Logistics Viewpoints

MARCH 3, 2025

Ibrahim Al Syed, the director of digital manufacturing at Celanese, was surprisingly forthcoming about how Celanese developed these capabilities at ARC Advisory Groups 29th Annual ARC Industry Leadership Forum. He also spoke at the ARC forum in 2023, and this article is based on that presentation as well. They must be.

Negotiating Skills 184

Negotiating Skills Supply Chain Design Software Modeling Software Optimal Sourcing 184

Kinaxis

DECEMBER 3, 2014

Over the years, working for and with numerous manufacturing companies, I’ve seen many supply chain practices that cost companies money. Reason #9 Relentless pursuit of one supply chain metric at the expense of other metrics. Why do companies focus on reducing a specific metric? by John Westerveld. Sound ridiculous?

Expense Reduction 247

Expense Reduction Procurement Analytics Cost Reduction Strategies Metrics 247

Supply Chain Shaman

OCTOBER 13, 2022

The larger the organization, the more tension with conflicting functional metrics making decisions more difficult. Note in Figure 1 the gaps from recent research between supply chain planning and manufacturing, logistics, and sales. The gap between logistics and procurement; and logistics and customer service increases process latency.

Supply Chain Planning Software 221

Supply Chain Planning Software Modeling Supply and Demand Supply Chain Software 221

Supply Chain Shaman

SEPTEMBER 3, 2018

We consistently see that companies focused on functional excellence–a focus within a functional silo like manufacturing, transportation or distribution– or singular metrics– like inventory or costs– underperform against their peer groups. In our monthly webinar last Wednesday, I presented these results.

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

SEPTEMBER 17, 2014

There are three reasons why: Vertical excellence—having the best manufacturing, procurement or transportation function—has not worked. Aligned Metrics. I then finished a forty-minute presentation, and prepared for questions. This is an unknown, but in my opinion, 65% of the solution is in the hands of the manufacturer.

Optimal Sourcing 365

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

Supply Chain Shaman

NOVEMBER 9, 2014

Let me give you an example: Last week, I gave a presentation at a global supply chain team meeting of 175 professionals. The team was organized around the functional silos of source, make and deliver. As I cleared my throat, and pushed my toes deep into my shoes, I bounded up the stairs to start the presentation. I was wrong.

Manufacturing Procurement 318

Manufacturing Procurement Optimal Sourcing Benchmarking Supply Chain Design Software 318

GlobalTranz

DECEMBER 29, 2014

We’ve already listed the top 10 manufacturing blog posts and the top 10 supply chain blog posts last week. When a manufacturer’s product normally moves through the supply chain network, it is to reach the distributor or customer. Any process or management after the sale of the product involves reverse logistics.

Logistics Network Optimization Software 321

Logistics Network Optimization Software Reverse Logistics Manufacturing Procurement Logistics 321

Taulia

NOVEMBER 8, 2024

This blog highlights key strategies from these recent forums on sustainable procurement and practical tips to achieve impactful results. The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is a package of measures, including tax incentives for clean energy and manufacturing. C above pre-industrial levels.” .: How can technology help?

Supply Chain Planning Software 98

Supply Chain Planning Software Optimization Software Supply Chain Software Optimal Sourcing 98

Supply Chain Brain

JUNE 17, 2025

Koganti urged the procurement audience to look for whats referred to as “foresight function” in planning tools, which is capable of enhancing data analysis, scenario generation and trend identification , allowing for more informed and proactive decision-making, albeit with human oversight.

Supply Chain Planning Software 100

Supply Chain Planning Software Optimal Sourcing Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Software 100

Supply Chain Shaman

SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

In manufacturing-based companies, 70-80% of costs are in the processes of source, make and deliver. While the practices of finance are over 200 years old, in contrast, supply chain as a cross-functional practice (the combination of make, source and deliver) was recently defined in 1982. Is talent a cost or an asset? Talent Gaps.

Cost Reduction Strategies 262

Cost Reduction Strategies Inventory Reduction Resource Reduction Manufacturing Procurement 262

Silvon Software

APRIL 19, 2022

Procurement is one core process area being focused to better manage today’s fluctuating change, with key performance metrics leading the way to assessing and managing procurement performance. The Basics of Procurement KPIs. Every KPI needs a clearly defined goal.

Optimal Sourcing 124

Optimal Sourcing Procurement Analytics Manufacturing Procurement Negotiate Pricing 124

SCMDOJO

OCTOBER 30, 2024

Conversely, a student who quickly grasps procurement strategies can be challenged with advanced case studies and leadership projects. For example, a student might work on a project that involves analyzing sales data to predict future product demand, thereby learning how to adjust procurement strategies accordingly.

