Supply Chain Shaman

APRIL 24, 2025

The research methodology for the Supply Chains to Admire compares the performance of a company against its industry peer group for the metrics of Year-over-Year Revenue Growth, Inventory Turns, Operating Margin, and Return on Capital Employed (ROCE). Today, companies measure too many metrics without a clear definition of value.

Gartner 195

Gartner Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Planning Scenario Planning 195

Logistics Viewpoints

MARCH 27, 2025

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

Supply Chain Planning Software 329

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Network Software Logistics Network Optimization Software Predictive Analytics Software 329

RFgen

DECEMBER 4, 2024

In the automotive sector, manufacturers are simultaneously reducing inventory costs and delivery times. We’ll examine the key components of efficient supply chains, explore essential performance metrics, and uncover the fundamental drivers that influence efficiency.

Sourcing Strategies 96

Sourcing Strategies Inventory Reduction Waste Reduction Expense Reduction 96

RFgen

NOVEMBER 27, 2024

It’s the key to transforming your supply chain from a source of frustration into a well-oiled, profit-generating machine. Data analytics also offers actionable insights for: Inventory Management: See stock levels across multiple locations in real-time. That’s where data analytics comes in.

Optimal Sourcing 98

Optimal Sourcing Supply Chain Optimization Modeling Inventory Reduction 98

Supply Chain Shaman

SEPTEMBER 3, 2018

Over the last six years, we studied the connection between business results (growth, operating margin, inventory turns and Return on Invested Capital (ROIC)) and the link to company characteristics. Reward teams for cross-functional metrics. Focus functional metrics to improving reliability. What did we find?

Supply Chain Planning Software 377

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Agile and Lean Supply Chain Supply Chain Software 377

Supply Chain Shaman

APRIL 27, 2022

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 A Case Study.

Procurement Analytics 369

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

Supply Chain Shaman

OCTOBER 16, 2023

Clear operating strategy and definition of supply chain excellence across plan, source, make and deliver. A shift from functional metrics to a balanced scorecard. I like the use of growth, margin, inventory turns, Return on Invested Capital, customer service and ESG metrics. Drives Value. S&OP is a business process.

S&OP 391

S&OP Supply and Demand Forecasting Supply Chain Design Software 391

ToolsGroup

MARCH 25, 2025

Even more impressive, lost sales due to stockouts can decrease by up to 65%, while inventory reductions of 20% to 50% are possible. This advanced analysis allows businesses to predict promotional lift with unprecedented accuracy, ensuring optimized production schedules and inventory positioning through sophisticated supply planning.

Supply and Demand 156

Supply and Demand Forecasting Forecasting Software Modeling 156

Silvon Software

APRIL 16, 2025

Inventory is the lifeblood of any manufacturing business. By leveraging analytics and key performance indicators (KPIs), manufacturers can optimize inventory, reduce waste, and boost profitability. Tracking inventory flow and performance across your supply chain is a must. Thats where data-driven decision-making comes in!

Optimal Sourcing 65

Optimal Sourcing Inventory Reduction Supply Chain Optimization Price Mitigation Strategies 65

Supply Chain Shaman

MAY 25, 2024

The use of orbit charts allowed me to see the patterns of performance at the intersection of metrics over time. This data source synchronizes corporate reporting across global markets while tracking restatements, name changes, and currency shifts.) The second part of the story is that inventory turns for Lenovo are 10.8,

Eliminating Excel in Purchasing 385

Eliminating Excel in Purchasing Gartner Supply Chain Design Supply Chain Strategy 385

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. The So What?

Agile and Lean Supply Chain 363

Agile and Lean Supply Chain Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Strategy 363

Logistics Viewpoints

JULY 23, 2024

Collaborative discussions can help identify relevant data sources and metrics that capture the end-to-end supply chain process and align with overall business goals. Data inventory and assessment: Conduct a comprehensive inventory of available data sources within the organization, including internal systems (e.g.,

Optimal Sourcing 312

Optimal Sourcing Agile and Lean Supply Chain Supply Chain Software Modeling 312

RFgen

NOVEMBER 20, 2024

Think about it: How much time is wasted hunting down misplaced inventory? These include: Barcode Scanning Devices: These handheld devices, equipped with integrated inventory management apps, enable real-time tracking and data entry. Think real-time inventory visibility across all your locations.

Inventory Reduction 98

Inventory Reduction Inventory Management Software Waste Reduction Cost Reduction Strategies 98

Supply Chain Shaman

SEPTEMBER 9, 2014

Here we share the answers to the questions that we get the most often about this research: What is the source of data? We placed them in the industry that they were the most like, e.g., the primary source of revenue. We find that companies will establish metric targets in isolation and throw the supply chain out of balance.

