Chain Insights

You are running hard. As a supply chain leader you want your team to make progress and outpace the pack. One of the toughest challenges for the supply chain leader is building and retaining talent. Managing a global supply chain team today is not easy. We find that 59% of companies are experiencing issues in training and retaining mid-management talent.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

See the past, present and future of your supply chain

DELMIA Quintiq

Before the rise in wearable technology, how did you measure the distance you ran, the number of steps climbed, and the amount of calories burned? Chances are, you used a portable pedometer to measure your steps and distance travelled, and a diary to keep track of your calories burned. As technology advanced, so did fitness and activity trackers. Fitbit™ trackers not only tell you how many steps you’ve taken but how to eat a well-rounded meal, sleep better and ultimately, become a healthier human

article thumbnail

Is Inventory Optimization a Key to Omnichannel Survival?

ToolsGroup

For multi-channel retailers, it’s getting increasingly difficult to survive in “the Amazon jungle”. Bob Ferrari of Supply Chain Matters recently pointed to The Sports Authority bankruptcy as one indication. As Amazon invests relentlessly to boost its agility and drop its costs, retailers are also looking for ways to raise their game. Industry analysts have pointed out an obvious fit with inventory optimization.

article thumbnail

Speeding Robotics Automation with AI

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.

article thumbnail

Is Your Supply Chain the Tortoise or the Hare?

Kinaxis

by Alexa Cheater In Aesop’s Fables there is a very famous story about a tortoise and a hare. For those of you unfamiliar with this children’s classic, the moral of it is this—slow and steady wins the race. Except of course, if you work in supply chain. While turtles and tortoises have many wonderful qualities that should be celebrated as part of World Turtle Day , their characteristically slow pace and unhurried nature can prove detrimental to any business trying to keep up in this digital age,

More Trending

article thumbnail

Are You Putting Lipstick on a Pig? Or Creating New Value?

Supply Chain Shaman

During the spring, I get to spend a lot of time in airplane(s) attending and speaking at technology confer ences. I have done this for a decade. However, this year is different. I feel more disruption in the air. There is a confluence of factors. The technology market for new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is drying up. Excess ERP consultants line the bench.

article thumbnail

A Practical Guide to Setting Up a Supply Chain Analytics Center of Excellence

AIMMS

It comes as no surprise that business and supply chain leaders are seeking new approaches to get ahead in the analytics age. Implementing an analytics strategy, and in particular implementing prescriptive analytics, can significantly improve revenues and drive down costs. How can you ensure that your team is prepared to embrace these new technologies and approaches?

article thumbnail

What are the main 3PL Services?

The Logistics of Logistics

Admiral E. J. King famously said “I don’t know what the hell this “logistics” is that Marshall is always talking about, but I want some of it.”. Since he was an admiral, I am pretty sure somebody got Mr. King some logistics. Admiral King was no doubt surrounded by logistics activities and logisticians. He just didn’t know which functions were actually considered logistics.

3PL 154
article thumbnail

What’s Wrong with Aftermarket Parts Supply Chain Planning?

ToolsGroup

This is actually a trick question. What’s wrong with aftermarket supply chain planning really has nothing to do with planning, but with management expectations. This is a case of management not expecting enough from their business. There is a reoccurring conversation in the parts industry that suggests that demand and distribution in this space is so complex that companies need to settle for less – lower customer service levels, fewer inventory turns, more obsolete or stranded inventory, and ult

article thumbnail

Tail Inventory: The Silent Cost Driver You Shouldn't Ignore

Learn how centralizing slow-moving SKUs can help reduce fulfillment costs by $300M+ while boosting fulfillment efficiency.

article thumbnail

Using Network Visualization to Mitigate Supply Chain Risks

Logistics Viewpoints

I recently spoke to Trace White and Travis Parker from HP Inc. (HP) about using supply chain network design and visualization tools to respond to supply chain risks. This is something that their team at HP started to examine about two to three years ago. They had built a supply chain visualization tool in response to getting a better handle on how to position supply chain initiatives, such as direct ship activities.

article thumbnail

The 2016 Top 25 Supply Chains – Three Bold Predictions

Kinaxis

by CJ Wehlage Two years ago, I made some very bold predictions on the 2014 Top 25 Supply Chains, and about 80% of them were true. Last year, I made the not-so bold predictions, as the Gartner 2015 Top 25 Supply Chain rankings were pretty much unchanged. That is, except for the new “Masters” category. I sure hope the Gartner gang will keep a focus on the Masters (Apple and P&G), as these two supply chains continue provide best practice learnings.

