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
I laugh when business leaders tell me that they are going to replace their current supply chain planning technologies with “AI.” Each supply chain planning technology at the end of 2024, went through disruption–change in CEO, business model shift, layoffs, re-platforming and acquisitions. You are right.
Three months into 2025, we have seen a barrage of on-again, off-again tariffs that have supply chain and logistics teams reeling, as they must rethink everything from next weeks shipping route to their foundational network models. The Ukraine-Russia conflict is ongoing. Tensions flare in the Middle East without warning.
As supply chains become more interconnected and risks more dynamic, traditional procurementtools fall short. AI agents offer a smarter, faster way to manage sourcing, risk, and spend across the entire procurement lifecycle. This refers to AI systems that act with autonomy and are programmed to accomplish specific goals.
As supply chains become more interconnected and risks more dynamic, traditional procurementtools fall short. AI agents offer a smarter, faster way to manage sourcing, risk, and spend across the entire procurement lifecycle. This refers to AI systems that act with autonomy and are programmed to accomplish specific goals.
Enterprise procurement teams face growing pressure to deliver strategic value – managing supplier risk, ensuring compliance, and supporting sustainability – all without sacrificing speed or control. This blog explores the most common challenges in digital procurement and the capabilities that matter most.
Venture capitalists are high on Artificial Intelligence (AI), and over-exuberant professors with shiny new models are jockeying into position to get rich. Building a software company is hard work. Most of the business networks were hollowed out by venture capitalists or purchased by opportunists.
Retrofitting existing infrastructure with energy-efficient technologies further enhances sustainability efforts. Investment in research and partnerships is crucial for scaling these solutions industry-wide. Critical practices include: Circular Supply Chains: Designing systems that minimize waste and emphasize recycling and reuse.
In follow-up qualitative interviews, one of the largest issues with organizational alignment was metric definition and a clear definition of supply chain excellence. In my post Mea Culpa, I reference my work with the Gartner Supply Chain Hierarchy of Metrics. Error is error, but is it the most important metric? My answer is no.
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?
Thats why modern BI systems are quickly becoming the go-to solution for data-driven enterprises. They integrate, align, and activate data across the business to drive better, faster decisions unlike legacy reporting tools that can’t. But lets be clear: not all BI platforms are created equal. Why does that matter?
Strategic sourcing and innovative solutions are often viewed as two distinct procurementtools, but they should not be seen in isolation. Think of them as apples and gearseach essential and effective on its own, yet when combined; they create a formidable mechanism for achieving procurement excellence. Click here!
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.
Setting the Stage The National Retail Federation’s 2025 conference has unveiled a clear vision of retail’s future, where artificial intelligence, integrated planning solutions, and customer-centric approaches are reshaping the industry landscape. Here are the key insights we gathered firsthand at this year’s event.
Reason #4 Making key decisions by modelling the supply chain in Excel. Reason #9 Relentless pursuit of one supply chain metric at the expense of other metrics. Reason #9 Relentless pursuit of one supply chain metric at the expense of other metrics. Why do companies focus on reducing a specific metric?
The Failure of Existing Demand Planning Solutions. During the pandemic, supply chain leaders turned off their demand planning solutions. The systems–based on shipment and order data–were out of step with the market. Also, the solutions lacked flexibility. Instead, rethink the model and the approach.
Knowledge Graphs are emerging as an important tool for building advanced AI capabilities. Agentic AI involves creating a system of interacting agents, each trained on a specific task or dataset. We needed to model the data in a way that we can do simple searching. Agentic allows for much greater flexibility. Data does not move.
The solution solved a relevant industry issue. I asked companies to “Navigate through the hype focusing on the feasibility of scope and technology.” In the height of the e-commerce craze, the marketplace offerings started with a focus on e-procurement. Clear governance. Today, I feel that this advice is still relevant.
Mobile inventory management is a digital solution that combines a mobile inventory app with cloud-based software to track, manage, and optimize inventory in real-time. Cloud software: Stores and distributes real-time data, producing reports accessible to all team members. Let’s get started!
Streamline Your Route Planning Process Daily route planning can quickly become overwhelming, especially if you’re managing delivery routes using spreadsheets, manual methods, or basic mapping tools. Top 10 Route Planning SoftwareSolutions: Overview Here’s a quick comparison of the top route planning softwaresolutions in 2025.
In fact, transportation management is our specialty as we’ve been providing our shipper customers with a web-based transportation management system and managed transportation services since 1998. Finally, as expected, technology and transportation management systems were also a popular subject. Read the Full Blog Post.
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. Technology integration: Leveraging digital tools to enhance visibility and decision-making.
That’s where manufacturing inventory management software comes in. The right software can streamline your production, optimize stock levels, and even help you save money. We’re talking real-time tracking, automated purchasing, and a whole lot less stress.