Pharmaceutical 307

Pharmaceutical Gartner Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Design 307

Logistics Viewpoints

DECEMBER 15, 2022

ABC Analysis for Inventory Planning : Clustering products that behave similarly highlights issues, challenges, and opportunities for serving customers better. Price index and price elasticity are useful metrics on their own, and a combination of these can help determine the right price point to maximize revenue and profit.

Optimal Sourcing 263

Optimal Sourcing Analysis Procurement Analytics Purchasing Skills 263

Logistics Viewpoints

APRIL 21, 2021

What is the Perfect Delivery Metric? Improving on this metric will always involve a focus on people and processes, but often also includes implementing new, more robust, supply chain applications. The wrong metrics drive suboptimal behaviors and metrics can often be manipulated.

Sourcing Strategies 306

Sourcing Strategies How To Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software 306

Logility

AUGUST 5, 2021

But before you start measuring everything in sight – and a few things not in sight – start with a set of thoughtful intentions and questions that will guide you to the right set of metrics and the right set of expectations. Inventory-based KPIs probably make sense for you, but how will you benchmark results? That’s a trap.

Metrics 130

Metrics Modeling Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software 130

Supply Chain Shaman

SEPTEMBER 17, 2014

While the performance rankings were based on comparisons of inventory turns, operating margin and Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) for the periods of 2006-2013 and 2009-2013, the concept is that to be a supply chain leader you must outperform and drive improvement. Aligned Metrics. Supply Chain Design. Strong Planning Capabilities.

Optimal Sourcing 365

Optimal Sourcing Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Manufacturing Procurement 365

Logistics Viewpoints

OCTOBER 12, 2023

The same “If” statement was repeated for a host of financial and operational metrics. The following will delve into some of the intricate farm-to-table challenges that supply chains face across sourcing, demand planning, procurement and inventory management, transportation, and warehousing.

Supply Chain Design Software 315

Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Design Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Planning 315

Logistics Viewpoints

AUGUST 15, 2022

Of the professionals surveyed, 59% saw the gap between procurement/sourcing and supply chain to be a major disconnect, and the most pressing pain point. Both procurement solutions from ERP companies like Oracle or Infor – or business spend management solutions – can help companies enforce these sourcing supplier decisions.

Supply Chain Network Software 312

Supply Chain Network Software Manufacturing Procurement Procurement Analytics Optimal Sourcing 312

Supply Chain Shaman

NOVEMBER 9, 2014

The team was organized around the functional silos of source, make and deliver. I also believed that this company would have the best inventory and customer service. Instead, we found that the companies with the lowest total supply chain cost (a total of source, make and deliver) had average costs in manufacturing and distribution.

Manufacturing Procurement 318

Manufacturing Procurement Optimal Sourcing Benchmarking Supply Chain Design Software 318

Logistics Viewpoints

JULY 22, 2021

As product flows rapidly shifted and hard baked assumptions about lead times and sourcing locations were put to test, users across many organizations bypassed their planning systems and turned to excel sheets, internal data science teams or non-traditional supply chain vendors who could deliver AI based solutions at a faster turn.

S&OP 290

S&OP Supply and Demand Optimal Sourcing Supply Chain Design Software 290

Logistics Viewpoints

FEBRUARY 15, 2023

Our preliminary findings suggest that supply chain resilience has been increasing in importance over time, but still remains secondary to the end goal embedded in the perfect order metric – the right product, to the right place, at the right time. However, I am surprised at the degree that localized sourcing is being considered.

Supply Chain Planning 292

Supply Chain Planning Optimal Sourcing Supply Chain Optimization Supply Chain 292

SCMDOJO

OCTOBER 28, 2024

Procurement professionals can contribute significantly to the S&OP process by providing valuable insights into supply chain dynamics, identifying potential risks, and optimizing sourcing strategies. Discuss bottlenecks in the supply of raw materials or alternate sources to procure balance and level production plans.

S&OP 96

S&OP Optimal Sourcing Supply and Demand Material Savings 96

Supply Chain Shaman

MARCH 18, 2018

Financial reengineering focuses on the optimization of short-term results that are usually based on a functional analysis of source, make, or deliver. Few consultants understand the interrelationships between source, make and deliver. Snow fell last night as I worked on my last Supply Chain Metrics That Matter report.

Optimal Sourcing 192

Optimal Sourcing Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Optimization 192

Logistics Viewpoints

MARCH 9, 2023

This is because most classical planning solutions lack the modeling capability and computing power to accommodate different data sources, large SKU count, and detailed constraints and contingencies to build an immediately executable plan. each with discrete plans generated typically in sequential batch runs.