Gartner 149
article thumbnail

[Infographic] 5 Ways STEM Education is Leading the Logistics Industry

GlobalTranz

The studies of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) have shaped the logistics industry into what it is today. Logistics, the discipline that manages the shipping and distribution of goods to consumers, has made momentous strides in recent years with help from new technology. For students, logistics is an interesting and challenging field to pursue.

Education 142
article thumbnail

A Practical Guide to Setting Up a Supply Chain Analytics Center of Excellence

AIMMS

It comes as no surprise that business and supply chain leaders are seeking new approaches to get ahead in the analytics age. Implementing an analytics strategy, and in particular implementing prescriptive analytics, can significantly improve revenues and drive down costs. How can you ensure that your team is prepared to embrace these new technologies and approaches?

article thumbnail

Tariffs on the Table: How to Brief the Board and C‑Suite With Confidence

“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.

article thumbnail

Food Safety Modernization Act in a Nutshell

The Logistics of Logistics

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is detailed and complicated. I like simple, so I decided to write a simple overview of the FSMA. What Is The Food Safety Modernization Act? The Food Safety Modernization Act is the biggest overhaul of food safety oversight in the history of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The goal is to make food safer from farm to fork.

Food 154
article thumbnail

A Better Approach to Supply Chain Segmentation?

ToolsGroup

Editor's Note: There will be no blog post next week. Most companies segment their supply chain by breaking it down according to operational and logistical metrics. That’s necessary for continuous improvement and operational excellence. But there is another way to segment supply chains that begins with the customer. Gartner research director Jennifer Loveland calls it end-to-end segmentation, where you determine first what your customers want, then create end-to-end models—from sales through sour

article thumbnail

Supply Chain Operating Networks are Finally Beginning to Emerge

Logistics Viewpoints

The concept of a network of networks – a network that rides on top of other networks and leverages those other network’s data – has been in existence for a while. ARC prefers the term “supply chain operating network,” which we have been writing about since 2003. While the terms are in use, what has not been present is an actual working example of a supply chain operating network.

article thumbnail

Move over old man. It’s time to meet supply chain planning 4.0

Kinaxis

by Trevor Miles What I took away from the Gartner Supply Chain Executive Conference …. Supply Chain Management is a relatively young practice, though many of the core principles go back many decades and are based on Operations Research concepts. These have focused on optimization and efficiency. Undoubtedly the world is a better place because of this focus on manufacturing and distribution efficiency over the past 50 years, resulting in large gains in productivity and therefore standards of livi

article thumbnail

How to Modernize Manufacturing Without Losing Control

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

article thumbnail

How the IoT Platform Fixes Problems in Today’s Logistics Industry

GlobalTranz

While logistics and manufacturing have grown exponentially, problems have become more complicated. A single malfunction can disrupt entire analytics’ systems, disrupting processes along the way. At the same time, machines-to-machine connectivity through the Internet of Things (IoT platform) is increasing the value of data companies have to analyze. Regardless of where you sit to view the logistics industry, problems are becoming more evident.

article thumbnail

Don’t Fear Optimization (It’s Just a Word)

Talking Logistics

Author’s Note: The following is the forward I wrote for a new textbook published by MercuryGate (a Talking Logistics sponsor) on “ Modern Technology for Transportation Optimization ,” which is available for purchase on Amazon.com. The word “optimization” is ubiquitous in the supply chain and logistics industry. “You have to optimize your [transportation, inventory, manufacturing, or other business process] to maximize your costs savings and benefits,” is what industry analysts, consultants, acad

article thumbnail

Integrated planning of production & logistics: Is it possible?

