Supply Chain Shaman

NOVEMBER 21, 2024

Most of the business networks were hollowed out by venture capitalists or purchased by opportunists. Yawn and walk on if the answer is i mproving demand error or reducing inventory levels. We are in the middle of a hype cycle that in my mind looks like the image in Figure 1. The business network market is in need of innovation.)

Supply Chain Planning Software 396

Supply Chain Planning Software Modeling Software Modeling Supply Chain Network Software 396

Supply Chain Shaman

MAY 13, 2024

I share research, observations, and insights. 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% I shared this after interviewing 150 companies on their S&OP processes while at AMR Research. Kraft was not as mature as Cadbury.

S&OP 393

S&OP Supply and Demand Inventory Reduction Expense Reduction 393

Supply Chain Shaman

DECEMBER 7, 2023

Here I share some insights from my research. I am currently doing research on inventory management. In the research, I ask inventory planners to define resilience. Of the twenty companies interviewed, only one can answer the question, “Do you have a good inventory plan?” Yes, I think so.

Supply Chain Design Software 395

Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Modeling Supply Chain Software 395

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

MAY 21, 2024

When I started this research project, I was busy. One of my lessons learned in completing survey-based research over the past twelve years, is that projects are full of surprises. To manage continuous improvement, companies need a clear definition of excellence and organizational alignment to that goal. What Drives Value?

Procurement Analytics 393

Procurement Analytics Metrics Optimal Sourcing Supply Chain Planning Software 393

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. Strength in S&OP.

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

JUNE 10, 2025

In May 2025, one in seven home-purchase agreements fell through resulting in the cancellation of 56,000 purchase contracts. A negative FVA increases cost, inventory, and risk. I don’t believe supply chain research is ever effective behind a paywall. The ripple effects are pervasive. The impact is exponential.

Supply Chain Planning Software 195

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Software Waste Reduction 195

Logistics Viewpoints

DECEMBER 2, 2021

import volumes still climbing (see Figure 1), limited processing capacity at key West Coast ports and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) contract expiring next summer, importers will be scrambling to maintain the inventory they need to support the demand increase.

Predictive Analytics Software 354

Predictive Analytics Software Predictive Analytics Waste Reduction Cost Reduction Strategies 354

Supply Chain Shaman

SEPTEMBER 30, 2014

Consumers want to shop anywhere, and buy in the way that they want to buy. In my research, I do not see that any retailer has really redefined value chains through collaboration. Current State of Perpetual Inventory. Replenishment is fueled by an effective perpetual inventory signal. Get Good at Data Sharing.

Optimal Sourcing 353

Optimal Sourcing Forecasting Forecasting Software Supply Chain Network Software 353

Supply Chain Shaman

FEBRUARY 1, 2024

While consultants know the answers (or believe they do), I believe my goal as a research analyst is to unearth new questions that should be asked (and answered together openly in the supply chain community) to improve value. Rolling up a perpetual inventory signal takes eleven hours. days to get a perpetual inventory signal and 2.2

Supply Chain Planning Software 392

Supply Chain Planning Software Optimal Sourcing Manufacturing Procurement Waste Reduction 392

Supply Chain Shaman

SEPTEMBER 27, 2021

Linkedin Comment Donald Cavin Data Warehousing Consultant at Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center-James Cancer Hospital & Solove Research Institute. In 2004, I joined AMR Research, a Boston Analyst firm. We remain committed to open content research and firmly believe that content should never be behind a paywall.

Supply Chain Planning Software 390

Supply Chain Planning Software Sourcing Strategies Manufacturing Procurement Supply Chain Design Software 390

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. The research that I have conducted has enabled me to look at this holistically. They are slow to adapt. It is easier said than done.

Supply Chain Design Software 319

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

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. The results in table 1 come from a nine months research project of 120 respondents representing 183 instances of demand and supply planning. How do I know this?

Supply Chain Planning Software 379

Supply Chain Planning Software Modeling Demand Planning Software Optimization Software 379

SCMDOJO

DECEMBER 29, 2024

Key takeaways Importance of Procurement Procurement vs. Purchasing Key Functions Departmental Structure Role Descriptions The blog emphasizes the significance of a well-structured procurement department with qualified personnel to achieve organizational objectives. Read In Detail About Procurement Department Here 2.

Negotiating Skills 95

Negotiating Skills Purchasing Skills Purchasing Training Buyer Training 95

Supply Chain Shaman

DECEMBER 27, 2022

In a recent research project, we found that 2/3 of companies had a digital supply chain transformation strategy; however, those that were evolving their strategy performed better during the early months of the pandemic than those that were “clear” on the project plan for a digital transformation. I know, a head-scratcher.

Supply Chain Software 418

Supply Chain Software Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Inventory Reduction 418

Logistics Viewpoints

MAY 11, 2023

In the warehouse context, a digital twin can be created to represent the physical layout, inventory, equipment, and workflows of a warehouse. Inventory management Another area where digital twins can be beneficial is inventory management. Simulation is the most widely used benefit of a digital twin.

Modeling 307

Modeling Analytics Software Supply Chain Design Software Optimization Software 307

Supply Chain Shaman

JANUARY 25, 2024

With slim margins and ever-increasing inventories, companies invested less in capital assets. Today, this network operates with less capacity and ballooning inventories. Many of these outsourced products have demand latency of weeks and months (shelf purchase through the replenishment cycle for a manufacturer to receive an order).

