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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. Amazon is a leader in AI-driven supply chain management.
Why Transformation Is a Boardroom Priority Supply chain management is now a core strategic concern for business leaders. The Shift from Cost-Cutting to Resilience For years, supply chains prioritized cost reduction over resilience. Companies that fail to integrate these technologies risk inefficiencies and higher costs.
The 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports and 20% tariffs on Chinese goods are expected to increase production costs, disrupt logistics networks, and force companies to rethink supply chains. auto parts are sourced from Mexico, making the tariff impact immediate and severe. Vehicle production costs in the U.S.
That’s because procurement professionals like you are under constant pressure to cut costs, reduce risk, and deliver data-backed insights to the business. This blog offers a clear, practical overview of what spend analysis is, how it supports strategicsourcing, and why it matters for both direct and indirect procurement.
Your inbox quickly fills with concerned emails highlighting rising costs, delayed materials, and your teams urgent efforts to assess the situation and determine the next steps. Companies leaning heavily on global sourcing? manufacturer I know saw their import costs jump overnight, forcing a rethink of a decade-old sourcing strategy.
The resulting strategic question for companies is: How do we build resilient supply chains when even the rule-makers are unstable? Automakers must model dual-path sourcing strategies and reintroduce buffer inventory—not just for parts, but for regulatory flexibility. But failing to seek alternatives is also risky.
From sourcing and bid evaluation to warehouse slotting and dynamic routing, AI tools support faster and more consistent outcomes by processing large volumes of operational data and identifying patterns that human decision-makers may overlook.
Shippers that rely on imports have obviously been among the first to feel the financial strain as rising costs disrupt supply chains and profitability. Companies now must make strategic decisions regarding pricing, shipping, supply chains and overall logistics. The newly implemented 2025 U.S.
Dive into our curated list of the top 12 blogs from 2024 that will elevate your supply chain knowledge and give you a competitive edge. However, it covers key differences between purchasing and procurement, explores common contract types, and emphasizes the importance of strategicsourcing, supplier relationships, and risk management.
Increased globalization, constant digital transformation, and ever-evolving consumer demands have led to a situation where traditional supply chain skills are simply no longer enough for success. There is now a pressing need for supply chain professionals to acquire and develop new skills that are better suited to modern organizations.
As businesses strive to enhance efficiency, resilience, and sustainability, the demand for skilled supply chain professionals has never been higher. This blog explores how MTSS platforms can be strategically utilized to build the competencies necessary for success in supply chain management.
Companies across all industries are dealing with rising transportation costs and a key question many CEOs, CFOs, and supply chain executives are asking is, “What can we do to better manage and control our freight spend in today’s market?” The second question we get is what strategies can we implement to lower our transportation costs.
StrategicSourcing Simplified: Best Practices for Maximizing Value Strategicsourcing 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.
While procurement teams have long worked to add strategic value, Artificial Intelligence (AI) amplifies their impact. Unlike traditional tools that often operate in isolation or rely on rigid workflows, AI connects the dots between disparate data sources, providing a more comprehensive view of procurement activities.
June 10, 2025 Blog Weekly highlights Ocean rates – Freightos Baltic Index Asia-US West Coast prices (FBX01 Weekly) increased 98% to $5,488/FEU. Asia-US East Coast prices (FBX03 Weekly) increased 61% to $6,410/FEU. Europe prices (FBX11 Weekly) increased 17% to $2,757/FEU. America weekly prices fell 1% to $5.27/kg.
Suddenly, managing inventory is the name of the game for companies trying to manage working capital and maximize profit while keeping customers happy. And that’s where real-time perpetual inventory signals come in. Plus, accurate inventory information is the key to optimal decision-making.
Since January, Canadians’ weekly grocery trips have become a real-time indicator for the potential impacts of tariffs as shoppers have responded to threats with a showcase of buying power, prioritizing nationally sourced and manufactured products even before a single tariff was enacted. goods were “ rapidly dropping.”
SCMDOJO Academy elevates your procurement and supply chain skills through its extensive course library. Continuous learning is crucial for professionals to stay ahead of the curve and enhance their skill sets. Moreover, it covers written and verbal communication skills, negotiation techniques, and conflict-resolution strategies.
The dynamic landscape of modern business comes with increasing product variety and volatile prices, making it more important than ever to stay competitive on the market. To enhance their competitive edge, companies across industries are adopting a key tactic: strategicsourcing.
Without experienced managers in place, truck availability drops, repairs are delayed, and cost control becomes difficult. These individuals are key to maintaining operational efficiency, cost control, and compliance. Strong supplier agreements and pricing structures depend on consistent leadership. Rising costs.
Maximize Revenues and Efficiency with Automated Billing An automated billing solution benefits both customer and 3PL alike, in that it captures all billable activities performed by the 3PL, while accurately reporting charges at the rates and conditions associated with each customer’s specific negotiated contract.