Supply Chain Planning Software 97

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

Logistics Bureau

OCTOBER 11, 2024

Procurement has never played such an important role in the increasingly globalised economy. Has procurement fundamentally changed itself in the past 10 years? Strategic Procurement can mean totally different things in different industries and sectors. The time when Procurement was almost a synonym to Purchasing has long gone.

Manufacturing Procurement 98

Manufacturing Procurement Optimal Sourcing Procurement Analytics Procurement Solutions 98

Supply Chain Shaman

OCTOBER 11, 2012

” CFO of a major manufacturer. Procter & Gamble and Kimberly Clark); but for most companies that I have worked with, I see that they have purchased and implemented inventory technologies, but there has not been an impact on future years results in either Days of Inventory or Days of Working Capital. I am a skeptic.

Inventory Reduction 247

Inventory Reduction Vendor Strategies Resource Reduction Cost Reduction Strategies 247

Supply Chain Shaman

JULY 13, 2023

My first digital supply chain presentation was in Milan at an SAP Insider conference in 2012.) The fear is the readiness of adoption of a laggard industry where only 3% of manufacturers are early adopters. The primary investments are in networks of limited capabilities based on EDI, and indirect procurement spend management.

Optimal Sourcing 368

Optimal Sourcing Supply Chain Planning Software Modeling Supply Chain Planning 368

GlobalTranz

DECEMBER 30, 2014

As with the logistics category where we featured 15 most popular blog posts vs. the 10 we covered in the top manufacturing blog posts and supply chain blog posts , we write so many transportation blog posts in that category, we are going to feature the 16 most viewed transportation blog posts. Read the Full Blog Post. Read the Full Blog Post.

Logistics Network Optimization Software 305

Logistics Network Optimization Software Expense Reduction Supply Chain Planning Software Modeling Software 305

Supply Chain Shaman

OCTOBER 29, 2014

Even though things seem to be going well (all of the meeting details are well-executed and the speaker is giving an energized presentation), the room is eerily quiet. By purchasing planning and transactional systems for a common vendor, they had one throat to choke and they were familiar with the architectural elements.

Supply Chain Planning Software 379

Supply Chain Planning Software Modeling Demand Planning Software Optimization Software 379

Precoro

JUNE 3, 2025

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.

Manufacturing Procurement 45

Manufacturing Procurement Procurement Analytics Procurement Solutions Material Savings 45

Supply Chain Shaman

JULY 29, 2013

Last week in the middle of a presentation, a supply chain leader made the statement, “We have solved the issues in supply through better optimization and use of data. Currently, we at Supply Chain Insights are working on presentations for our upcoming Supply Chain Insights Global Summit. Every time that it happens, I smile.

Supply Chain Planning Software 350

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Modeling Analytics Software 350

Supply Chain Shaman

FEBRUARY 26, 2024

On Friday, I presented an overview of outside-in planning to a consulting group. I love the questions when I present. 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 reason?

Modeling 273

Modeling Supply and Demand Optimal Sourcing Supply Chain Planning Software 273

Supply Chain Shaman

OCTOBER 7, 2012

My schedule had me on a plane to Chicago at the time of the presentation. We rescheduled my flight and I quickly put together some slides for the presentation. (To I had successfully adapted to give a presentation on agility to 254 people. In the supply chain, variability and volatility come from many sources.

Supply Chain Design Software 231

Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Optimal Sourcing Inventory Reduction 231

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 29, 2014

With the purchase of i2 by JDA, and Logictools by IBM, manufacturing companies serious about network design started looking for a company, with a well-established community, that was more serious about network design. I smiled as I began to present the story of the “Metrics that Matter.”

Supply Chain Design Software 268

Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Design Network Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software 268

ivalua

JUNE 29, 2020

It is also helping to bridge the supply chain management gap that has traditionally existed between healthcare providers and other industries such as manufacturing. Quite often there can be a general lack of spend and vendor management and strategic sourcing activities. Share on Twitter. Big Opportunity Ahead.

Supply Chain Planning Software 219

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Software Agile and Lean Supply Chain Optimal Sourcing 219

Kinaxis

MARCH 21, 2017

The master production schedule suffers from very intense and short term production schedule variations and purchased materials unavailability. In this way, supply chains can identify a list of products that can present managerial problems. Manufacturing flow simplifications. Alternative sources for parts. 9, 2010.

Supply and Demand 167

Supply and Demand Demand Planning Software Optimal Sourcing Manufacturing Procurement 167

Supply Chain View from the Field

NOVEMBER 10, 2014

In addition to the procurement executives, I also got to meet Captain Dick Phillips, the captain of note in the film “Captain Phillips” We had a chance to talk about his experience, and he also presented to the group about the incredible experience he went through. Does procurement add to top line revenue.

