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Are your lead times too long? Are customers and retail partners complaining that you move too slow? If you believe your firm’s lead times could be shortened, then they probably can. With these seven simple steps, you can work to optimize your supply chain and make the process more streamlined. Choose Suppliers Closer to You. Many firms choose to source outside their home country in order to take advantage of lower labor costs.
As the Coronavirus outbreak develops into a pandemic, people and businesses alike are feel ing its ripple effects. Manufacturers like Hyundai are experiencing a shortage of components that threaten s to halt production. L ogistics providers like Maersk are forced to announce blank sailings due to curtailed demand. Avenues of transport are declining as major cargo airlines, like Cathay Pacific , drastically reduce flights to mainland China and Hong Kong.
“Good old supply chain. It just gets simpler every year!”. … said no VP of supply chain ever. . We’ve created quite a monster with all the sophisticated tools we use to influence demand with pricing, new product introductions and promotions. Internet-fed trends are changing at hyper-speed. As businesses use more “levers” to influence demand, demand variability grows.
…the weekend is just around the corner. Happy Valentine’s Day to all my blog readers. This is my 440th blog post and the tenth anniversary Supply Chain Shaman. It seems hard to believe that I have been typing away over these years building an audience of over 20,000 global readers. My friends would tell me to relax and get my Groove on b ut, I find myself deep into a presentation for a client’s design thinking session next week.
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.
With 2020 well underway, it’s a great time to pick a hot industry topic and subject it to a “state of the state” evaluation. And where better to start than Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the supply chain market? During this frothy, buzzword-laden phrase, we’ve seen a lot of shiny objects competing to exploit legitimate excitement around Artificial Intelligence, and in the process they may be creating confusion.
If you’re looking to reduce your cost of goods sold (COGS) and increase profitability, it may be time to review your packaging designs and systems. Many companies see packaging cost as just a small piece of their total COGS involving only the actual packaging materials used, but this mindset leaves a lot of money on … The post Understanding the Total Cost of Packaging to Boost Supply Chain Profitability appeared first on Chainalytics.
If you’re looking to reduce your cost of goods sold (COGS) and increase profitability, it may be time to review your packaging designs and systems. Many companies see packaging cost as just a small piece of their total COGS involving only the actual packaging materials used, but this mindset leaves a lot of money on … The post Understanding the Total Cost of Packaging to Boost Supply Chain Profitability appeared first on Chainalytics.
Everyone is familiar with the canary in the coal mine analogy. Currently, there are a couple of such canaries on the world stage — Venice and Australia. Venice is flooding and Australia is burning. Both situations are attributed to and exacerbated by climate change. McKinsey analysts Dickon Pinner and Kevin Sneader ask, “Does your business treat climate change as a far-off risk, something for the future but not a priority today?
A few weeks ago, I overheard a conversation in a rural private household about whether it would be worthwhile to keep their own laying hens in order to remain independent…
Modern-day food supply chains are extremely complex. Especially in today’s age in which recalls are seemingly an everyday occurrence, consumers are wary of what’s on their plate. Thankfully, ShipChain’s Track and Trace Platform tackles this lack of trust by bringing visibility to the food supply chain via blockchain technology. If you’re scratching your head and wondering what that actually means, let me explain.
Closing the gap between planning and execution is a long-term concern of supply chain executives. It is not easy to do. New thinking is emerging to help in this area. Sales & Operations Execution (S&OE) is emerging as a new discipline in this area. The post Closing the Gap Between Planning and Execution appeared first on Logistics Viewpoints.
Strengthen your operations with the Supply Chain Resilience Checklist. This practical, easy-to-use tool helps your organization prepare for disruptions and ensure long-term continuity in an unpredictable world. Why Download: Identify and assess critical supply chain risks Ask the right questions to evaluate vendor preparedness Implement effective strategies to reduce vulnerabilities Improve communication, transparency, and coordination across your network What You’ll Learn: How to evaluate and m
Supply chain leaders are continuously looking for ways to improve inventory management, and the role of technology in the supply chain offers significant advantages. Instead of relying on traditional, outdated inventory management best practices, supply chain leaders should follow these 11 steps to leverage technology and improve inventory management at last. 1.
The coronavirus outbreak has the whole global community concerned and hoping for the swift containment of this humanitarian crisis. . In addition to the terrible human cost, the virus is also sending ripples throughout the global supply chain. The two recent crises in global trade – the outbreak and the US-China trade war – show how vulnerable small and medium size businesses (SMBs) can be to shocks to the supply chain, but also point to ways to mitigate that risk.
The History of Valentine’s Day Valentine’s Day existed in a variety of forms before settling into its fixed date of February 14th. It can be traced all the way back to a mid-February holiday on the ancient Roman calendar, existing as a day to celebrate the possibility of new life even before Saint Valentine was […]. The post The Supply Chain of Your Valentine’s Day Flowers appeared first on Kuebix.
“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.