Table of Contents ** Minutes What is product sourcing? Where can I source products from? This makes it essential that buyers understand where they are sourcing their products from and how that ultimately affects their brand. What is product sourcing? Where can I source products from?
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. This evolution reflects procurement’s growing role as a strategic business partner. What Is Procurement Technology?
To the best of my knowledge, many business schools still use the case study " Apple Computers Supplier Hubs: A Tale of Three Cities " from Stanford University (1996). Interesting point is that Apple Inc has to make the pre-payments to some suppliers to secure the strategic raw materials. Inventory Turnover.
This team controls what’s bought, from where, and at what cost for the entire organization. These benefits aren’t just about lower prices; they’re also about reducing transportation and inventorycosts, which can really add up over time. Getting the goods to the right place The next step is logistics.
Inventory management is one of the most important tasks for supply chain management professionals. However, most inventory control theories are too complicated or too difficult to apply to real world situations. The reason is that most people now realize the value of planning practice like Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP).
Companies importing and exporting goods, be it finished retail products, manufacturing components or materials, now face substantial cost and price pressures that squeeze margins and force difficult pricing, sourcing, operations and distribution decisions. The result?
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.
The planner’s role has expanded to include a combination of technical skills and communications and interpersonal skills. A recent, typical job ad for a demand planner lists technical criteria including APICS and Six Sigma certification, alongside “negotiation, communications, and presentation skills”. .
Now’s the time for businesses to look back at the strain that rising inflation put on their supply chains and inventory management. In this blog, we’ll explain the impact of rising inflation rates on inventory and supply chain management. As prices continued to rise, purchasing power plummeted.
Is inventory bloating your costs? A scorecard acts as your dashboard, providing crucial visibility that helps you: Make Data-Driven Decisions: Replace guesswork with facts when evaluating suppliers, processes, and inventory levels. Improve Efficiency: Understand process timelines and inventory holding to streamline operations.
In today’s fast-paced industrial landscape, managing spare parts and MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Operations) inventory is more than just keeping shelves stocked. It’s about strategic optimizationensuring availability while minimizing waste and costs. Improve cash flow by reducing capital tied up in inventory.
Introduction As global supply chains evolve, ensuring cost efficiency is crucial. One way to assess the cost performance of any function within the supply chain is through Cost Performance Index (CPI). What contexts can it be used in and how, as well as the benefits of using cost performance index in supply chain contexts.
These include alternative sourcing strategies, backup transportation routes, and emergency inventory reserves. For example, companies can use project management software to track supplier performance, monitor inventory fluctuations, and automate alerts for potential risks.
What is Source to Pay (S2P)? Yet in the case of source to pay, it is wholly justified. The term refers to the entire journeyfrom finding suppliers and negotiating contracts to finalizing agreements and making the final payment for goods. Yet there are good reasons to do so. Or rather, it should not, in a data-driven environment.
China, and the EU, trade barriers are driving more than price changes. Tariffs are reshaping sourcing strategies, forcing tech upgrades, and making inventory planning a lot more complicated. Immediate Cost Surges and Planning Chaos The most obvious tariff impact on supply chains is pricing.
But the truth is, when these two functions join forces, the results can be game-changing: lower costs, faster responses, and a more resilient operation overall. While each has its own responsibilities, both share a common goal: ensuring that the organization has what it needs, when it needs it, at the right cost and quality.
But I’d like AI more to a magic trick, so allow me to direct your attention to the technology behind the curtain to highlight both its risks and its rewards and to share the essential leadership skills AI cannot provide. Any human with a browser can produce this result, since it requires no sophisticated coding skills or knowledge.
Rising costs, supply chain chaos, and economic swings put businesses under enormous pressure to protect their margins. According to McKinsey & Company, procurement accounts for 50% to 80% of a company’s cost base. That’s why organizations zero in on strategies to achieve procurement cost reduction.
According to KPMG , a global network of professional firms providing audit, tax, and advisory services, building a dedicated procurement team helps companies achieve substantial cost savings through effective vendor and category management. What are the top 5 skills every procurement manager needs? Read on to learn about them.
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. This allows businesses to track expenses, costs, and payments against the appropriate financial accounts.
The Role of Agentic AI in Supply Chains Supply chains are dynamic and complex, requiring continuous decision-making across multiple functions, from procurement and inventory management to logistics and demand forecasting. Automates bidding processes and cost optimization. Here are some leading innovators in this space: 1.
Today, these legacy retailers and Walgreens in particular stand out from competitors, boasting an increasing array of omnichannel fulfillment options and the ability to deliver orders to customers’ doors faster than ever, even if for a cost. How can we strategically house inventory to better support gig integration?
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