February, 2017

article thumbnail

E2open Acquires Steelwedge. Impact on Market?

Supply Chain Shaman

This morning E2open announced the acquisition of Steelwedge for an undisclosed sum of money. Founded in 2000, Steelwedge was an innovator in Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) and was an early provider of cloud solutions for supply chain. I estimate that the company had annual sales of 30M$. Clients include Canon, Pfizer, HP Inc, Jaguar Land Rover, Lenovo, Nissan and Monsanto.

article thumbnail

Supply chain risk management in 2017

Kinaxis

by Bill DuBois Financial crisis. Check. Environmental catastrophes. Check. What’s next? Is this the year of political disruption? Working in supply chain is like starring in a Rocky movie. You keep getting knocked down and you have to keep getting back up. You don’t need to go back any further than a decade to understand the many challenges supply chains have endured over the years.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

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

article thumbnail

The “First Five” Industrial Manufacturing Trends of 2017

GlobalTranz

Where and how manufacturers make products for Americans will change in 2017. Current industrial manufacturing trends show the new administration is pushing for reshoring among the nation’s biggest manufacturers, and new technologies are revolutionizing how companies respond to growing skepticism and scrutiny by the public and government oversight as well.

article thumbnail

3 Compelling Reasons to Start Using Prescriptive Analytics

AIMMS

If you’ve read up on the latest topics in the field of data analysis, then you’ve probably encountered the term Prescriptive Analytics. Prescriptive Analytics is a type of Advanced Analytics that results in a recommended action. Unlike Descriptive (focused on reporting with basic trend or pattern recognition) or Predictive Analytics (focused on predicting the future with forecasting techniques), Prescriptive Analytics uses techniques like machine learning and mathematical modeling to help you im

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

Global Trade Networks Create a Single Version of the Truth for Retailers

Talking Logistics

Drop shipping is becoming more and more popular among retailers as the “Amazon effect” creates intense pressure from customers for quick delivery. Retailers are willing to take the risk associated with releasing the inventory management and fulfilment process so product moves faster. However, the process involves a lot of moving pieces within the supply chain making visibility and collaboration more important than ever.

More Trending

article thumbnail

BASF: A Story of a Supply Chain Leader

Supply Chain Shaman

BASF creates chemistry. Over the last two decades the company successfully leveraged global scale to define supply chain leadership. With 12,000 supply chain employees operating in 80 countries with 2400 storage facilities, supply chain excellence and innovation are the foundation of corporate performance. The work of the BASF leadership team is a success story in managing global complexity.

article thumbnail

Looking at the sustainable supply chains behind some classic Valentine’s Day favorites

Kinaxis

by Teresa Chiykowski Chocolates, wine, flowers, jewelry? What will you buy for the special person in your life this Valentine’s Day? Not planning to buy anything at all? You might want to seriously rethink that decision before you show up empty-handed. Over the years, Valentine’s Day has become big business. As you know, Valentine’s Day is an annual holiday, celebrated on February 14.

article thumbnail

The Top 6 Trends in Logistics Impacting Shippers in 2017

GlobalTranz

The election is over, but the race is just starting for logistics providers. Although rate volatility is expected to stabilize in 2017, organizations must do more with fewer resources to survive. From Amazon to hyper-local retailers, 2017 will be a year of intense scrutiny and pressure on logistics providers. Fortunately, your organization can get ahead of the learning curve by knowing what trends in logistics to watch for this year.

article thumbnail

3 Compelling Reasons to Start Using Prescriptive Analytics

AIMMS

If you’ve read up on the latest topics in the field of data analysis, then you’ve probably encountered the term Prescriptive Analytics. Prescriptive Analytics is a type of Advanced Analytics that results in a recommended action. Unlike Descriptive (focused on reporting with basic trend or pattern recognition) or Predictive Analytics (focused on predicting the future with forecasting techniques), Prescriptive Analytics uses techniques like machine learning and mathematical modeling to help you im

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

This Week in Logistics News (February 13-17, 2017)

