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Supply chain excellence. It is easier to say than define. Getting it clear is important. Why? The answer makes or breaks a supply chain leader’s career and defines corporate value. Let’s take an example. When we look at the relative progress of industries within the Technology Value Networks in Table 1, you see a lot of red. The first number in a cell represents the average value for a specific industry for 2010-2016, and the percentage on the second line is a comparison of the average for 2010
by Dr. Madhav Durbha I recently read this very interesting book, “Be the Business: CIOs in the new era of IT” by Martha Heller. In the book, the author made several very interesting observations about how the role of a Chief Information Officer is changing in the age of cloud computing, personalization of tech, and the rise of shadow IT. As I was reading the book, I couldn’t help but reflect on my own experience of working with IT organizations over the last two decades I have been in the supply
These podcasts bring the latest news and thought leadership in the supply chain and logistics industries right to your earbuds. I used to think that podcasts were a hip form of new media that millennials used to further their iPhone addictions. Fast forward a few years, and the benefits of having news and entertainment in your earbuds has converted me to a podcast fan.
Something struck me after spending a few days in Phoenix at Gartner’s Supply Chain Executive Conference. Supply Chain Network Optimization is key to running an efficient and profitable operation today. But while the market has changed, network optimization hasn’t actually advanced much since the 1990s. Yes, there are lots more features and a big increase in computing power.
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.
While I was preparing for an executive meeting at a very large, very complex and dynamic food & beverage company, I was told of an internal conflict between Sales and Operations. From the viewpoint of the team in charge of outbound logistics, this conflict – fortunately collaborative – emanated from two conflicting demands – both in the S&OP process as well as in day-to-day fulfilment.
In any business or trade you need the right tools for the job, and the supply chain business is no different. At every level of supply chain expertise and competitive differentiation you use certain tools, and seek others to move to the next level. In the 2017 Supply Chain Management Executive Conference presentation Exploring the Major Changes in Supply Chain Planning Technology through the Five Stages of Maturity , Gartner analyst Tim Payne described a representative tool for each level of sup
In any business or trade you need the right tools for the job, and the supply chain business is no different. At every level of supply chain expertise and competitive differentiation you use certain tools, and seek others to move to the next level. In the 2017 Supply Chain Management Executive Conference presentation Exploring the Major Changes in Supply Chain Planning Technology through the Five Stages of Maturity , Gartner analyst Tim Payne described a representative tool for each level of sup
We talk a lot about globalization in supply chain management, but when you peel back the onion on it, you realize how enormously complex and risky it is to move goods across borders — and if you don’t have the right people, processes, and technologies to effectively manage the process, your ability to move goods across borders can literally come to a halt.
by Ilyas Kucukcay Over the last few decades, small and medium size (SME) companies have been leveraging their daily and long-term operations by using more efficient supply chain delivery and optimization techniques. Business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-customer (B2C) companies are also following this trend to step their game up and deliver their goods and services by shorter production and delivery times.
. Editor's Note: Today's blog is from our friend Robert Everett who gives us some fantastic tips for managing logistics effectiveness. The latest news from the world of high technologies: Microsoft is going to store data as DNA. The data science is gaining popularity together with the tremendous growth of information, generated in the world. Investors are spending more money on the neural networks.
The adoption of advanced analytics has moved at a much slower pace in Asia Pacific compared to Europe or North America. There are innovative firms that are setting the standard for innovation and successful analytics adoption, but as Actionable Intelligence expert Keith B. Carter explained in an interview with us last year, large businesses in the region are still lagging behind.
Order supplies too early, and you’ll have to carry excess inventory for weeks or months. This will put you at risk of inventory deterioration and obsolescence. It can also drive up your storage, cooling, and insurance costs. Order supplies closer to when you’ll actually need them, and you’ll keep inventory costs lower—but you’ll run the risk of having your production grind to a halt because of a simple shipping delay.
Source: 2017 Gartner Supply Chain Technology User Wants and Needs Study, Dwight Klappich. The annual Gartner Supply Chain Technology User Wants and Needs Study, now its tenth year, is one of this industry's most comprehensive studies of supply chain users. This year it included more than 473 people spanning the globe. Here are some key questions it answered: Does supply chain maturity matter?
As a blogger, you can get feedback real time. Pretty cool. Right? I answer every question I get and sometimes I share my answers. This is the case today. Recently I had a comment on the Supply Chains to Admire post. The comment was, “While I appreciate comparing companies to their peers, I am lost on how Amazon and Walmart can be excluded (nevermind P&G).
by Alexa Cheater If there’s one thing you can count on in supply chain, it’s that things will change. Often. It could be as relatively small as a last minute order or engineering change, or as big as an industry-wide shift that sends your end-to-end supply chain spinning in an entirely new direction. At the recent Gartner Supply Chain Executive Conference, there was a lot of talk about the latter.
