July, 2014

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How consumer priorities impact your supply chain

DELMIA Quintiq

'Happy customers are the key to success. It’s the first and more persistent rule of business. In the world of supply chains that used to mean making sure you had supplies to make and deliver a product, in full and on time. But that’s not enough anymore. Customer expectations have changed. They’ve been helped along by major missteps and enabled by technology.

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Joining Forces for the Third Act

Supply Chain Shaman

'“I read your blog, and was struck by some of your comments on Forbes,” stated the email. “ Could we arrange a call?” “Sure,” I said, and the call was quickly arranged. As I answered the phone, I heard the voice of an aggressive investor in supply chain technology software. He seemed very certain in an uncertain market.

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4 Parallels between Planning a Wedding and Supply Chain.

Kinaxis

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Noob Guide to Supply Chain Management Definition

Supply Chain Opz

'What is the definition of supply chain management? Despite the popularity of this concept, there are considerable confusions among the practitioners. Because, each professional organization has its own version of the definition. In this article, we will show you 6 attributes that will make you understand more about the meaning. 1) It''s a network Many companies have the department that controls various activities within the supply chain.

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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.

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The Internet of Things will Change the Face of Supply Chain Management, but it will require a Revolution in Analytics First

Logistics Viewpoints

'The Internet of Things (IoT) will make our operations more efficient by combining smart sensors, cameras, software, databases/business intelligence, and the Internet (primarily in the form of private clouds) together in diverse ways. IoT is already evident in several places across the supply chain, but pundits are predicting that it will become so deeply part […].

More Trending

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Four signs you need supply chain optimization

DELMIA Quintiq

'The verdict is in – and has been for quite some time: Supply chain optimization is adding significant value to companies in a wide range of industries. Many of the world’s most successful organizations now regard supply chain optimization and advanced decision support as their ‘secret weapon’ Here are a few reasons why: An aluminum company reduced inventory by between 50 and 60 million euros.

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A shift in philosophy: basketball and your demand forecast

The Network Effect

'In January 1971, Fordham University Rams played an NCAA basketball game against the then mighty University of Massachusetts Redmen team. The game was played in Amherst, at the legendary arena known as the Cage. UMass, at the time, was almost unbeatable and hadn’t lost a game at The Cage for almost 2 years. They were led by none other than the famous Julius Erving – Dr.

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How do the Best-in-Class Respond to Supply Chain Disruptions?

Kinaxis

'by Melissa Clow “Chief Supply Chain Officers (CSCO) know that there is no such thing as a perfect plan and disruptions will always occur.”. This is the reality that every member of a supply chain team lives with every day. And while sometimes, a disruption might be small and easily offset, some disruptions are more significant and have a greater impact on the supply chain before they can be resolved.

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10 CEOs Reveal Favorite Operations Management Book

Supply Chain Opz

'Operations Management is a subject taught in business school anywhere in the world. However, classic textbooks seem to have the same teaching approach, content outline and even case studies. Then this article will show you what operations management really is, why it''s important to supply chain professionals and 10 books that inspire some of the world''s business leaders.

Six Sigma 252
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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.

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Are You Asking Enough of Your 3PL?

Logistics Viewpoints

'If you’re a shipper considering outsourcing the management of your supply chain to a 3PL, there are certain core capabilities you should be sure the partnership will bring before entering into it. You’ll want to know what separates one supply chain management company from its competitors. You’ll want to learn who the 3PL is at […]. The post Are You Asking Enough of Your 3PL?

3PL 247
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The Hackers Inside Your Supply Chain

Talking Logistics

'Two recent reports highlight the growing threat of cyber-terrorism on supply chains. First, the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report last month focused on the need for better port cybersecurity. Here are some excerpts from the report: U.S. maritime ports handle more than $1.3 trillion in cargo annually. The operations of these ports are supported by information and communication systems, which are susceptible to cyber-related threats.

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World Cup fever: Scoring the goal

DELMIA Quintiq

'During holidays and special events, we tend see the same themes in supply chain blog posts. The post on the logistical challenge of Christmas deliveries, the supply chain commentary on Valentine’s Day flower forecasting, harvesting and shipping, and the production processing post on chocolate Easter bunnies. Not quite so frequent (but just as regular) are the posts about the football supply chain, or the supply and demand of food and beverages at stadiums.

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FMCG: Top ten tips for totally terrific S&OP – not a fishy tale!

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

'I have travelled quite a lot over the years and tried to add one new country each year until I stumbled at 45. Many were holidays but a majority were on business with very few opportunities available to actually see the place. “Oh, you must be so lucky to travel” – not. During the hundreds of flights taken I have seen some very unusual things aboard aircraft.

S&OP 185
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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.

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Thoughts from Kinaxis' new VP of Supply Chain Professional Services

Kinaxis

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The Noob Guide to Supply Chain Definition

Supply Chain Opz

'What is the definition of supply chain management? Despite the popularity of this concept, there are considerable confusions among the practitioners. Because, each professional organization has its own version of the definition. In this article, we will show you 6 attributes that will make you understand more about the meaning. 1) It''s a network Many companies have the department that controls various activities within the supply chain.

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What’s Behind the Supply Chain Analytics Revolution?

