This site uses cookies to improve your experience. To help us insure we adhere to various privacy regulations, please select your country/region of residence. If you do not select a country, we will assume you are from the United States. Select your Cookie Settings or view our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Used for the proper function of the website
Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Strictly Necessary: Used for the proper function of the website
Performance/Analytics: Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
'These are the grim facts. Only 9% of companies feel that they manage supply chain talent better than peers.The issues are growing. Job turnover is 15% and new positions remain open for 4 months before they are filled. I think that supply chain talent is a broken link in the supply chain. I also believe that the adoption of new mental models is a barrier to progress.
'There has been a lot of talk lately as it relates to last mile deliveries, and how retailers can delight their customers at the actual moment of fulfillment. As more retailers venture into the omni-channel space, last mile has taken on more importance. Two behemoths have taken center stage in the battle for perfecting (or […]. The post Amazon, Google, and Crowdsourcing: The Battle for the Last Mile appeared first on Logistics Viewpoints: A Blog for Logistics, Supply Chain, and 3PL E
'We all know that supply chains are becoming more and more global, but how often can we actually see them becoming more global? The site vox.com has compiled 38 maps that explain the global economy. We’ve selected 6 that are especially relevant to supply chains. #1: How Sugar Circulates Globally. Even seemingly simple commodities have complex supply chains.
'by John Westerveld Imagine yourself in this scenario; You wake up at the usual time, and over coffee, you review the news. As you flip through the articles on your iPad, you see it. A major earthquake in Taiwan. Then you get the e-mail. One of your key suppliers uses a supplier that is in the area affected by the quake and is effectively shut down for the foreseeable future… Uh oh.
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.
'Remember when Amazon.com was just an online bookstore? Today the company is a diverse online retailer, for both consumers and businesses , as well as a logistics service provider , cloud services provider , tablet and smartphone developer, and much more. Remember when Uber was just an app to get a ride somewhere? That’s what we’ll be saying in the not too distant future, as the company continues to experiment and branch into new areas.
'Do you shop online? If you answered “Yes”, then you probably fall into the demographic who has contributed to the massive closure of brick-and-mortar stores. In the past decade, physical stores have been facing increased competition from online retailers catering to Millennials. This has pushed brands to rethink marketing strategies as they learn how to ride the Web 2.0 wave.
'Do you shop online? If you answered “Yes”, then you probably fall into the demographic who has contributed to the massive closure of brick-and-mortar stores. In the past decade, physical stores have been facing increased competition from online retailers catering to Millennials. This has pushed brands to rethink marketing strategies as they learn how to ride the Web 2.0 wave.
'Over the course of the last two years, we at Supply Chain Insight s have worked on a methodology to gauge supply chain improvement. We named it the Supply Chain Index. We have found that supply chain metrics are gnarly and complicated.During the last two months, we have been interviewing supply chain leaders to get their views on the methodology.
In July the US, the European Union (EU), and select other countries instituted a number of trade and financial sanctions against Russia for its involvement in the separatist movement in neighboring Ukraine. The EU banned the export of military technology and certain technology used for oil and gas exploration and production in deep water, the […].
'No company has ‘truly’ modeled the full relationship set between how companies interact with other companies upstream and downstream in the supply chain. Some of the largest companies in the world struggle to maintain accurate master data about their suppliers. Even companies who have invested in building an accurate database of their direct suppliers know very little about the next tier of suppliers upstream in the supply chain.
'by CJ Wehlage What would you say is the next great disruption coming to our supply chain world? I’ve heard some common themes, such as weather, political changes, even war. Those are potential, and somewhat out of our control. However, there’s one great disruption already occurring, which has yet to truly “touch” supply chain. It’s the consumer.
'While couriers have long been used for local or “last mile” business-to-business deliveries in the U.S., and for consumer deliveries in densely populated areas of the world such as Europe and Asia, the average American thinks only of big name players like FedEx, UPS, or a name such as Con-way that they saw on the side of a semi-trailer truck on the highway, when it comes to delivery.
'If you read my previous post about The Goal, you already know who Alex Rogo is. Alex achieves the almost impossible feat of turning around his failing production plant and making it the most profitable operation in the company. For this, he uses the Theory of Constraints (TOC), following five steps of continuous improvement. Even more interesting, he determines these five steps by analyzing an event (hiking with his sons scout troop) that is completely unrelated to a production process
'Two ingredients are needed to create supply chain resilience: robustness, which is proactive, and agility, which is reactive. Robustness builds on anticipation “to gain knowledge about potential changes that might occur in the future” and preparedness “to maintain a stable situation” Agility builds on visibility “to gain knowledge about actual changes that are currently occurring” and speed “to get back to a stable situation” Wieland, A., & Wa
'What if you could accurately predict how your supply chain will perform in the future? Know how a strategy change will impact your service levels or costs? Predict when you will stock out or be late with a shipment? To do this you need ESP. Not extra-sensory perception, but it’s the next best thing from […]. The post Use Simulation Planning to Predict Future Supply Chain Performance appeared first on Logistics Viewpoints: A Blog for Logistics, Supply Chain, and 3PL Executives.
“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.
'If we feel that today we have achieved a level of goodness across our supply network planning and operations, how do we target and mobilize toward greatness? The challenge for us in today’s competitive environment is how to evolve from ‘good’ to ‘great.’ We’ve gotten to ‘good’ by deploying the dominant technologies of today, but whose architectural design unfortunately perpetuates significant latency and inefficiency across the supply network.