That’s why it’s essential to be sure you’re equipping your organization with the right demand planning software. When you choose the right solution, you can stay ahead of fluctuations in customer demand, achieve high levels of forecast accuracy, handle seasonality, and drive collaboration across supply chain stakeholders.
To keep customers like my dad satisfied, RGD and Quick-commerce companies need to invest in new technologies to optimize the supply chain and logistics operations. These technologies are often invisible to the end-user but make a big difference in keeping the promises about product availability, freshness, and speed of delivery.
Introduction Gardner, (1954) and Huntzinger, (2007) define Purchase price variance (PPV) as a metric used to measure the effectiveness of cost-saving efforts by calculating the difference between the planned cost (standard pricing) allocated for purchasing activities and the actual cost incurred.
Companies became less clear on the definition of supply chain excellence and how to implement decision support technologies. The financial teams, and the Information Technology (IT) groups, did not see alignment gaps, but the supply chain teams felt them and viewed them as a critical performance issue. Functional Metrics.
The key areas to consider when upgrading to the cloud include: The Value of Cloud Technology Cost Competitiveness Performance Expectations Upgrades Responsiveness Support Expertise & Response The Value of Cloud Technology Which business drivers and advantages are motivating companies to shift to the cloud?
Procurement and Supply Chain Management are essential functions that can help companies navigate these challenges, but they are often siloed and operate in separate departments. Their metrics are often misaligned as well – supply chain focuses on service and procurement focuses on the cost of acquiring materials and services.
End-to-end supply chain visibility, planning, and execution support software are critical in agile supply chain performance. CPG companies that utilize an autonomous supply chain technology see a reduction in their inventory and cost and an increase in revenue. each with discrete plans generated typically in sequential batch runs.
The second step is usually a large implementation of a technology project–Enterprise Resource Planning, Customer Relationship Planning or Analytics. Here are the three questions that I would like people to ask: Table 1: Comparison of Results for Best of Breed Solution Providers to ERP Expansionists in Supply Chain Planning.
Front and center in this revolution are the marriage of customer relationship management (CRM) software and capable e-commerce platforms like Shopify. Enter companies like DigitalSuits, a high-tech Shopify development and e-commerce agency that leverages technology and innovation to build end-to-end solutions.
by Trevor Miles I have been in the advanced planning and scheduling (APS) space since 1995 when I joined i2 Technologies in Europe. My enhancements were to add the underlying technology and company information at the bottom which gives some context. . Let me start with the confusion between planning and execution. Their words.
built into their supply chain analytics software. When companies feed their customer and process data into predictive models, they better understand future behavior and make decisions based on hard data, rather than gut feelings. Most people have interacted with a predictive model when applying for a credit card or loan.
It’s a holistic approach that blends strategic planning, streamlined processes, and the right technology to transform your warehouse into a well-oiled, profit-generating machine. Eight proven optimization strategies, combining technology, best practices, and sustainable solutions.
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. Work planners previously did manually can be calculated by software. But advances in this area have two limitations – the software itself and our ever-changing world.
When making discretionary purchases, I could look at my projection to make sure that if I made that purchase, I would have enough money in the bank, not only now, but at the end of the month when my mortgage and car loan came out. Planning systems, however, are not designed to allow you to ask ‘what if?’ What-if planning.
His comments are the same–he feels that I identify problems but do not adequately define the solutions. This is why I host training twice a year to challenge existing technology paradigms. He feels that based on his years of experience with a software provider, he has a whizzbang technology. He wants answers.
The attendees were sitting on the edge of their seats to hear about the next release of Llamasoft software. The market for network design tools was growing at a moderate rate, and most of the market had invested in technologies from either i2 Technologies (then termed i2 Strategist) or Logictools. The theatre was packed.
With so many moving parts to running an ecommerce business, youll probably build a tech stack of several different apps, platforms, and solutions to power your operations. The software automatically pulls inventory data from your warehouse for a real-time stock count update across all your sales channels.
With so many moving parts to running an ecommerce business, youll probably build a tech stack of several different apps, platforms, and solutions to power your operations. The software automatically pulls inventory data from your warehouse for a real-time stock count update across all your sales channels.
Being listed on a last-mile-delivery service platform and reaching a much broader customer base beyond the neighbors became a must-have for survival. Digital commerce efficiently requires the digitalization of many customer-facing operations and sourcing and procurement. Here are the steps to take for going digital: .
I am speaking this morning at the Terra Technology conference and doing a book signing of my new book, Supply Chain Metrics That Matter. Demand sensing pilots are very early in evolution, but the results are not equal to Terra Technology’s demand sensing results. ” LLamasoft: Recycled Software Assets Offering Hope?
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.
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