Supply Chain Shaman

JANUARY 30, 2025

My head is wobbling with announcements, late-night Friday press releases, company name changes, and executive turnover in the supply chain planning market. Logility, a conservative company supply chain planning technology, historically had no debt and cash reserves of more than 80M, is undervalued in this deal.

Supply Chain Planning Software 221

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Modeling Modeling Software 221

SCMDOJO

JANUARY 9, 2025

Strategic sourcing and innovative solutions are often viewed as two distinct procurement tools, but they should not be seen in isolation. Think of them as apples and gearseach essential and effective on its own, yet when combined; they create a formidable mechanism for achieving procurement excellence.

Optimal Sourcing 98

Optimal Sourcing Manufacturing Procurement Procurement Solutions Negotiating Skills 98

Logistics Viewpoints

JUNE 18, 2025

Labor Challenges and the Push for Automation Labor constraints- exacerbated and revealed by the pandemic- have made automation a necessity. A majority of warehouses report labor shortages, and more than 50% cite this as a significant business challenge that is only worsening.

Demand Planning Software 163

Demand Planning Software Optimization Software Logistics Network Optimization Software Warehousing 163

Supply Chain Shaman

FEBRUARY 18, 2021

The Covid-19 pandemic tested the global supply chain. Like riding a bumpy road, the supply chain leader is riding the ups and downs of changing market conditions facing greater variability day-to-day. Here, based on interviews with supply chain leaders, I share lessons learned. It will not be over soon.

Supply Chain Planning Software 355

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Supply and Demand Procurement Analytics 355

Logistics Viewpoints

APRIL 1, 2021

In a previous post , I made a case for how the Chief Supply Chain Officer (CSCO) and Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) are smarter together. Accordingly Supply Chain and Procurement will need continuous collaboration. By aligning supply chain and procurement, spend can be considered more holistically.

Optimal Sourcing 283

Optimal Sourcing Manufacturing Procurement Procurement Analytics Procurement Solutions 283

Logistics Viewpoints

OCTOBER 26, 2022

ARC Advisory Group began conducting formalized research on the global warehouse automation market in 2014. We define the market as those warehouse automation providers responsible for delivery of the system to the end-user (to eliminate double-counting). Looking back, I estimated the market in 2013 at $6.4 billion in 2019.

Supply Chain Software 332

Supply Chain Software Warehousing Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software 332

Supply Chain Shaman

JANUARY 9, 2024

Today, we published The Supply Chains to Admire for 2023. Nvidia, Northrup Grumman, PACCAR Inc, PCA (Packaging Corporation of America), ResMed, Rockwell Automation, Ross Stores, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC) Company, Tempur-Pedic, TJX, Toro, Toyota, West Pharma, United Tractors, and Urban Outfitters. I admit it.

Supply Chain Planning Software 386

Supply Chain Planning Software Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Planning Gartner 386

Supply Chain Shaman

DECEMBER 7, 2023

Today, I speak at the North American Manufacturing Association, Manufacturing Leadership Conference, in Nashville on the use of data to improve supply chain resilience. Background The Council of Supply Chain Resilience met for the first time this month. What is supply chain resilience? The reason?

Supply Chain Design Software 395

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

Logistics Viewpoints

MAY 19, 2022

He had a load full of cotton bales, and while idling away hours at a shipyard watching stevedores load other cargo onto ships he dreamed up containers that transformed global supply chains. Containerization eventually reduced shipping and loading costs by at least 75%. The myth of the “perfect plan”.

Optimal Sourcing 300

Optimal Sourcing Modeling Supply Chain Optimization Optimization Software 300

Supply Chain Shaman

DECEMBER 15, 2022

When reviewing strategy decks for supply chain teams, I often see statements like “move from a functional-silo’d focus to a drive a more holistic response.” ” Or “push a shift from a focus on cost to drive value?” ” Sound familiar? To help, I will ask, “How do you define value?

Manufacturing Procurement 397

Manufacturing Procurement Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Procurement Analytics 397

Supply Chain Shaman

NOVEMBER 11, 2020

Today, supply chain excellence matters more than ever. During the pandemic, the supply chain discussions take new importance. While the supply chain technology market lost its allure at the start of the last decade, it is now cool again. The supply chain career is new. Reflection.

Supply Chain Design Software 362

Supply Chain Design Software Procurement Solutions Manufacturing Procurement Supply Chain Planning Software 362

Logistics Viewpoints

APRIL 6, 2023

Procurement and Supply Chain Management are essential functions that can help companies navigate these challenges, but they are often siloed and operate in separate departments. Their metrics are often misaligned as well – supply chain focuses on service and procurement focuses on the cost of acquiring materials and services.