Manufacturing Procurement 124

Manufacturing Procurement Procurement Conference North America 124

Logistics Viewpoints

AUGUST 7, 2023

Pete Bennett, and his co-presenter, Mary Byrne, the vice president of supply and demand planning, spoke during a presentation at Kinaxis’ user conference Kinexions. Cardinal Health, a global manufacturer and distributor of medical, surgical and laboratory products, is focused on continuous improvement of service.

Supply Chain Planning Software 244

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Predictive Analytics Software Modeling Software 244

Supply Chain Shaman

SEPTEMBER 2, 2016

Before I started doing this research, I believed procurement and manufacturing were aligned. While this is the case in 50% of the organizations, there are many organizations with large alignment gaps between finance/operations and procurement/manufacturing. Digital manufacturing is also a disruption. I was wrong.

Supply Chain Planning Software 0

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Strategy Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Software 0

Logistics Viewpoints

JANUARY 23, 2024

The usual themes were still very present as solution providers and retailers alike were more than happy to talk about omni-channel, mobility, robotics, and machine learning, to name a few. The most interesting thing that Blue Yonder is doing from an OMS standpoint is driving promising and pre-sourcing to retailers.

Supply Chain Planning Software 299

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Software Supply Chain Planning Modeling 299

Precoro

MARCH 27, 2025

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.    The key thing to remember is that cost reduction in procurement isn’t just about slashing expenses.

Cost Reduction Strategies 45

Cost Reduction Strategies Expense Reduction Price Reduction Vendor Strategies 45

Supply Chain Shaman

APRIL 14, 2013

I have heard presentation after presentation on supply chain excellence, and I have heard industry leaders wax eloquently on how their supply chain objectives have improved value. However, we have found that only a few companies are improving the potential of their supply chain to balance supply chain metrics.

Gartner 286

Gartner S&OP Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Planning Software 286

Supply Chain Shaman

OCTOBER 8, 2019

The presentations from the Summit are posted now on the Supply Chain Insights You Tube Channel. The number one question that I am asked today by manufacturers across all industries is “How can I improve customer service?” To maximize value—price to tangible book, functional metrics need to be reset to focus on reliability. . #4

Supply Chain Design Software 207

Supply Chain Design Software Inventory Reduction Supply Chain Planning Software Forecasting 207

SYSPRO Smarter ERP

MARCH 14, 2022

Food and beverage manufacturing and distribution companies usually operate on smaller margins than most organizations in other industries. Wages are another significant cost for food and beverage manufacturers and distributors , and they’re going up, with labor currently very difficult to find and retain.

Manufacturing Procurement 105

Manufacturing Procurement Cost Reduction Strategies Material Savings Beverage 105

Precoro

SEPTEMBER 2, 2022

For some businesses – usually smaller or with a single-source purchasing flow – it may be sustainable to react to the immediate needs. However, growing organizations that face increasing complexity recognize the value of thoughtfully-planned and managed procurement. Office supplies would be an example of indirect procurement.

Manufacturing Procurement 98

Manufacturing Procurement Procurement Solutions Procurement Analytics Optimal Sourcing 98

Oracle SCM

JUNE 14, 2018

Manufacturing today is more complex than ever before. context, data is coming in from more and more sources. " Now when we look at the amount of data that is created in the context of Manufacturing, the Industrial Internet of Things, and Global Supply Chains, we can be sure that it is not much different.

Manufacturing Procurement 96

Manufacturing Procurement Predictive Analytics Software Manufacturing Modeling Software 96

Supply Chain Shaman

OCTOBER 20, 2012

Over the course of the last decade, I have carefully recorded and reported presentation after presentation from conference after conference and interview after interview with supply chain leaders. I also believe that it is because the organization is not incented to manage cash-to-cash metrics. The results have been eye-opening.

Inventory Reduction 281

Inventory Reduction Cost Reduction Strategies Resource Reduction Material Savings 281

Supply Chain Opz

JUNE 1, 2014

In order to accelerate the learning, this article has gathered 20+ most sought-after supply chain case studies, analyzed/categorized them by industry and the findings are presented. Manufacturing systems and regulatory compliance are considered to be very complex, coupled with the limited number suppliers due to the high barriers to entry.

Case Study 239

Case Study Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Study 239

Supply Chain Opz

NOVEMBER 12, 2016

Therefore, the challenge to establish ranking method is to find more economical data source and unbiased metric. Our personal observation is that scholarly articles cite books because most books present building block concept in supply chain management and citations usually appear in the literature review section.

Supply Chain Planning Software 271

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Gartner Supply Chain Strategy 271