Talking Logistics

What do you when you have no school due to snow? You build a 10 ft. 6 in. giant snowman. At least that’s what my kids did this past Monday, with the help of a couple of neighborhood friends. All this week, people have been taking pictures with Billy Bob Joe III, including firemen who snapped photos with their phones as they drove by in their big red engine.

article thumbnail

Precise scheduling: The key to solving the hot charging puzzle

DELMIA Quintiq

About 10 years ago, I wrote my master’s thesis on scheduling steel production. In my research, I read a lot about the steel industry, particularly about steelmaking processes and optimizing steel production schedules. One of the interesting topics I read about was hot charging: Optimizing the path between steel casting and hot rolling so that the cooling of slabs between those two processes is minimized.

article thumbnail

Different Strokes for Different Folks (to Yield Better Results?)?

Supply Chain Shaman

This week I spent time in Silicon Valley talking to technology innovators. Disruption in supply chain planning is happening. My angst is that it is not happening faster. We are on a path to reinvent decision-support technologies like supply chain planning. The third act is starting. This will make traditional approaches obsolete. The rate of adoption will be fast for early adopters (next five years), but much slower for conservative followers.

article thumbnail

Moore’s Law and supply chain planning systems

Kinaxis

by Dr. Madhav Durbha It was in 1965 that Dr. Gordon Moore made a prediction that changed the pace of tech. His prediction, popularly known as Moore’s law , was with regards to doubling of the number of transistors per square inch on an integrated circuit every 18 months or so. As a result of the innovations attributable to the endurance of Moore’s law over the last 50+ years, we have seen significant accelerations in processing power, storage, and connectivity.

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

5 Manufacturing Tech Trends You Need to Know to Prevent Risk and Boost Production

GlobalTranz

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and the Internet of Things (IoT) are similar, but both function on the connection of equipment to the internet and applying data collected to consumer and business needs, including the needs of manufacturers. From boosting the level of artificial intelligence to promoting better means of mitigating and preventing risks, technology will change how manufacturers grow throughout 2017.

article thumbnail

Shifting from “Linear Thinking” towards “Circular Thinking”

SCM Research

Shifting from “company thinking” to “supply chain thinking” has successfully replaced the system , managers had in mind when making their decisions. This shift has put some of the parts of what has formerly been considered the company’s unmanageable environment into their unit of analysis. A supply chain, however, is per definition linear. In the age of sustainability, we might thus need to go one step further and shift from “linear thinking” towards “circular thinking”.

Video 89
article thumbnail

Dedicated Fleet: A Growing Piece of the Transportation Puzzle

Talking Logistics

In a guest commentary we published back in July 2013 titled “ Dedicated Fleet and Common Carrier Network: A Match Made in Heaven? ,” Scott Nemeth writes: Say you’ve always used a for-hire common carrier to deliver goods and materials. Or, maybe you prefer to use your own private fleet. Or you only use a dedicated fleet from a trusted partner. In today’s complex and volatile business environment, that strategy may no longer work.

article thumbnail

2017 Top 10 Yard Management Challenges

PINC

Based on our independent research, the productivity of today’s complex warehouse and manufacturing operations will be impacted by the following inefficiencies in yards: 1. Delayed shipments to and from the warehouse 2. Lack of shipment and trailer visibility needed for efficient shuttling between plant and distribution centers 3. Inability to locate empties to meet outbound load schedules 4.

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

Novo Nordisk: A Story of a Supply Chain Leader

Supply Chain Shaman

With more than 90 years of innovation in diabetes care, Novo Nordisk is a global pharmaceutical leader. (The logo to the left showcases the evolution of the brand over time.) The Company’s goal is to defeat diabetes and drive better patient outcomes. The company also provides for other serious chronic conditions including hemophilia, growth disorders and obesity.

article thumbnail

Improving Supply Chain Collaboration: Connecting People

Kinaxis

by Teresa Chiykowski This is the final blog post in our three-part series discussing ways to improve supply chain collaboration. If you’ve read the first blog posts in this series, you should have a pretty good idea of two main reasons why supply chain collaboration is failing – fundamental. You should also have a better understanding how to fix what’s “broke” when it comes to data and processes.

