Supply Chain Shaman

JANUARY 9, 2024

How Do You Define Excellence? In retrospect, I find that technology is an enabler, but only if we are clear on what defines supply chain excellence. Many believe that an ex-supply chain exec knows the definition of supply chain excellence. An average margin of 21% with inventory turns of 1.58 I admit it. Lora was as well.

Supply Chain Planning Software 386

Supply Chain Planning Software Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Planning Gartner 386

ToolsGroup

MARCH 25, 2025

Even more impressive, lost sales due to stockouts can decrease by up to 65%, while inventory reductions of 20% to 50% are possible. This advanced analysis allows businesses to predict promotional lift with unprecedented accuracy, ensuring optimized production schedules and inventory positioning through sophisticated supply planning.

Supply and Demand 156

Supply and Demand Forecasting Forecasting Software Modeling 156

Supply Chain Shaman

OCTOBER 16, 2023

Clear operating strategy and definition of supply chain excellence across plan, source, make and deliver. Most companies buy decision support technology, but do not redefine work to improve decisions. A shift from functional metrics to a balanced scorecard. The focus on functional metrics sub-optimizes balance sheet results.

S&OP 390

S&OP Supply and Demand Forecasting Supply Chain Design Software 390

Supply Chain Shaman

MAY 13, 2024

How aligned do you believe your organization is to drive these metrics? Observations on What It Takes In the Mea Culpa post, I wrote that I used to believe that excellence in S&OP was a ratio of 60/30/10. (60% P&G did not appreciate the work Gilette accomplished on form and function of inventory and using market signals.

S&OP 393

S&OP Supply and Demand Inventory Reduction Expense Reduction 393

Supply Chain Shaman

MARCH 21, 2024

We explore the concept of holistic inventory strategies focused on the form and function of inventory. In the process, we learn that only 15-20% of inventories are safety stock and that the current APS frameworks do not enable a holistic analysis of the form and function of inventory. Lack of aligned metrics.

Inventory Reduction 434

Inventory Reduction Supply Chain Planning Software Cost Reduction Strategies Supply Chain Design Software 434

Supply Chain Shaman

OCTOBER 11, 2012

This year supply chain leaders will celebrate thirty years of progress in supply chain management; but we have not made progress on one of the funamentals: inventory management. I think that it is time for us to take the litmus test and ask the hard questions, “Have our practices impacted days of inventory? I want to believe.

Inventory Reduction 247

Inventory Reduction Vendor Strategies Resource Reduction Cost Reduction Strategies 247

Supply Chain Shaman

JULY 6, 2020

Tom, the colorful warehouse manager, constantly heckled Frank for the increasing inventory levels while Ed, the quiet material/logistics manager, constantly questioned if there was a better way. He felt that inventory was no problem, he would just cut it at the end of each quarter to make the balance sheet goals. The So What?

Agile and Lean Supply Chain 362

Agile and Lean Supply Chain Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Strategy 362

Supply Chain Shaman

JANUARY 8, 2014

Interview for Metrics That Matter. My kitchen table is piled high with interviews for the upcoming book, Metrics That Matter. I recently interviewed him for my upcoming book, Metrics that Matter, that publishes in August 2014. Which metrics do you think matter to supply chain excellence? I am behind.

Procurement Analytics 279

Procurement Analytics Manufacturing Procurement Metrics Procurement Solutions 279

RFgen

DECEMBER 4, 2024

In the automotive sector, manufacturers are simultaneously reducing inventory costs and delivery times. We’ll examine the key components of efficient supply chains, explore essential performance metrics, and uncover the fundamental drivers that influence efficiency.

Sourcing Strategies 96

Sourcing Strategies Waste Reduction Inventory Reduction Expense Reduction 96

Silvon Software

APRIL 16, 2025

Inventory is the lifeblood of any manufacturing business. By leveraging analytics and key performance indicators (KPIs), manufacturers can optimize inventory, reduce waste, and boost profitability. Tracking inventory flow and performance across your supply chain is a must. Thats where data-driven decision-making comes in!

Optimal Sourcing 65

Optimal Sourcing Inventory Reduction Supply Chain Optimization Price Mitigation Strategies 65

SCMDOJO

APRIL 11, 2025

Is inventory bloating your costs? Running procurement and supply chain without metrics is like driving blindfolded. A scorecard acts as your dashboard, providing crucial visibility that helps you: Make Data-Driven Decisions: Replace guesswork with facts when evaluating suppliers, processes, and inventory levels.

Pricing Training 72

Pricing Training Optimal Sourcing Purchasing Skills Negotiating Skills 72

Logility

MAY 22, 2020

Users are accustomed to building everything in Excel and manipulating the data as needed for their own particular use, typically using static reports or spreadsheets that are siloed in specific departmental needs. A key first step is to have buy-in at the highest level of the organization. Starting at the Top. Other Suggestions.

Analytics Software 148

Analytics Software Metrics Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Software 148

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 7, 2018

Or agreement on the definition of supply chain excellence. As a result, functional excellence anchors action. The focus is on digitization—automating today’s processes—versus rethinking process excellence based on the art of the possible. An orbit chart is a plotting of data at the intersection of two metrics.