'by CJ Wehlage. Take a good long look at this picture. That’s my ignominy. That’s my garage. When we moved to San Diego, we loved the weather, we loved the ocean sunsets and we loved getting rid of our parka coats, gloves, scarves and tossle caps. Roddy Martin, my colleague from AMR Research, now with Accenture, often uses the term “ah-ha” moment.
'If you want to stay ahead of your competition, take the step beyond the traditional approach to supply chain. Most supply chain analysts believe that to remain competitive, companies must transform their supply chains from being focused inward to focusing on trying to predict demand to customer-driven chains that are organized to respond to demand with lightning speed.
I’ve seen it play out so many times. A growing, well-established manufacturing company decides to take its business processes to the next level by implementing an ERP system. The company evaluates solutions, makes the best choice for its needs, and begins the implementation process. Months later, the new system is live, and the company’s planners begin building their business processes into the system.
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
'My colleague Stefan Cucu recently wrote on the subject of stock shrinkage in coolers located in HORECA outlets in Romania. One of the points he made warned Supply Chain professionals about the likelihood of stock shrinkage anywhere along the chain. The term shrinkage covers a multitude of incidents but all inevitably lead to missing stock, extra cost and ultimately, poor customer service.
'The financial supply chain needs more attention than it usually gets. Traditionally, the focus of supply chain management is on the movement of finished goods and raw materials across the value chain. But companies also need to pay attention to the flow of money. The movement of money happens in the form of bank credits […]. The post Efficient Financing Options Help Enhance Factory Standards in Emerging Markets appeared first on Logistics Viewpoints: A Blog for Logistics, Supply Chain, an
'Today and in the posts that follow, I want to discuss the technology transformation that many supply chains are undergoing, and discuss how these changes can help the wider organization move from “good” to “great” Enterprises today face a conundrum in the optimization of their supply network performance. While many have driven significant improvements over the past few years through the application of advanced tools, processes, analytics, and measurement systems, how can
'by Melissa Clow Today we have a great customer, Konica Minolta, that recently allowed us to write up their sales and operations planning story and I believe that it has merit in sharing with our readers! At Konica Minolta, the IT Equipment Business team was struggling to get a quick and comprehensive view of the global supply chain network. The Japanese consumer electronics company didnt have visibility into the impact of supply and demand changes on the business.
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.
'One of my favorite toys as a boy was Stretch Armstrong, a muscle-man action figure with a stretchable body. As the catalog picture below illustrates, you could pull its arms and legs up to four feet in length (although I never had the strength to pull them out that far). “Stretch him long, stretch him thin, watch him return to shape again” — over and over again, until he ultimately developed a tear, and the great mystery of what was inside (red gelled corn syrup) came oozing out. .
'This year, we will publish two new books: Supply Chain Metrics That Matter and The Shaman’s Journal. We are adding these two new books for your bookshelf to stand beside Bricks Matter which published in December, 2012. In 2015, it is our goal to publish another new book, Lessons in Supply Chain Leadership. Each book takes a new twist on the old topic of supply chain excellence.
'That does a supply chain risk researcher’s heart good: MIT Sloan Management Review has recently published two interesting case studies about the interface between risk and supply chain management. First, in the magazine’s spring issue, Chopra and Sodhi call attention to a dilemma faced by most managers: “Solutions to reduce risk mean little unless they are evaluated against their impact on cost efficiency” To protect supply chains from disruptions anyway, the authors sug
The hottest trend in supply chain management is omni-channel. Five years ago it was shelf-level collaboration. But really, these initiatives should be seen as mutually reinforcing. Omni-channel is retailing is based on providing consumers with a better shopping experience by leveraging both stores and the e-commerce channel. The idea is that a customer should be […].
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 pressure to contain or drive down health system costs continues to be of big focus. In the US, healthcare expenditure per person has risen by almost 78 per cent since 2000 to USD 8,700 in 2011 (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 2012). In Europe, the proportion of healthcare costs as a share of GDP is predicted to rise from 6.7 in 2008 to 7.6 per cent by 2020.
'by Melissa Clow. Like I’ve mentioned in my last couple of Thursday blogs, we are starting to gear up for this year’s Kinexions (our annual training & user conference ). A few weeks ago I began to reminisce about our fun customer videos from past conferences and I decided to create a blog series to share. So, on this ‘Throw Back Thursday’, I would like to share this video of Laura Dionne, director worldwide operations planning, presenting “Compromise.
'As highlighted in a November 2012 HBR blog post , the Israeli company Netafim captured almost one-third of the “seemingly commoditized” micro-irrigation equipment market by changing its business model to better address the needs and constraints of its customers. According to the authors, “Netafim went so far as to change [its] mission statement from ‘making the best drip irrigation equipment for customers’ to ‘helping the world grow more with less’, an objective far more aligned with the objec
We organize all of the trending information in your field so you don't have to. Join 102,000+ users and stay up to date on the latest articles your peers are reading.
You know about us, now we want to get to know you!
Let's personalize your content
Let's get even more personalized
We recognize your account from another site in our network, please click 'Send Email' below to continue with verifying your account and setting a password.
Let's personalize your content