Optimal Sourcing 246

Optimal Sourcing Sourcing Strategies Manufacturing Procurement Material Savings 246

Logistics Viewpoints

JUNE 29, 2023

In today’s interconnected global economy, supply chains play a vital role in the success of businesses. It is crucial for organizations to understand the importance of Purchase Order collaboration to effectively manage their direct spend, optimize operations, and mitigate risks.

Manufacturing Procurement 269

Manufacturing Procurement Procurement Analytics Material Savings Inventory Reduction 269

Supply Chain Shaman

APRIL 27, 2022

Supply chain excellence is easier to say than to explain. Executive teams strive to drive improvement in supply chain results; yet, sadly, only four percent of public companies succeed. The supply chain is a complex non-linear system. Understanding this relationship requires modeling. The reason?

Procurement Analytics 369

Procurement Analytics Manufacturing Procurement Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software 369

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 3, 2013

I asked companies to “Navigate through the hype focusing on the feasibility of scope and technology.” In the height of the e-commerce craze, the marketplace offerings started with a focus on e-procurement. At the time, the popular belief was that Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) technologies would build multi-tier capabilities.

Supply Chain Design Software 321

Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Procurement Analytics Manufacturing Procurement 321

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 21, 2023

Wikipedia Unleashing the Contrarian Here are my thoughts this morning over coffee: Gartner Top 25: Really A Celebration of Supply Chain Leadership? Designed to lift the profession and celebrate supply chain results, I struggle to find that the methodology supports either objective. Almost two decades of reporting.

Gartner 424

Gartner Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning 424

Logistics Viewpoints

JUNE 17, 2025

Complicating matters, e-commerce retailers—particularly those heavily reliant on imports from China—are feeling the pressure from higher costs of goods sold (COGS). While 18% of all consumers reported cutting back on spending, 43% of under-35s actually increased their online purchases.

Cost Reduction Strategies 187

Cost Reduction Strategies Procurement Solutions Purchasing Skills Logistics Network Optimization Software 187

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 28, 2021

In 2004, I worked with a Midwest North American meatpacker to help define its supply chain strategy. The team understood the importance of margin management, focusing only on cost as an input to margin. Consumers constantly change the mix preferences in purchases. The focus was on margin and quality.

Supply Chain Planning Software 322

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Supply Chain Software 322

Supply Chain Shaman

OCTOBER 29, 2014

Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people in which there is a desire for harmony within the group, but the result is an irrational or dysfunctional outcome. I feel that the industry is engaged in ‘Group Think’ No one in this meetings is going to ask tough questions.

Supply Chain Planning Software 379

Supply Chain Planning Software Modeling Demand Planning Software Optimization Software 379

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). About the Supply Chains to Admire Methodology.

Supply Chain Software 34

Supply Chain Software Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Manufacturing Procurement 34

Logistics Viewpoints

OCTOBER 19, 2023

I work in supply chain. If I had done due diligence, I’d have seen the warnings – the retailer had pretty pictures on their website, but their supply chain failed them, creating an eleven-month saga and unhappy customer. The failure was in supply chain orchestration – connecting planning to execution.

Supply Chain Planning Software 306

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Software Supply Chain Planning 306

Logistics Viewpoints

MAY 13, 2025

To call todays supply chain environment high pressure feels like the understatement of 2025. At the same time, companies have been forced to pull forward inventory purchases, creating a squeeze where carrying costs are up while cash flow is tight. Labor costs: Forget clipboards, radios, and homegrown management systems.

Supply Chain Design Software 105

Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Software Logistics Network Optimization Software 105

Supply Chain Shaman

OCTOBER 5, 2018

At the Supply Chain Global Summit 2018 , Francois discussed the impact of digitalization, Industry 4.0, and L’Oréal’s approach to business that has allowed the company to continuously rank as a Supply Chains to Admire winner for four consecutive years. Supply Chains to Admire Methodology.

Case Study 329

Case Study Inventory Reduction Study Agile and Lean Supply Chain 329

Logistics Viewpoints

AUGUST 15, 2022

GEP and the North Carolina State University (NCSU) Supply Chain Resource Cooperative surveyed supply chain, procurement and IT professionals across a range of industries to gain insight into their priorities and strategies regarding supply chain resilience and optimization.

Supply Chain Network Software 309

Supply Chain Network Software Manufacturing Procurement Procurement Analytics Optimal Sourcing 309

RFgen

NOVEMBER 13, 2024

Mobile inventory management is a digital solution that combines a mobile inventory app with cloud-based software to track, manage, and optimize inventory in real-time. Cloud software: Stores and distributes real-time data, producing reports accessible to all team members. Let’s get started!

