This site uses cookies to improve your experience. To help us insure we adhere to various privacy regulations, please select your country/region of residence. If you do not select a country, we will assume you are from the United States. Select your Cookie Settings or view our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Used for the proper function of the website
Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Strictly Necessary: Used for the proper function of the website
Performance/Analytics: Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Theyre feeling the heat most, as sudden trade policy curveballs throw procurement plans into chaos. manufacturer I know saw their import costs jump overnight, forcing a rethink of a decade-old sourcing strategy. Traditional procurement, with its long-term contracts and rigid supplier ties, just isnt cutting it anymore.
Fragmented systems, rising cost pressures, and shifting risk profiles are making it harder than ever to manage procurement effectively. Strategies that worked just a few years ago are now too rigid, manual, or disconnected to keep up. How do you begin developing a procurementstrategy?
Fragmented systems, rising cost pressures, and shifting risk profiles are making it harder than ever to manage procurement effectively. Strategies that worked just a few years ago are now too rigid, manual, or disconnected to keep up. How do you begin developing a procurementstrategy?
This article outlines key factors driving supply chain change, the limitations of outdated strategies, and how Walmart is restructuring its supply chain using AI and automation. The Shift from Cost-Cutting to Resilience For years, supply chains prioritized cost reduction over resilience. Resilience is now taking precedence.
Learn how Team Procure is helping companies streamline their procurement by implementing a cloud-based procurement platform across their organization. This ensures that the approval process is optimized and eliminates bottlenecks.
They integrate AI into demand forecasting, inventory optimization, and logistics operations to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and mitigate risks. Companies must react after the fact, often incurring higher costs and reduced service levels. Executives are left making high-stakes decisions with incomplete information.
The adoption of AI in supply chain automation is enabling companies to make more accurate decisions, reduce cycle times, and better manage complexity. AI in supply chain automation is gradually reshaping how core functions operate, particularly in procurement, warehousing, and logistics.
In the competitive industrial landscape, efficient spare parts inventory management is crucial to maintaining seamless operations and driving profitability. Spare parts supply chains, however, come with their own set of complexities, requiring targeted strategies and specialized tools to meet these unique demands effectively.
Trade policies are constantly evolving, forcing companies to assess how these changes impact customer demand, supply networks, fulfillment strategies, and cost to serve. As a result, the company had to lay off workers and reevaluate its entire strategy – even as tariffs are paused – due to a lack of supply chain flexibility.
Speaker: Olivia Montgomery, Associate Principal Supply Chain Analyst
Forecasting techniques to manage inventory. Procurementstrategies in response to network delays and bottlenecks. In this webinar, you’ll gain actionable insights from Olivia Montgomery as she walks us through Capterra’s extensive research on how businesses - notably SMBs - are addressing supply chain challenges in 2023.
The problem is that the reduction of costs within one function does not necessarily drive value. For example, if I improve the cost structure in transportation, procurement, manufacturing and sales independently, what decision support framework decides the right trade-offs? The answer is not th e Gartner Top 25. What should we do?
Treating suppliers as essential partners in the field of direct spend management—almost like customers—can be a key component of a successful company strategy. For instance, suppliers may have strong Vendor Management process expertise that will help reduce working capital. They are no longer just vendors of goods and services.
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.
Excess inventory weighs down supply chains. By producing only whats needed, when its needed, they eliminate the burden of forecasting errors and reduce warehouse dependency. Powered by digital tools, on-demand strategies offer a cleaner, more responsive path to production. Digital fabrication makes this possible.
Direct and indirect procurement are two fundamental approaches in supply chain management, each serving distinct functions within an organization. Both focus on improving efficiency and reducing costs but differ in their strategic approach and impact on the core business operations. Find Out More What Is Procurement?
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.
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?
Amul’s model supports small producers by integrating large-scale economics, cutting out intermediaries, and connecting producers directly with consumers. Direct Procurement : Milk is collected directly from farmers at the village level. This reduces intermediaries, ensuring that farmers receive a higher price for their milk.
Planners are uniquely positioned with an end-to-end focus, from procurement of materials, through manufacturing and engineering, to the movement, storage, and delivery of finished products or services. Supply chain professionals use various tools, including supply chain modeling, inventory management, and forecasting.
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.
If you’re evaluating procurement technology or exploring ways to drive more value from existing systems, chances are you’re looking beyond tactical fixes – you want a smarter, scalable strategy. Misaligned priorities across finance, legal, and procurement create friction that delays decision-making and reduces impact.
Reducing cost was the primary objective, and most operational decisionsfrom sourcing to fulfillmentreflected that mindset. Resilience is the ability to respond to disruption while maintaining core operations, and more companies are shifting their strategies accordingly. For years, supply chains were engineered to be lean.
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.
In this article, we’ll explain what centralized purchasing is, the challenges it tackles, the benefits of centralized procurement, and the types of companies that can benefit most from it. That’s when a centralized procurement organization structure proves beneficial.
By harnessing the growing power of AI to not only sense demand at a very fine-grain, real-time level, but also to govern decisions about pricing and inventory. The company says its new approach uses agentic AI to transform consumer feedback into profitable retail growth strategies. AI can help.
