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AI in supply chain automation is gradually reshaping how core functions operate, particularly in procurement, warehousing, and logistics. Key Insight: The use of AI in supply chain automation is producing tangible benefits across procurement, warehousing, and logistics.
But Omer Bakkalbasi, the chief innovation officer at Solvoyo, says they are already there. “We Solvoyo has a metric they call the user acceptance rate. At a division of one of the world’s largest consumer goods companies, 85% autonomy on manufacturing plans and 95% acceptance of proposed purchase orders has been achieved.
As retailers navigate an increasingly complex marketplace, several key themes emerged that are set to define the next era of retail innovation. Returns Management and Integration With 35% of online purchases being returned, predominantly to physical stores, retailers are grappling with the ripple effects on inventory management.
A disruption at any point in the global logistics network including the average of 12 touch points from shipment packaging to final delivery can prove disastrous for profits, service levels, customer loyalty, and other key metrics. With the global e-commerce market predicted to reach $8.1 billion to $23.07
These steps include sourcing and receiving inventory, storing inventory, order processing, picking and packing an order, shipping the order, and returns management. Standard sizes and categorizations play a crucial role in determining the costs associated with shipping products that meet standard criteria in fulfillment centers.
Enterprise procurement leaders are under more pressure than ever—juggling cost control, compliance, supplier risk, and internal complexity, all while trying to modernize outdated systems. AI, automation, and generative tools are redefining efficiency, allowing procurement teams to move from reactive to proactive decision-making.
Innovative tools provide actionable insights and improve operational efficiency Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI systems optimize routing and demand forecasting, reducing energy consumption and empty miles. Predictiveanalytics helps logistics companies anticipate disruptions and adapt proactively.
Procurement and supply chain management are often used interchangeably—but in practice, the lines between them can blur in ways that create real friction. Misaligned priorities, siloed systems, and unclear ownership can directly impact key performance indicators like cost savings percentage and procurement cycle time.
Most of the business networks were hollowed out by venture capitalists or purchased by opportunists. The business network market is in need of innovation.) ” My problem is that we move through these hype cycles with little accountability for spending and with a major opportunity cost to not redefine work.
Advanced supply chain planning is being transformed by probabilistic forecasting , which revolutionizes demand forecasting, supply planning, and inventory optimization. Enhancing Inventory with Probabilistic Forecasting A supply chain is a complex ecosystem influenced by dynamic variables. The result?
Probabilistic forecasting is revolutionizing demand forecasting, supply planning, and inventory optimization by significantly improving forecast accuracy and decision-making across distribution networks. Enhancing Inventory with Probabilistic Forecasting A supply chain is a complex ecosystem influenced by dynamic variables.
For most CPOs and CFOs, deciding on the right purchasing setup — centralized or decentralized — is no small task. Each model has its perks, and choosing the best fit can feel like walking a tightrope. Keep reading to learn: What is centralized purchasing? What is centralized purchasing?
Traditionally, procurement has been a process weighed down by manual tasks, fragmented systems, and endless paperwork. Today, procurement is undergoing a transformation. While procurement teams have long worked to add strategic value, Artificial Intelligence (AI) amplifies their impact.
At each company, there is a relationship between the metrics of growth, margin, inventory, customer service, and asset strategy. For the purpose of this article, I will use Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) as the proxy metric to discuss asset utilization.) Understanding this relationship requires modeling. (A
Supply chain efficiency is the cornerstone of success and involves the effective management of processes, resources, and technologies from procurement to production, transportation to warehousing. In the automotive sector, manufacturers are simultaneously reducing inventorycosts and delivery times.
E-commerce giants like Amazon, Alibaba, Temu, and Shein are expanding their global warehouse footprints, driving the adoption of WMS to manage inventory, reduce lead times, and optimize last-mile delivery. A majority of warehouses report labor shortages, and more than 50% cite this as a significant business challenge that is only worsening.
Wikipedia In 2014, I was exploring methods to publish what is now the Supply Chains To Admire report. The use of orbit charts allowed me to see the patterns of performance at the intersection of metrics over time. We purchase data from Y charts. (A We have archived corporate reporting from Y charts for 1982-2023.
In May 2025, one in seven home-purchase agreements fell through resulting in the cancellation of 56,000 purchase contracts. Ask a procurement or transportation professional if they have a good demand signal and expect a laugh. A negative FVA increases cost, inventory, and risk. The ripple effects are pervasive.
However, the juice for my newfound nightly routine soon became difficult to find, perpetually out of stock each time I tried to purchase it at the grocery store. With tart cherry juice sales transitioning into a steady demand pattern, retailers must adapt their inventory strategies accordingly to meet this evolving consumer preference.
As an old gal, with over forty-years of supply chain experience, writing this report for ten years taught me many lessons. I find in the orbit chart analysis that 45% of companies in the report are unconsciously incompetent. An average margin of 21% with inventory turns of 1.58 Outperformers Focus on Customer-centric Innovation.
Operational innovations like the invention of containers led to the huge growth in global value chains, and today 95% of manufactured goods move on ships. Technical innovations can also impact supply chains, which is why many turn to supply chain planning solutions, which are designed to be trade-off machines.