What is Inventory Forecasting? You must surely know the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears? Wait, what has this got to do with inventory forecasting? The Goldilocks Principle of having something that is not too hot and not too cold has been used for everything from the search for habitable Earth-like planets to inventory management, and of course, the perfect porridge temperature.
Coronavirus is getting a lot of attention, but it hasn't had much impact on domestic freight in the U.S. so far. If the slowdown in Chinese exports continues beyond the end of February, however, the effects could ripple through worldwide supply chains and reduce demand for freight transportation here. Trucking will likely be the last transportation mode to be affected.
North Carolina State Poole College of Management recently produced this 28 page report entitled “ 2019 Supply Chain Data Quality and Governance Study ”. The report contains some great illustrations of the current state of Data governance across the organizations that were surveyed, with a specific focus on the supply chain. In this blog, I have attempted to extrapolate some of the main points shared by those who are winning, or at least, not losing the war on bad data.
Are you ready for the future? 2020 is not science fiction anymore, it’s right now. . Faced with an unstable economic environment in which change is the only certainty, companies are operating today in a new world. Global trade, geopolitics, climate changes, natural disasters, digitization, the increasing demand for customer flexibility and the volatility of consumer demand increase supply chain complexity.
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
Today’s headlines are filled with disheartening news about climate change, resource depletion, pollution, hunger, access to clean water, and poverty. The world is paying a high price for the traditional “take, make, use, waste” philosophy that failed to consider the long-range social and environmental consequences of mass consumerism. In response, in 2015 more than 190 countries joined to endorse 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) ?
by Jay Muelhoefer Today’s global supply chain leaders know to expect the unexpected. They prepare for natural disasters, sudden regulatory changes, social and economic shifts, and even cyber attacks. But some events are more disruptive than others. The recent outbreak of coronavirus has shaken communities and put companies that rely on manufacturing from facilities in Wuhan, China at risk.
Remember the Peter, Paul and Mary song, Puff the Magic Dragon ? It was a song from my youth. While there is a raging debate on song intent— Was the goal of the song to celebrate a children’s story from Oliver Wilde about the loss of innocence or is it a statement about the use of drugs? —in this blog, I am going to rely on the account of the songwriter, that the song is a childhood story about a dragon that lived in Honalee.
The food supply chain is unlike any other. While electronics, automotive, and consumer goods’ supply chains promote their products, the food supply chain represents a basic human necessity–food. As a requirement to everyone, foods and beverages deserve a highlighted view of the use of new technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) to.read More.
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.
2020 seemed a world away just a few years ago and yet, here we are. This promises to be a very eventful year. What’s on the horizon for supply chain professionals? Here are three trends to consider. . Sustainability on the agenda. Compani es are increasingly under pressure to become more green. Moving past waste, water, and C02 reduction, they have begun searching for renewable energy sources, different forms of packaging, and increased efficiency overall.
There is substantial evidence of how e-commerce has dramatically transformed supply chain and logistics operations over the past two decades. But while its impact on retailers has been well documented, e-commerce has also created new challenges and opportunities for manufacturers. What are some of these challenges and opportunities? How can manufacturers achieve e-commerce fulfillment excellence?
Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, has been around in one shape or form for a while. The process essentially entails building a three-dimensional object from computer-aided design (CAD) to add material layer by layer until a final product is complete. The use cases for 3D printing cover most anything you can imagine. In fact, recently, while on a weekend ski trip with friends, my buddy John was riding the chairlift with two women from France […].
The manufacturing industry has a strong heritage of adopting game-changing technologies to deliver higher quality products more efficiently. With the introduction of digital supply chains, the industry is moving into an era arguably on par with the industrial revolution. But Rome wasn’t built in a day, and digital roadmaps that align with company goals do not take shape overnight.
This webinar will explore how companies can proactively address compliance risks–rather than reactively responding to–UFLPA enforcement actions. Ethan Woolley will provide insights into the latest CBP enforcement trends, entity list updates, and industries under increased scrutiny, with a look at potential shifts under the Trump administration. Ethan will also explore how predictive data and strategic due diligence can help organizations stay ahead of regulatory challenges and strengthen complia
About half the products we buy in stores are imported, which means they not only went through a complex shipping process, but also had to be cleared through customs before they could be sold to us. . Clearing customs is a painful process – the U.S. Customs and Border Protection has about 30,000 different product classifications, as do other countries – and customs classifications can be subtle. .
The transportation management trends for 2020 reflect a growing consensus that new technology and visibility will define the successes of the future supply chain. Adoption rates for new services and cloud-based technologies are climbing, and the global transportation management system (TMS) is expanding. In fact, according to FreightWaves, the global TMS market will achieve a.read More.
Sales and operations planning, also known as S&OP, is a key business activity for production heavy firms. It integrates sales & marketing strategies with supply chain considerations, allowing for a more unified mission across multiple departments of the business. So how can your firm improve your sales and operations planning? This is a short guide on how to do so.
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