Supply Chain Planning Software 287

Supply Chain Planning Software Modeling Forecasting Software Optimization Software 287

Supply Chain Shaman

MARCH 5, 2019

While there are many types of visibility (see Figure 1), the most common use case is either sourcing or transportation visibility. The focus is on functional metrics, but are unable to get to overall supply chain metrics. In this blog post, I give a framework to drive discussions. Visibility. Gaps in Enterprise Visibility.

Supply Chain Design Software 340

Supply Chain Design Software Real-time Visibility Prescriptive Analytics Software Supply Chain Planning Software 340

SCMDOJO

OCTOBER 30, 2024

For instance, a student struggling with inventory management concepts can receive supplementary materials, interactive simulations, and one-on-one tutoring sessions tailored to their needs. Conversely, a student who quickly grasps procurement strategies can be challenged with advanced case studies and leadership projects.

Supply Chain Planning Software 97

Supply Chain Planning Software Analytics Software Forecasting Software Predictive Analytics Software 97

Supply Chain Shaman

FEBRUARY 26, 2024

Based on the work with Georgia Tech, we are getting clear on which metrics matter by industry. As companies adopt a balanced scorecard, the functional metrics shift to a focus on reliability. The implementation of NoSQL for inventory management gives them an inventory signal with little to no process latency.

Modeling 273

Modeling Supply and Demand Optimal Sourcing Supply Chain Planning Software 273

Jaggaer

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

Strategic Sourcing Simplified: Best Practices for Maximizing Value Strategic sourcing goes beyond cost savings its about making informed decisions that drive long-term value. Now well dive into best practices in these critical areas to ensure a more effective and resilient sourcing strategy.

Sourcing Strategies 52

Sourcing Strategies Negotiating Skills Optimal Sourcing Price Reduction 52

Supply Chain Shaman

NOVEMBER 15, 2021

Inventories in the chemical industry are at record lows: a forerunner of bad days ahead. While we will recover quickly in retail (moving from painful shortages to a glut of inventory), the chemical industry–sitting four and five layers back in the supply chain–takes longer to recover. Retail shelves are increasingly empty.

Supply Chain Design Software 355

Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Sourcing Strategies Supply and Demand 355

Supply Chain Shaman

JULY 22, 2019

The source data for the analysis comes from Ycharts.). It is not as simple as trading-off inventory, cost, and customer service. We selected these metrics based on correlation work with Arizona State University in 2012. The companies I work with struggle to set metrics targets. Click the link to see the detail.)

Supply Chain Design Software 304

Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Gartner Supply Chain Software 304

RFgen

JANUARY 16, 2025

That’s where manufacturing inventory management software comes in. In this ultimate guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about manufacturing inventory management software. Its your single source of truth for inventory, constantly updated and readily available.

Inventory Management Software 52

Inventory Management Software Manufacturing Procurement Supply Chain Planning Software Optimization Software 52

RFgen

DECEMBER 19, 2024

Material Flow: Optimize material flow patterns to accommodate increased volume without creating bottlenecks or excessive inventory. Consider these essential metrics: Asset Utilization: How efficiently are your machines being used? Environmental Impact : Larger-scale production has a greater environmental footprint.

Material Savings 92

Material Savings Sourcing Strategies Resource Reduction Inventory Reduction 92

ThroughPut

MAY 23, 2025

Leveraging powerful tools like Inventory Management Software , todays COOs gain real-time visibility, streamline operations, and make faster, smarter decisions that keep their businesses ahead of constant change. COOs must build resilience through supplier diversification, nearshoring, and flexible sourcing strategies.

Inventory Management Software 52

Inventory Management Software Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Software 52

My Office Apps

OCTOBER 21, 2024

What is Vendor Relationship Management (VRM) and Why It’s Essential for Your ERP and Inventory Software? Strong vendor relationships are critical for business success, especially when it comes to managing inventory and procurement. Why is Vendor Relationship Management Important?

Vendor Strategies 98

Vendor Strategies Procurement Solutions Supply Chain Planning Software Optimization Software 98

Silvon Software

MAY 6, 2025

They need visibility across multiple internal systemslike ERP, CRM, and financial platformsand even external sources shared with suppliers, partners, and customers. Modern platforms pull data from a wide array of sources: ERPs, relational databases, Excel files, cloud apps, third-party providers, and beyond. Why does that matter?

Prescriptive Analytics Software 89

Prescriptive Analytics Software Analytics Software Predictive Analytics Software Supply Chain Planning Software 89