I know that your primary focus is procurement. If S&OP efforts were that effective, don’t you think that we would have made more progress against inventory levels, margin, and growth? The Companies with the greatest success are smaller and usually drive product innovation into the market. Clear mission.)
” At that time, the sales organization used more point-of-sale data than their competitors, they had an impressive and innovative IT team, and their supply chain processes were what I considered best-in-class. This week, the organization reported that net sales decreased 2 percent to $19.5 Over time, as I watched, this changed.
In today’s dynamic market, procurement is far more than just a buying and purchasing center. Our latest e-book, “ Is Manufacturing Missing Out On Procurement’s Value Add? Our latest e-book, “ Is Manufacturing Missing Out On Procurement’s Value Add? Here are some key insights from the e-book.
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?” No technology in the market measures inventory health. Today, this is not the case.
That’s where manufacturing inventory management software comes in. We’re talking real-time tracking, automated purchasing, and a whole lot less stress. In this ultimate guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about manufacturing inventory management software.
Businesses often use it in retail and purchasing. Category management isn’t just another procurement trend. It’s a way for companies to group similar goods or services (like IT infrastructure, facilities, or raw materials) and manage them holistically instead of handling every purchase in isolation.
With the global market expansion and deepening supply chain complexity, the roles of procurement leaders have evolved from tactical to strategic. Nowadays, procurement departments not only focus on the day-to-day buying operations but also search for the most efficient ways to go about them. How often do purchases happen?
It excels on a union of E-Commerce mobile apps and last-mile delivery innovations. Inventory Optimization. Inventory Optimization involves decisions about the inventory level, the location, and the mix of products. According to OECD, during the pandemic, brick-and-mortar retail services such as food services saw 7.7%
When you look behind the scenes of a global business operation, procurement strategy and supply chain management are usually top priorities, though theyre not always working in sync. This blog explores procurement vs supply chain strategy and looks at how aligning the two leads to operational excellence. It doesnt have to be that way.
Data analytics can be applied to virtually any supply chain process, and analytics hold great value in managing retail supply chains. Defining retail needs is not an easy process, but data is king and can help companies sift through the needs and wants of customers, reports Arthur Zaczkiewicz of WWD.
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.
The award, based on beating the industry peer group on rate of improvement on the key metrics of growth, operating margin, inventory turns, and Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) while outperforming their peer group, is tough to achieve. The orbit chart below illustrates L’Oréal’s performance at the intersection of two metrics.
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. Don’t fool yourself.
I wrote my first report on Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) while sitting on the floor in the Atlanta airport in 2005 when I was an AMR Research analyst. I wrote many reports on airport floors in those days–electrical plugs were just too scarce.) Sales and Operations Maturity Model from 2005-2008. Mistake #3.
Within this setup, an ERP procurement module helps companies make purchases and manage suppliers. Numbers speak louder: According to Procurement Tactics’ top procurement trends in 2025 , 83% of CPOs prioritize digitization. Companies want to move beyond traditional methods and adopt a more innovative approach.
Enter companies like DigitalSuits, a high-tech Shopify development and e-commerce agency that leverages technology and innovation to build end-to-end solutions. Today, their functionality has increased, and businesses are leveraging CRM systems for demand forecasting, buyer behavior analysis, and more intelligent inventory management.
In todays fast paced industrial world, inventory mismanagement poses substantial financial risks. With approximately $30 trillion of trade flowing from node to node, inventory rebalancing or mismanagement contributes to two major and often preventable issues: lost uptime, and lost sales. The Solution: ThroughPut.AI
I believe that supply chain leaders are in the middle of step change in process innovation driven by not one, but a confluence of technologies. Driving Innovation. Process innovation is tough for companies. Sitting on the 15th floor of a high-rise apartment, I am writing a research report on Digital Procure-to-Pay.
Planalytics’ weather-driven demand analytics help businesses stay ahead of never-ending sales variability. a leader in supply chain innovation powering the sustainable and resilient enterprise, today announced a partnership with Planalytics, Inc. ATLANTA – Jan. 4, 2022 – Logility, Inc.,
following the reporting of fourth-quarter results. This is despite the strengths of the recent purchase of Optimity. Note the lack of resilience of Eastman through the pandemic and the negative shift in operating margin and inventory turns since 2018. In short, there is no substitute for visionary leadership.
As consumers continue to purchase goods at greater frequency and trade regulations become more complex, supply chain professionals are striving to establish end-to-end control of their business operations. This in turn yields improved performance and customer experience – key indicators of supply chain leaders and innovators.
I am a big believer in procurement getting involved as early as possible in new product development based on all the market knowledge available. The worst-case scenario is product engineering developing a new product, selecting a supplier and then telling procurement to get on with negotiation. How often do your purchase orders change?
Gartner purchased the firm in 2010.) My desire was to make the rankings of the Top 25 supply chain report data-driven based on balance sheet results. A forum was great for networking but not for driving process innovation. I argued for industry collaboration to define and drive process innovation.
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