The major lanes between Houston/LA (I-10 Corridor), Chicago/Ohio, NJ/Eastern PA, and Atlanta remains the same with ample capacity however lead times have shortened. Carmakers and electronic manufacturers in South Korea and Japan are reporting production line shutdowns. Port of Houston is experiencing equipment shortages. VLSFO (Very Low-Sulfur Fuel Oil) $315 per metric ton 3/12 comparted to $740 per metric ton in January 2020 = 57% decrease. MORE

Mobile apps can generate reports and monitor performance metrics. “Data science can bring great gains for…” Logistics efforts of retailers and manufacturers. As the IIoT continues to evolve, the manufacturing and logistics industry will benefit from the ability to produce real-time analytics and data visualizations. In addition to those trends, a lot of smaller manufacturers are now selling online to the world through services like Alibaba. MORE

Hurricane Harvey has struck a significant blow to the Houston, Texas metro area, home to the sixth largest import terminal in the world, as well as all of the shipping lanes in the Gulf Coast area. The Institute for Supply Management conducted a special survey that asked members to assess how Harvey might impact six key business metrics and whether they may be impacted by shortages of input materials due to Harvey. "Our Most Impacted Metrics. Moderately Impacted Metrics. MORE

A month after completing this strategy session I was doing a series of strategy days with two chemical companies in Houston. A contract manufacturer shares discount pricing based on forecast accuracy of the customer. Lora wrote the books Supply Chain Metrics That Matter and Bricks Matter , and is currently working on her third book, Leadership Matters. ‘Chin Music’ Definition: Idle Chatter, Idle Talk or Vague Explanations. Urban Dictionary. MORE

Will digitization change the way we measure things and monitor metrics? Companies like Flex are looking for ways to integrate vertically, not just on product manufacturing, but also in terms of how to collaborate better to drive more efficiency. A problem in procurement can impact manufacturing and logistics and planning, but often these dots are never connected, so there never emerges a cross-functional approach to working on them. MORE

and HOUSTON, Tex. A North American-based survey of nearly 200 supply chain professionals from top CPG, distribution/wholesale, food and beverage, manufacturing, and retail companies found that 58% of respondents are still in the exploring or evaluating phases of digital transformation. Founded in 2002, Spinnaker has offices in Boston, Columbus, Denver, Houston, Memphis, Pittsburgh, London, and Singapore. PRESS RELEASE. MORE

There is a need to re-shore where possible, and relocate manufacturing and supplier relationships. With the rise of the global multi-national, Asian flows are essential to today’s manufacturing operations. Today, this is not a valid assumption, and most manufacturers lack the inventory buffers for inconsistent flows. On March 16th-18th, I will be on a book tour in Europe discussing the concepts of Supply Chain Metrics That Matter. MORE

The more that I work on supply chain metrics, the more that I believe that both the SCOR model and the Gartner Hierarchy of Supply Chain Metrics (which I worked on for the period of 2006-2010) reward functional, not end-to-end supply chain behavior. I responded, by saying that I believe that the SCOR model and the Gartner Hierarchy of Metrics reward functional behavior and improve functional outcomes. In the supply chain, the questions do not change; but the answers do. MORE

Early data shows that most supply managers believe that Hurricane Harvey, which caused widespread destruction in south Texas and the closure of the Port of Houston, will impact supply chains in coming months. The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) recently released the results of a special survey to assess how Hurricane Harvey impacted six key metrics. Communicating early and often to supply chain partners can alleviate the impact of storms on the supply chain. MORE