“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.
Manufacturers have always struggled to know their customers. But, modern businesses have grown to encompass an omnichannel sales opportunity. Customers can place orders online, by phone, in person and in nearly any other means desirable. Unfortunately, this means manufacturers face an even greater challenge, as more customers translate into greater use of customer service.
Choosing a supply chain software vendor can be a long and tedious process. You need to make sure the software has the right capabilities, that you have the right people on board to truly leverage it and that it will support and not hinder your processes. Supply Chain Media publishes a yearly IT Subway Map to help business leaders in their decision making process.
Got questions about sales and operations planning (S&OP)? We’ve got answers. And at the end of a recent webinar, we picked the brain of the “Father of S&OP,” Dick Ling. Here are some of the questions we got from the audience—and our answers. Who usually wants S&OP software? The people who want their companies to implement S&OP software are usually the ones in the trenches who have become frustrated by poor communication.
Source: Andrew Downard, Gartner Supply Chain Executive Conference, May 2017. Business is moving fast and there is so much new data now speeding through the pipes that Gartner says it’s not possible to plan a supply chain without some level of automation. So they now offer a scale (a maturity curve) to measure the level of automation in your supply chain planning.
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
Your supply chain’s key performance indicators support tactical, day-to-day business decisions, so ensuring you are reading them correctly is imperative. The question becomes, “how are you comparing your transportation metrics to what’s happening around you?” If you only focus on the data in your own supply chain, you could be missing the bigger picture, and ultimately, misreading your KPIs.
by Alexa Cheater Pro Football Hall of Famer Troy Aikman, who led the Dallas Cowboys to three Super Bowl victories in four years in the early ‘90s, may not be the first person you think of when it comes to giving great supply chain advice. One thing the legendary pro athlete does know is leadership. You can’t be a great quarterback without it and that was the topic of his keynote presentation at the recent Gartner Supply Chain Executive Conference.
The cloud-based solutions and applications are quickly conquering the markets all over the world; they deemed to be highly scalable, easy to manage and cost-effective. Small and middle-sized companies are pushed by the aggressive competition to be more flexible and adaptive. Big enterprises might not be that open to innovations but are hypersensitive to cost and resource savings.
This past month I attended our Supply Chain Insights Bootcamp training led by Lora Cecere in Philadelphia and facilitated the first course of a Cross-Company Academy training, End-to-End Supply Chain Orchestration. Throughout the great discussions within these courses, I couldn’t help but notice a general theme – people are forgetting to define (or ask) what supply chain excellence looks like for their companies!
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.
A story on Bloomberg recently caught my eye. It described how BMW is seeking compensation from Bosch for a car production stoppage. Apparently a production bottleneck at an Italian Bosch plant that makes steering gears for BMW caused missed deliveries, the impact of which caused a domino effect ultimately leading to shutdowns in multiple auto production plants: “BMW AG will seek compensation from Robert Bosch GmbH after missing parts for models including the bestselling 3-Series sedan caused p
“Based on our research, every organization which aligns top-down financial plans with bottom-up demand plans, as part of their S&OP, sees an improvement in the accuracy and predictability of their financial forecast.” - Matthew Spooner, Research Director at Gartner. In Real Examples of Advanced S&OP and How S&OP Can Be Used to Create Value at Gartner’s recent Supply Chain Executive Conference, Spooner stressed that “no process is more fundamental to predictable financials than sale a
Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen a lot of activity related to last-mile delivery — from startups providing last-mile delivery services to advancements in transportation management systems and mobile technologies to more effectively plan, execute, and track last-mile deliveries, as well as several acquisitions in this space. What’s driving this focus on last-mile delivery?
by Carmen Humplik Every year, the city of Ottawa hosts an event called Doors Open Ottawa. Approximately 150 historically, culturally, and functionally significant buildings open their doors to the public. If you’re a resident of the city, it’s a great way to explore your own backyard as it allows you to gain access to buildings that are normally closed to the public.
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.
The role of the customer experience in growing your business cannot be overstated. Amazon and other retail giants have managed to create unique, customer-focused supply chains , ensuring customers have real-time status updates and options in case of returns. Meanwhile, managing customer-focused supply chains can be complicated, eroding profit margins.
Choosing a supply chain software vendor can be a long and tedious process. You need to make sure the software has the right capabilities, that you have the right people on board to truly leverage it and that it will support and not hinder your processes. Supply Chain Media publishes a yearly IT Subway Map to help business leaders in their decision making process.
A new Sales & Operations Planning cycle kicks off today – but there’s a problem. Upon reviewing last month’s performance, red flags emerge: Sales were underestimated but logistics costs were higher than planned. The team alerts the sales rep (who ups his growth predictions), logistics manager (who thinks it’s too low, and raises it again) and financial controller.
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