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Sorting through this to make a decision on a new planning solution at this time is tough. For example, if I improve the cost structure in transportation, procurement, manufacturing and sales independently, what decision support framework decides the right trade-offs? My advice? You are right. The reason?
In this type of environment, traditional procurementsoftware and manual processes are insufficient – and many procurement teams are looking to artificial intelligence (AI) for answers. Key Takeaways Understand the potential impact of AI – including Generative AI & AI Agents – in procurement.
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.
When I started this research project, I was busy. One of my lessons learned in completing survey-based research over the past twelve years, is that projects are full of surprises. 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?
Building a software company is hard work. Most of the business networks were hollowed out by venture capitalists or purchased by opportunists. ” Force the technologist to answer the question of “How does this solution improve work and drive improved outcomes?” I am speaking to many that are ill equipped.
During my current supply chain planning market research, I have received briefings from several SCP companies. Solvoyo has a metric they call the user acceptance rate. You don’t act on a forecast; you act on what you purchase. Intelligence is also related to how the solution is being used. That’s an action.
Investment in research and partnerships is crucial for scaling these solutions industry-wide. Advanced route optimization tools further support these goals. Research and development are needed to overcome these limitations and ensure affordability. Transparent sourcing practices build trust among consumers and investors.
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.
It is crucial for organizations to understand the importance of Purchase Order collaboration to effectively manage their direct spend, optimize operations, and mitigate risks. Over the past 20 years, Nari has held VP and Director of Product Management, Research and Marketing roles at Aberdeen Group, River Logic, Steelwedge and E2open.
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.
In my research, I find that the lack of alignment has a direct impact to value (operating margin and market price to book value). In the supply chain team analysis, note the 21% gap between procurement and manufacturing teams, the 35% gap between sales and operations and the 21% gap between finance and operations. Functional Metrics.
This landed me in front of the Vendor Review Board at Gartner to defend my research. <This The solution solved a relevant industry issue. In the height of the e-commerce craze, the marketplace offerings started with a focus on e-procurement. The rebirth of marketplace offerings is not on the back of e-procurement or ERP.
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. The first evolution of technologies were built by best-of-breed solution vendors. This new solution was favored by the Information Technology (IT) organization.
His comments are the same–he feels that I identify problems but do not adequately define the solutions. While consultants know the answers (or believe they do), I believe my goal as a research analyst is to unearth new questions that should be asked (and answered together openly in the supply chain community) to improve value.
Procurement operations are no exception. In fact, 43% of GPOs that took part in the 2023 Global Chief Procurement Officer Survey cited overall procurement risk had increased significantly as compared to 20% in the 2021 study. Keep reading to learn: What is an online procurement system? Let’s break them down.
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.
Interview for Metrics That Matter. My kitchen table is piled high with interviews for the upcoming book, Metrics That Matter. The research is the fun part of the process. He is responsible for manufacturing, procurement, supply chain planning, logistics, quality, social responsibility and final product engineering.
Transportation Metrics That Matter Most to Track and Improve Performance : How do you measure logistics efficiency and transportation metrics performance indicators when you are already doing the best job possible? Let’s take a look at these trucking industry trends and what kind of facts they provide. Read the Full Blog Post.
According to a July 2014 supply chain research study from Accenture focused on Big Data and supply chain risk management, most organizations have high hopes for using big data analytics in their supply chain but many have had challenges in deploying it. There is more to supply chain visibility than a complex set of KPIs.
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.
The increasing need for constantly analyzing these trade-offs across the supply chain networks has highlighted the need for digital twins and what-if capabilities in network design solutions. This means they are more likely to focus on value and affordability and change their priorities and brand preferences when making purchases.
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.
Companies often push aside procurement compliance to focus on more pressing issues. No wonder—procurement often gets tedious and burdened with time-consuming processes. However, ignoring procurement compliance is like ignoring a ticking time bomb. Scroll down to find out: What is procurement compliance?