Supply Chain Network Software 359

Supply Chain Network Software Manufacturing Procurement Inventory Reduction Purchasing Skills 359

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 3, 2024

” My response, “Sorry Ryan, the research does not support that increased digitalization brought unprecedented levels of connectivity. similarly, over 95% of manufacturers invested and implemented supply chain planning, but their primary tool today is Excel. I am researcher. ” Does the Dog Hunt? Makes sense.

Supply Chain Planning Software 369

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Modeling Software Forecasting Software 369

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

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

JANUARY 14, 2013

It was a story where people believed that functional excellence leads to supply chain superiority. I strongly feel that a blind focus on functional excellence will cause the supply chain to become out of balance. As a researcher, due to merger and acquisition activity, it is getting harder and harder to compare companies.

Supply Chain Planning Software 260

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

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

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

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

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 7, 2021

Lately, as I reflected on my conversations with John (fictitious name) when I was at AMR Research, I yearn to go back in time. AMR Research was an industry analyst firm in Boston. Gartner purchased the firm in 2010.) Driving Improvements in Supply Chain Excellence. John and I held differing beliefs. I disagreed.

Gartner 221

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

Supply Chain Shaman

MARCH 3, 2013

They were born from well-intentioned, bright professors from great schools – Boston College, Carnegie Mellon, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT )– in operations research. It was called multi-enterprise inventory optimization. SmartOps was purchased by SAP. They knew little about the software market.

Supply Chain Planning Software 218

Supply Chain Planning Software Modeling Optimization Software SAP 218

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. In this case, the metrics are operating margin and inventory turns.

Supply Chain Planning Software 287

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

Supply Chain Shaman

SEPTEMBER 20, 2015

How do they buy from you? How do they buy from you?” In my research, I find that the companies with the most progressive procurement processes also have the most advanced customer supply chain process evolution.)Without The discussion of customer-segmented supply chains happens often. Why does it matter to you?

Inventory Reduction 150

Inventory Reduction Cost Reduction Strategies Sourcing Strategies Supply Chain Strategy 150

Supply Chain Shaman

FEBRUARY 18, 2013

This data will be combined with the financial ratio data and published in an Open Content Research report in April on the Supply Chain Insights Community. Here is a link to the healthcare research study in the field. Pharmaceutical companies are struggling with falling margins and rising inventories. What Can We Do?

Pharmaceutical 170

Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Network Software Eliminating Excel in Purchasing Procurement Analytics 170

Supply Chain Shaman

SEPTEMBER 24, 2018

<Bear with me… > Here I share a nine-step process in an attempt to help companies unravel the process for buying supply chain planning software. They center on how to make a good decision in the purchase of supply chain planning solutions. Most have purchased software, but are dependent on Excel spreadsheets.

Supply Chain Planning Software 252

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Supply Chain Software 252

Supply Chain Shaman

AUGUST 14, 2016

A Demand-Driven Value Network as defined by AMR Research in 2007: A network that senses demand with minimal latency to drive a near real-time response to shape and translate demand. The focus is on channel data: price; inventory positions; and policies. We then began the discussion on outside-in processes. Market-Driven Processes.

Material Savings 246

Material Savings Inventory Reduction Price Reduction Cost Reduction Strategies 246

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 29, 2014

They also brought me and my colleagues at AMR Research stuffed Llamas. 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. “What a crazy name! The gap is tough.

Supply Chain Design Software 268

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

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 14, 2014

In Figure 1, I share a composite orbit chart of progress of Cisco Systems, Intel, Samsung and Flextronics on the Effective Frontier at the intersection of inventory turns and operating margin for 2006-2012. However, no company in this chart is on a linear path towards improving both margin and inventory turns. What can we learn?

Manufacturing Procurement 345

Manufacturing Procurement Optimal Sourcing Procurement Analytics Modeling 345

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 20, 2014

After Manugistics, I worked for two analyst firms; Gartner and AMR Research, and I continued to question if the extended ERP platform that included SCP delivered greater value. The implementations were longer, the purchase costs were higher, and the functionality was less robust and lacking flexibility. I did not see it. Study Results.

Supply Chain Planning Software 366

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Planning Scenario Planning Supply and Demand 366

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. In our work, we tie research from quantitative and qualitative studies to financial results to drive new insights. “Lucky me,” I thought, and smiled.

Manufacturing Procurement 318

Manufacturing Procurement Optimal Sourcing Benchmarking Supply Chain Design Software 318

Supply Chain Shaman

AUGUST 18, 2022

At the end of a long day of a strategy session on supply chain excellence with a client, I needed to fill up some time in an agenda. The strategy day owner was a global process center of excellence leader. If you enjoy our research, please help us by filling out our current survey. The result? Background.

Supply and Demand 259

Supply and Demand Demand Planning Software Supply Chain Planning Software Optimal Sourcing 259

Supply Chain Shaman

MAY 18, 2019

Eerily the case studies sound the same as the ones heard when I completed S&OP research in 2004. As a result, after three months of research, writing the sequel on S&OP technologies is a challenge. Dependency on Excel. Driving supply chain excellence is a balancing act. The question central to the research?

S&OP 230

S&OP Supply and Demand Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software 230