DELMIA Quintiq

The answer is yes. Integrating production and logistics enables you to increase your delivery performance, reduce transport costs, and improve the utilization of your production resources. So why are manufacturers still suffering from disjointed decision-making in these areas? This is better explained with an example. Let me walk you through the planning challenges faced by an animal feed manufacturer and how you can overcome similar planning puzzles in your operations.

article thumbnail

The View from Finance: Freeing Up Cash with Inventory Optimization

ToolsGroup

If you (or your boss) are measured by your company's Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) or a similar metric, then you want to turn assets into cash. Whether the message comes down from the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) or even private equity investors, either way it's pretty much the same thing: free up cash from the business. Inventory optimization is one proven way to do it.

article thumbnail

A Roadmap For Modernization: How To Break Free From Your Monolith Before July 31, 2026

Speaker: Jason Cottrell and Gireesh Sahukar

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.

article thumbnail

Incorporating Taxes and Duties in Supply Chain Design

Logistics Viewpoints

There are numerous ways to integrate tax and duties in supply chain design. Here are a few ways to consider both logistics and tax considerations in a holistic view for the best overall design decisions. The supply chain is core to how your business is run and its costs, profit and growth. With the increasing globalization of business, variable taxes and duties across trading borders have a huge impact on overall cost, supplier sourcing, manufacturing […].

article thumbnail

The Supply Chain of Pollen

Kinaxis

by Joe Cannata Though it may sound like an odd subject, nature and manufacturing do work together in some sort of hybrid supply chain. What got me thinking about this, was when I returned home to Atlanta from a recent trip. Upon arrival at my car in the airport parking garage, I encountered this sight: My car looked as if someone had emptied a few containers of yellow-green baby powder all over it.

Modeling 136
article thumbnail

23 Reasons the Ideal TMS is best for LTL Freight Shipping

GlobalTranz

Using less-than-truckload for medium-sized shipments is one of the great innovations in shipping. It produces results at a fraction of the cost of full truckload (FT) or small package shipping. However, the needs of the modern shipping industry have reached an optimal point, and the only way to further push the envelope is by using a dedicated transportation management system (TMS).

article thumbnail

Mega Ships: A Look at the Effect of Larger Ocean Vessels at Port

Talking Logistics

We all know that when we go to the store to purchase an item, we often look for a good bargain. After all, when we save a few dollars here and there, it starts to add up. With this in mind, let’s apply the same thinking upstream. Putting production and labor costs overseas aside, transportation becomes the prime target to help drive down costs. As a result, ocean vessels have gotten larger.

Shipping 133
article thumbnail

Revolutionizing Hiring: Remote-Insourcing That Slashes Turnover & Training Costs!

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.

article thumbnail

Agile Marketing is Right Approach for Today’s Digital Path to Purchase

Enterra Insights

According to Scott Brinker (@chiefmartec), co-founder & CTO of ion interactive, today’s digital path to purchase requires marketers to create … Continued. The post Agile Marketing is Right Approach for Today’s Digital Path to Purchase appeared first on Enterra Solutions.

article thumbnail

The conference that business leaders cannot afford to miss

DELMIA Quintiq

Another year, another list of must-attend supply chain and logistics events. With so many to choose from, how do you decide? Every moment spent away from your desk has to be worth the time and investment. This is why the Quintiq World Tour in Frankfurt should be at the top of your list. Read on to find out more. The agenda. Attended jam-packed supply chain events only to leave with stacks of brochures?

article thumbnail

Competing on Analytics: A Supply Chain Case Study

Logistics Viewpoints

This logistics services company manages hundreds of millions of supply chain assets for its clients, has hundreds of thousands drop off and pick up points, and make over 10,000 deliveries per day moving through over 100 logistics centers. To manage this complexity in a manner that insures high service levels, a sustainable/green supply chain, and profitability, the company has committed itself to a variety of analytic solutions.