Logistics Viewpoints

'There is a seemingly endless amount of information on the current analytics and big data revolution in business. I recently read a Wall Street Journal article on a tech-driven revolution in sports, written by Billy Beane, the Oakland A’s general manager most well known as the character played by Brad Pitt in the movie Moneyball. […]. The post What’s Behind the Supply Chain Analytics Revolution?

Analytics 234
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The Problem with “No Problems”

Talking Logistics

'Warehouse managers might think a report of “no problems” means their warehouse is running in top form — but there is a big problem with a report of “no problem.”. You’ve probably heard the story of the Toyota executive who, while touring a plant, asked about the problems that factory faced. When he was told there were no problems, he noted that if there were no problems, there was no need for a manager.

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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

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A great leap forward: Quintiq joins Dassault Systèmes

DELMIA Quintiq

'At Quintiq, news is often greeted with excitement. That’s because it is usually great news. A new customer, a new world record, more awards and recognition, yet another year of continuous profit and growth. Words like ‘restructuring’ carry no taboo here, since it’s always led not to jobs in jeopardy, but the creation of new business and career opportunities for all.

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Underwriters Laboratories Offers Preventative Intelligence for Supply Chain Sustainability

Supply Chains Rock

'Sara Greenstein is the president of supply chain and sustainability at Underwriters Laboratories - yes, the same company responsible for the UL logo on millions of goods. To my surprise UL offer a number of informative supply chain intelligence products which give every player in the supply chain the tools to be compliant and sustainable. Who knew.

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What the Analysts Are Saying About…A&D Supply Chains

Kinaxis

'by Bill DuBois. Are you looking for some reading material to pass the time on your next flight? Even if you’re not you should check out Supply Chain Insights, Supply Chain Metrics That Matter. For the past several years, Supply Chain Insights has been delivering this research series. What caught my eye is that for each report, they do a deep dive on a specific industry and use a mix of financial data, survey research results and interactions with their clients to help get a better understandin

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Operations Management: CEOs Reveal 10 Favorite Books

Supply Chain Opz

'Operations Management is a subject taught in business school anywhere in the world. However, classic textbooks seem to have the same teaching approach, content outline and even case studies. Then this article will show you what operations management really is, why it''s important to supply chain professionals and 10 books that inspire some of the world''s business leaders.

Six Sigma 188
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Breaking The Commerce Bottleneck: Your SAP Exit Plan Starts Now

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.

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Amazon.com vs. Alibaba: Omni-channel Competitor and Collaborator

Logistics Viewpoints

'When it comes to e-commerce, Westerners are very familiar with Amazon.com. Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce giant, is largely unknown. Amazon’s revenues of $74.4 billion dwarf Alibaba’s $8.4 billion. But Alibaba has a different business model. Unlike Amazon they do not take ownership of inventory, stock it in their distribution centers, and then fulfill the orders. […].

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Top 5 Questions About Keeping Transportation In-House

Talking Logistics

'There is an old proverb: You never know what you have until it is gone. Is this true for your in-house transportation management department? Why would you hand over your transportation management to someone else? There are viable reasons to outsource the system, people, or both; for example, your transportation requirements are not unique enough to staff a full department.

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Why the West Coast Ports Labor Dispute Matters to Retailers

The Network Effect

'By Chris Ferrell. Director, Tompkins Supply Chain Consortium. Retailers are paying close attention to labor disputes threatening to bring a stop to imports coming in to West Coast ports. They are anxiously awaiting (and hoping for) a successful dock worker agreement between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA).

Retail 180
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Rethinking Corporate Social Compliance in the Supply Chain

SCM Research

'Managers are increasingly under pressure to ensure that their products bear attributes like “fair” , “ethical” , “green” , or “social” Hereby, it becomes clear that solutions cannot just be found in the manager’s company, but in the company’s end-to-end supply chain. This has led companies to audit every company along their global supply chains against the own standards, which resulted in a large volume of auditing.

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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.

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Thow Back Thursday: First Solar case study ‘First Solar & Kinaxis Killed the Excel Star’. A video worth remembering

Kinaxis

'by Melissa Clow Here at Kinaxis, we are starting to gear up for this year’s Kinexions (our annual training & user conference ). I quickly began to reminisce about our fun yet educational customer videos from past conferences. So, on this ‘Throw Back Thursday’, I would like to share Shellie Molina’s First Solar case study ‘First Solar & Kinaxis Killed the Excel Star” In this presentation, you will learn how First Solar ‘s global supply chain has

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How do you become a scenario planning expert?

DELMIA Quintiq

'What if: You lost one of your biggest clients tomorrow? A product launch had to be delayed? One of your suppliers hit a bottleneck? Would you know what to do? A lot of people wouldn’t. A scenario planning expert would. When Dr. Freek Aertsen co-hosted a Quintiq webinar with Dr. Michiel Jansen on scenario planning towards effective S&OP, he asked participants how often they conducted scenario planning. 24% of respondents did very little or none at all. 48% only conducted scenario planning wh

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“We Want Our CEO Back!” – A New Supply Chain Disruption

Logistics Viewpoints

'Supply chain disruptions are not a new thing. I’ve written about them quite a bit this year, whether they were due to bad weather, political unrest, driver shortages, or faulty equipment. And we’ve certainly seen supply chain disruptions due to employee strikes or walk-outs. These incidents are usually due to what employees feel are unfair […].