article thumbnail

Sustainable Logistics: Quantifying Sustainability Measures of Your Logistics

GlobalTranz

Calculating the carbon footprint of a company’s comprehensive logistics framework is tremendously complex. WorldShipping.org cites data from The Network for Transit and the Environment that shows that measured by grams/kg/km air freight as the largest carbon footprint impact and steamships as the lowest. Diesel rail is twice that of steamships, and the impact from trucks, while a fraction of air, is three times rail.

article thumbnail

How smart steel manufacturers are sustaining continuous growth

DELMIA Quintiq

It’s a tough balance to maintain: Delivery performance, cost efficiency and customer satisfaction. How do you ensure that you can achieve one goal without compromising the others? Smart steel manufacturers have found a simple solution — intelligent, flexible planning. Smart steel manufacturers realize that the market’s volatile conditions require lightning-fast response in order to sustain growth.

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

Stuck at 33%: The True State of TMS Deployment

Talking Logistics

When I first started researching the transportation management systems (TMS) market more than 18 years ago, industry analysts (including me) often stated that only 33% of companies had implemented a TMS. Fast forward to today and the same statistic is still being quoted. For example, according to an article published last month by Logistics Management , “Transportation management solutions have been around for a while, but the most recent survey of Logistics Management readers shows that just 35

article thumbnail

Cognitive Computing in the CPG Sector = Efficiency and Innovation

Enterra Insights

Kraft-Heinz’ recent failed attempt to purchase Unilever for $143 billion dollars is unlikely to be the last news of mergers … Continued. The post Cognitive Computing in the CPG Sector = Efficiency and Innovation appeared first on Enterra Solutions.

article thumbnail

Global Supply Chain Report 2017 (Guest Post by Dexter Galvin)

SCM Research

I am happy to share the following guest post by Dexter Galvin, Head of Supply Chain, CDP. Thank you for contributing to my blog. Our latest Global Supply Chain Report 2017 , written in partnership with BSR and the Carbon Trust, revealed emissions savings of 434 million tonnes disclosed by suppliers in 2016. That’s more than the annual emissions of France, and it shows that the supply chain is a critical component – the missing link – in securing our sustainable, low-carbon future.

article thumbnail

Is it time to take your supply chain glocal?

Kinaxis

by Alexa Cheater Nope, that’s not a typo. I really did mean glocal. In case the term is new to you, glocal, in a supply chain context, is the blending of global integration with local responsiveness. I first heard the term only a few months ago during Zoltan Pekar’s presentation at our annual training and user conference, Kinexions. Pekar, the VP of Roland DG’s Global SCM Division, gave some interesting insights on the changing role of IT in supply chain.

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

Trends In Manufacturing: 5 Tangible Technologies are Shaping the Future of Manufacturing Now

GlobalTranz

Continuous improvement is part of the game in manufacturing. Factories are finding new ways to change how products are made, reflecting an increased need for shorter product life cycles. Among the new trends in manufacturing improving the industry, additive manufacturing and cloud-based systems will push manufacturing forward in 2017. In fact, rapid design and lightning-fast prototyping, reports Mark Dohnalek of Manufacturing Business Technology magazine , will allow manufacturers to design and

article thumbnail

Making disruptions invisible: Logistics planning lessons from America’s favorite pastime

DELMIA Quintiq

Disruptions occur on a daily basis in every industry across the globe. The supply chain industry – specifically in the domain of logistics planning – is no exception. Transportation dispatchers and planners must be able to navigate changes in weather and traffic, as well as accidents, road closures, customer demands and more. As the Quintiq Logistics Planner Product Manager, I help our customers overcome these disruptions so they are invisible to the end consumer.

article thumbnail

Making TMS an Enterprise Priority

Talking Logistics

Gregg Lanyard, Director of Product Management at Manhattan Associates , discusses the following questions and more in this timely and informative episode: Why is making TMS a priority more important today than in the past? What factors are driving this need? What have been some of the hurdles to implementing a TMS and making it a priority? How do you overcome them?