Supply Chain Planning Software 287

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Optimization Software Forecasting Software 287

Supply Chain Shaman

DECEMBER 23, 2014

Get Good at Having a Real-time Perpetual Inventory Signal. Foundational for ecommerce is a real-time perpetual inventory (PI) signal. If you are going to be excellent at ecommerce fulfillment, you need to have great perpetual inventory capabilities. No matter where inventory is, put it to work. 3) Test and Learn.

Packaging 332

Packaging Inventory Reduction Supply Chain Design Software San Francisco 332

Logistics Viewpoints

MARCH 9, 2023

The classical approach involves functional silos, sequential decisions, and Excel and people to render a plan executable. CPG companies that utilize an autonomous supply chain technology see a reduction in their inventory and cost and an increase in revenue. each with discrete plans generated typically in sequential batch runs.

Supply Chain Planning Software 282

Supply Chain Planning Software Modeling Forecasting Software Optimization Software 282

Supply Chain Shaman

OCTOBER 29, 2014

By purchasing planning and transactional systems for a common vendor, they had one throat to choke and they were familiar with the architectural elements. It is tough for me to see that nine out of ten companies are stuck, and not making progress, at the intersection of operating margin and inventory turns. The book is a story.

Supply Chain Planning Software 379

Supply Chain Planning Software Modeling Demand Planning Software Optimization Software 379

Supply Chain Shaman

FEBRUARY 1, 2024

Optimization engines to improve functional metric performance resulted in an exploding number of planners. Rolling up a perpetual inventory signal takes eleven hours. days to get a perpetual inventory signal and 2.2 days to receive a purchase order confirmation. The average purchased order changes 3.5

Supply Chain Planning Software 392

Supply Chain Planning Software Optimal Sourcing Manufacturing Procurement Waste Reduction 392

Supply Chain Shaman

OCTOBER 29, 2020

Inventory, in this time of uncertainty, is the organization’s most important buffer to protect against variability. However, organizations are not good at managing inventory. Cash-to-Cash Metrics. Cash-to-cash is a compound metric: (Days of Receivables+Days of Inventory)-Days of Payables=Cash Conversion Cycle.

Optimal Sourcing 299

Optimal Sourcing Supply Chain Design Software Waste Reduction Inventory Reduction 299

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 29, 2014

With the purchase of i2 by JDA, and Logictools by IBM, manufacturing companies serious about network design started looking for a company, with a well-established community, that was more serious about network design. It could no longer be just about inventory levels. Instead, the design needed to be more encompassing.

Supply Chain Design Software 268

Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Design Network Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software 268

Logistics Viewpoints

DECEMBER 14, 2021

Millions of shoppers, like my Dad, are not going back to their old habits because there are now faster and more convenient ways for buying daily household needs. It excels on a union of E-Commerce mobile apps and last-mile delivery innovations. Inventory Optimization. Supply Chain Digitalization & Autonomous Planning.

Supply Chain Planning Software 288

Supply Chain Planning Software Forecasting Software Supply Chain Design Software Optimization Software 288

Supply Chain Shaman

JANUARY 14, 2013

It was a story where people believed that functional excellence leads to supply chain superiority. Year after year, well intentioned people toiled against improving metrics that reduced, not improved, the effectiveness of the supply chain. Metrics comparison of Kellogg Co. You got it! vs. General Mills, Inc. A Case Study.

Supply Chain Planning Software 260

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Optimal Sourcing Modeling 260

Supply Chain Shaman

DECEMBER 17, 2018

Nick Lynch is the Global Excellence Manager at Shell Lubricants, a division of Shell Global. Completed in 2012, the ERP project forced the company to standardize organizational design, roles, and metrics. What can often look like compliance in APO could actually be numbers calculated in Excel and posted into the SAP system.

Demand Planning Software 322

Demand Planning Software Supply and Demand Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software 322

Supply Chain Shaman

MAY 1, 2014

As hospitals adopted consignment planning programs, inventory progress slowed. The turns are the lowest of any industry, and despite investments in technologies and processes, inventory turns have only improved 3%, and Cash-T0-Cash (C2C) cycles have declined 4%. This precipitous drop in margin hurts. Companies are feeling pain.

Supply Chain Planning Software 333

Supply Chain Planning Software San Diego Supply and Demand Pharmaceutical 333

Supply Chain Shaman

MAY 3, 2015

When it comes to the management of inventory in value chains, frustration abounds. Executive, after executive, lament, “They have purchased many technologies and sponsored many projects to reduce inventories, but they are not seeing results.” Inventory is the culmination of many business decisions.

Inventory Reduction 150

Inventory Reduction Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Inventory Management Software 150

Supply Chain Shaman

DECEMBER 4, 2018

For the past five years, the team at Supply Chain Insights identified Supply Chains to Admire Award Winners by analyzing performance by peer group on the key metrics of growth, operating margin, inventory turns and Return on Invested Capital (ROIC). The total cost of ownership analyzes the total costs of the buying decision.