The research that I have conducted has enabled me to look at this holistically. When I left AMR Research I invested over 400K in building a database of supply chain financial ratios to correlate supply chain results. After three years of research, I have just refined the methodology to start to pull the trends. I am an old gal.
The purchasing department plays a critical role in the success of an organization. Thought-out practices and well-managed workflows within the purchasing department are crucial for making sure that the company has the necessary resources available at the right time and at a reasonable cost.
We continue to see strong interest in our domain expertise and our solutions to help companies navigate the complex trade landscape. Acquisition of 3GTMS On March 24, 2025, Descartes acquired all of the shares of 3GTMS, a leading provider of transportation management solutions. Additions to property and equipment (1.9)
The attendees were sitting on the edge of their seats to hear about the next release of Llamasoft software. They also brought me and my colleagues at AMR Research stuffed Llamas. Network design tools were essential to manage the improvement of both together. As I listened, I began to reflect. Reflections.
I am speaking this morning at the Terra Technology conference and doing a book signing of my new book, Supply Chain Metrics That Matter. In the research for the inventory optimization and the S&OP reports, I find a handful of VERY experienced SAP clients doing codevelopment with the SAP IBP product. It is morning in Orlando.
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.
” Or run the statement by any software provider, and they will share that their solutions delivered these “best practices.” Based on our recent research, we find that only 1% of process-based companies are making progress on both operating margins and inventory. I sadly found that this was not the case.
ABC analysis creates product segments by grouping products with similar sales volume or purchase frequency to enable category managers to focus on what matters most. 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.
As a writer of research on demand-driven supply chains for over eight years, I find many amusing. The article is written and the story is spun, but the solution offered is a supply-centric solution based on yesterday’s technology. The most successful have used best-of-breed solutions. (We They are piling up on my desk.
One of the ways that procurement teams improve this figure is by tracking and improving the purchase price variance (PPV) metric. In this article, we'll explain what PPV is, why it matters, and how tracking this metric can benefit your procurement processes. Why Is Purchase Price Variance Important?
I am a big believer in procurement getting involved as early as possible in new product development based on all the market knowledge available. The worst-case scenario is product engineering developing a new product, selecting a supplier and then telling procurement to get on with negotiation. How often do your purchase orders change?
Aggressively design and test products online and then bring the data into your forecasting tools to predict sales of new products by channel. It was great to see click and pay on the London tube, and I love some of the new models that are being developed in grocery and specialty stores for purchases on-line and pick-up at the stores.
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.
Prioritizing technology solutions in today’s digital environment is a necessity. The businesses of tomorrow need technology solutions that give real-time information in order to make key business decisions when it comes to inventory. Gone are the days of paper inventory tracking and manual data entry. Scalable growth is impossible.
As an analyst in the battered supply chain software market for a decade, it is fun to watch you grow. Clients buy your software because you make it real. I always start the discussion of all software acquisitions with the same statement: the acquisition of software is seldom a good deal for the buyer/user of software.
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.
I think about this discussion with Keith often as I work on the Supply Chain Index and edit the chapters of Metrics That Matter. E2open last week announced the purchase of Serus. This purchase increases E2open’s capabilities for visibility into the processes of the outsourced semiconductor network of foundries.
A McKinsey research from July 2020 found that during the pandemic, 75% of shoppers have switched between the brands they frequently shop from.”. They can optimize courier and order matching, increase visibility, and track important metrics such as order lead time, OTIF, courier performance, and customer satisfaction.
Let’s take a look at what happened with the major themes, as well as the research and analysis we conducted in 2022 to help determine what those themes will look like in 2023. Unlike the folks projecting election results these days, I was a little more accurate and the 2022 projections have set the stage for what will happen in 2023.
Category management is a procurement strategy that involves grouping similar products or services together into categories and managing them as a single unit. This approach can help organizations streamline their procurement processes, negotiate better deals with suppliers, and ultimately save money.
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