Despite the evolution of technology, none of the 28 industry segments I follow can drive improvement at the intersection of operating margin and inventory turns. Functional Metrics and the Lack of Alignment to Strategy. Most focus on cost reduction, assuming that functional cost translates to operating margin. Change is Hard.
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 reducinginventory costs and delivery times.
Supply chain managers will need to assess supplier capacity, evaluate long-term sourcing contracts, and consider geographic diversification to reduce risk associated with seasonality and regional sourcing limitations. Companies may need to revise inventorystrategies and adjust procurement lead times accordingly.
While SAP has had procurement analytics solutions, last year at Spend Connect Live, SAP announced the Spend Control Tower. Daniel Chapman, the senior director of process transformation for procure to pay at Warner Music, was a keynote speaker. This solution provides insights in a much easier way to digest.
They never leveraged their point-of-sale data to detect market shifts, and the supply chain organization prioritized cost reduction. The use of the supply chain as a functional organization within the organization to reduce costs. The organization became more functional and political. Why would I do this? Strategic levers (e.g.,
For example, the application sends three auto reminders to a buyer if a PO they cut does not have a corresponding purchase order confirmation associated with it. But the chief procurement officer has been made aware of the 10% of suppliers not participating. Molex has also used the tool to reduce supplier lead times.
In May, the total number of job cuts in the US were 696,309 – an increase of 80% from the 385,859 jobs cut in the first five months of 2024. During the first week of June 2025, job cuts continued with 90,000 layoffs with iconic brands like Kimberly-Clark (1500-1900), Microsoft (6,000), P&G (7000), and Wal-Mart (1,500).
Others had already pressure-tested their supply chain strategies for moments like this. Scenario modeling, running what-if simulations to stress-test sourcing, pricing, and inventory decisions, has become a cornerstone of supply chain strategy. When the latest wave of U.S. tariffs hit, some companies scrambled. They’re the norm.
That strategy can lead to thousands of scenarios, and still no number of scenarios will answer all questions. Another strategy is to dedicate resources and build the best algorithm for demand forecasting. While this sourcing strategy is the most cost-effective one, the business might not want to operate like that.
To thrive in this volatile environment, manufacturers must adopt proactive supply chain risk management (SCRM) strategies and embrace modern technology. To thrive in this volatile environment, manufacturers must adopt proactive supply chain risk management (SCRM) strategies and embrace modern technology.
Now for the Do’s & Don’ts In the dynamic world of FMCG, your Route to Market (RTM) strategy and distributor partnerships can make or break your brand’s success. Do Embrace Technology and Data : Use real-time data for demand forecasting, inventory management, and route optimization. Ensure margins are fair and sustainable.
This can damage your reputation and reduce sales. Below are a few other ways to help you reduce lead times. Here are some strategies for effective collaboration: Supplier relationship management (SRM): Establishing a strong SRM process fosters open communication and transparency between the business and its suppliers.
In this blog, well explore key strategies to enhance supply chain resilience and highlight how services like those offered by ModusLink can help businesses navigate these challenges effectively. Effective demand planning also optimizes inventory levels, reducing costs associated with storage and carrying inventory.
Material Flow: Optimize material flow patterns to accommodate increased volume without creating bottlenecks or excessive inventory. Consider the following: Existing Stock Keeping Units (SKUs): Manufacturing companies should analyze their current inventory levels and how they align with anticipated demand.
Industry-specific content is available for processes like Source to Settle, Procure to Pay, Order to Cash, and more. Predictive and prescriptive AI addresses use cases like inventory optimization, asset health predictions, yield optimization, and financial forecasting. Key features include Multi-tier Mapping and Trace Request.
This is amplified across the supply chain into an exponential impact on inventory and planned orders for manufacturing. When we measure the bullwhip impact (in my class on outside-in process thinking), the bullwhip between manufacturing and procurement is 2-3X. The use of outside-in signals can reduce it by 40-60%. Most likely.)
They follow “if-this-then-that” (IFTTT) logic, meaning that when certain conditions are met, the contract automatically executes an agreed-upon action, such as releasing a payment, updating an inventory record, or verifying a shipment. Inventory counts often require manual audits, which are time-consuming and prone to mistakes.
Below are some common problems in supply chain management and how they can be mitigated with the assistance of software solutions and digital strategies in logistics. It must address various demands, including indirect procurement requests, project and manufacturing requirements, and external customer demands.
You’ll learn how to leverage data to streamline operations, reduce costs, improve efficiency, and exceed customer expectations. Data analytics also offers actionable insights for: Inventory Management: See stock levels across multiple locations in real-time. Ready to get started? Let’s dive in.
We organize all of the trending information in your field so you don't have to. Join 102,000+ users and stay up to date on the latest articles your peers are reading.
You know about us, now we want to get to know you!
Let's personalize your content
Let's get even more personalized
We recognize your account from another site in our network, please click 'Send Email' below to continue with verifying your account and setting a password.
Let's personalize your content