Supply Chain Software 30

Supply Chain Software Case Study Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software 30

Supply Chain Shaman

SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

We were discussing the results of the planning benchmarking work that we have just finished, and I was sharing some insights on inventory management when one of the panelists emphatically stated, “Inventory is a waste to manage. We feel so strongly about this that we do not have an inventory planning role.”

Waste Reduction 150

Waste Reduction Inventory Reduction Inventory Optimal Sourcing 150

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 16, 2014

Despite two decades of advancement in supply chain technologies, companies are struggling to gain balance at the intersection of operating margin, inventory turns and case fulfillment. I have learned that supply chain systems are more complex than I originally thought, and that the relationships between supply chain metrics are nonlinear.

Supply Chain Design Software 319

Supply Chain Design Software Network Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Network Software 319

Supply Chain Shaman

NOVEMBER 9, 2014

This team is not buying the message. So much so, that three years ago, I founded a research company to focus on understanding supply chain excellence. I also believed that this company would have the best inventory and customer service. My favorites are customer service, operating margin, inventory turns, and ROIC.

Manufacturing Procurement 318

Manufacturing Procurement Optimal Sourcing Benchmarking Supply Chain Design Software 318

SCMDOJO

APRIL 11, 2025

Today, their functionality has increased, and businesses are leveraging CRM systems for demand forecasting, buyer behavior analysis, and more intelligent inventory management. Enhance Inventory Management A combined CRM-Shopify platform provides past sales data, allowing procurement teams to make informed purchasing decisions.

Supply Chain Planning Software 84

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Software Forecasting Software Inventory Management Software 84

Supply Chain Shaman

SEPTEMBER 20, 2015

How do they buy from you? How do they buy from you?” Instead, in the SanDisk journey , they adjusted the speed of response to their customer segments, and actively designing inventory postponement strategies. The discussion of customer-segmented supply chains happens often. Why does it matter to you? It is systemic.

Inventory Reduction 150

Inventory Reduction Cost Reduction Strategies Sourcing Strategies Supply Chain Strategy 150

Logility

AUGUST 7, 2017

Ask yourself, “Are your supply chain metrics bogging you down?” ” To manage a supply chain containing complex dependencies between teams, departments and partner companies across international boundaries requires a rich set of metrics. Functionally isolated metrics lead to sub-optimized supply chain performance.

Procurement Analytics 121

Procurement Analytics Metrics Gartner Supply Chain Planning Software 121

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 7, 2021

Gartner purchased the firm in 2010.) Driving Improvements in Supply Chain Excellence. He felt strongly that supply chain leaders knew how to drive supply chain excellence and needed a forum– or maybe two or three depending on the business model– to help them network and refine their approaches. I disagreed.

Gartner 221

Gartner Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Eliminating Excel in Purchasing 221

Supply Chain Shaman

JULY 3, 2017

It is hard work to maintain the status quo in metrics performance. A balanced portfolio of metrics delivers the greatest value. As a result, supply chain leaders focus on unrealistic goals of inventory or costs, they will throw the system out of balance. Companies balance supply chain metrics better in good times than bad.

Inventory Reduction 199

Inventory Reduction Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Cost Reduction Strategies 199

Supply Chain Shaman

MARCH 8, 2016

As an analyst in the supply chain market for 15 years, I have written many articles on best-of-breed technology companies purchased by a larger company. In 2007-2014 Terra added inventory management, multi-tier demand sensing, transportation forecasting, and long-term forecasting. However, there are no sure bets.

Supply Chain Planning Software 150

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Network Software Forecasting Software Demand Planning Software 150

Supply Chain Shaman

FEBRUARY 14, 2022

Companies tightly coupling the budget to S&OP have significantly higher inventories and lower growth than their peer group. Demand latency is two-eight weeks delayed from consumption purchase to translate to an order. Industries carried on average 32 days more inventory in 2020 than in 2007. (I Mistake #3. My challenge?

S&OP 195

S&OP Supply and Demand Procurement Analytics Manufacturing Procurement 195

Supply Chain Shaman

OCTOBER 8, 2019

The focus is on the role of supply chain finance in driving supply chain excellence. The design of the conference includes tours of several modern warehouses and centers of excellence. Granular data by volume is a must to be able to manage replenishment, network design, and inventory targets. Time horizon. The takeaway?

Supply Chain Design Software 207

Supply Chain Design Software Inventory Reduction Supply Chain Planning Software Forecasting 207

Silvon Software

MAY 6, 2025

Modern platforms pull data from a wide array of sources: ERPs, relational databases, Excel files, cloud apps, third-party providers, and beyond. Packaged Analytics, KPIs & Reports Ready-to-use reports, metrics, and dashboards that accelerate time-to-insight. They served a purpose but lacked flexibility and real-time relevance.

Prescriptive Analytics Software 89

Prescriptive Analytics Software Analytics Software Predictive Analytics Software Supply Chain Design Software 89