Inventory Management Software 96

Inventory Management Software Real-time Visibility Inventory Reduction Inventory Management 96

Logistics Viewpoints

MARCH 9, 2023

Autonomous Supply Chains In this competitive environment, a CPG manufacturer needs to fight to get space on retailer shelves in each region, keep those shelves stocked, compete and collaborate simultaneously with e-commerce, and maintain its operating margins. 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

SEPTEMBER 13, 2023

She wrote, “I have been working in the supply chain for 35 years, and we are still trying to solve the “demand” issue. Solving from a supply side seems to work for many companies I work with. I know that your primary focus is procurement. Or planned orders to purchase orders?) I don’t know.

Supply and Demand 431

Supply and Demand Supply Chain Planning Software Modeling Demand Planning 431

Logility

JANUARY 25, 2022

ATLANTA – January 25, 2022 – According to PWC’s December 2021 Global Consumer Insights Pulse Survey , about half of respondents consciously consider factors related to sustainability when making purchasing decisions. Logility, Inc., Logility, Inc., About Logility.

Supply Chain Planning Software 205

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Logility Supply Chain Network Software 205

Logistics Viewpoints

JUNE 9, 2022

The result is often a peak sales volume for a specific group of items. But what really gets the supply chain and warehouse managers in a sweat are extremely intense sales days or weeks such as the well-known Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Logistics software is your ace in the hand, before, during and after the peaks.

Logistics Network Optimization Software 293

Logistics Network Optimization Software Analytics Software Optimization Software Forecasting Software 293

Logistics Viewpoints

FEBRUARY 3, 2022

Supply shortages resulting in empty shelves or parking lots of WIP inventory represent a spectre causing supply chain leaders to reconsider supply chain inventory practices. Because switching from JIT to JIC is at best only a tool to address short-term problems and risk. Why tell this story?

Inventory Reduction 329

Inventory Reduction Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning 329

Logistics Viewpoints

AUGUST 4, 2021

Supply chains around the country are in great need of warehouse and transportation workers. Furthermore, COVID-19 exacerbated the existing shift from retail store purchases to e-commerce transactions, with a 32 percent increase in 2020 US e-commerce sales, according to the US Census Bureau. Why Labor Constraints with 5.9

Supply Chain Software 274

Supply Chain Software Warehousing Real Estate Supply Chain 274

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 14, 2014

“We live in a world where supply chains, not companies, compete for market dominance. But companies often have diverging incentives and interests from their supply chain partners, so when they independently strive to optimize their individual objectives, the expected result can be compromised. ”. What Is Value?

Manufacturing Procurement 345

Manufacturing Procurement Optimal Sourcing Procurement Analytics Modeling 345

Precoro

JULY 1, 2024

Small companies may also lack the resources to create a dedicated procurement team for proper sourcing and supplier vetting. Group purchasing organizations can be the perfect way for these companies to increase cost savings. Keep reading to learn: What is a group purchasing organization?

Purchasing Skills 105

Purchasing Skills Procurement Solutions Procurement Analytics Negotiate Pricing 105

Logistics Viewpoints

DECEMBER 15, 2022

The idea is that data points within a group share similar properties, and each group is different (statistically speaking) from another. There is so much data, and to make use of it, we need to use data mining and analytics to drive meaningful insights that can be put to some good use. The retail industry is rich with data.

Optimal Sourcing 260

Optimal Sourcing Analysis Procurement Analytics Purchasing Skills 260

Logistics Viewpoints

AUGUST 1, 2024

According to Bloomberg , the coffee supply chain is struggling with constrained supply and increase in prices is inevitable. Traditional, linear supply chains struggle to adapt. This article explores how adaptive supply chains can help businesses thrive.

Modeling 313

Modeling Network Optimization Supply Chain Design Software Material Savings 313

Logistics Viewpoints

MARCH 6, 2023

GEON Performance Solutions purchases plastic pellets and add plastic compounders to make products of different strength, resilience, and flexibility. When companies want to digitally transform their supply chain capabilities, moving to an integrated business planning process (IBP) is often at the heart of the transformation.

Supply Chain Planning Software 323

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Transformation Modeling Scenario Planning 323

Supply Chain Shaman

DECEMBER 18, 2014

The supply chain team was attempting to explain their demand-driven project. I asked myself, “How ironic is it that the technologies and processes of the past are always presented as the answer.” Figure 1: Supply Chain Risk Factors. 2) Invest in New Forms of Analytics. It is MUDA.

Supply and Demand 279

Supply and Demand Forecasting Supply Chain Planning Software Forecasting Software 279