Supply Chain Shaman

FEBRUARY 4, 2025

Functional Metrics and the Lack of Alignment to Strategy. Few companies are clear on the number of supply chains they operate, design the rhythms and cycles of each, and align metrics to the strategy. In our research, small regional companies outperform large multinationals. The industry is not clear on desired outcomes.

Supply Chain Design Software 221

Supply Chain Design Software Price Reduction Cost Reduction Strategies Supply Chain Planning Software 221

Logistics Viewpoints

NOVEMBER 11, 2024

According to Colin Masson, a director of research at ARC Advisory Group, the opportunity to mine these vast quantities of data to achieve business value is “NOW.” Mr. Masson leads ARC’s research on industrial AI and data fabrics. Not all the transactional data, just the data required to calculate a metric or make a decision.

Supply Chain Planning Software 290

Supply Chain Planning Software Modeling Software Analytics Software Forecasting Software 290

Logistics Viewpoints

DECEMBER 18, 2024

Investment in research and partnerships is crucial for scaling these solutions industry-wide. Research and development are needed to overcome these limitations and ensure affordability. Set Measurable Goals: Establish clear targets for emissions reduction, energy efficiency, and sustainability metrics.

Optimal Sourcing 273

Optimal Sourcing Material Savings Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software 273

Supply Chain Shaman

JANUARY 7, 2015

It is exciting to have two years of research, nine months of writing, and four months of editing to become crisp, fresh pages. While Joe is trying to balance the feedback from Filipe and Frank, he is often asked to change his metric targets by his CFO named Lou. Achieving Balance in Metrics. The smell of ink is intoxicating.

Metrics 150

Metrics Agile and Lean Supply Chain Manufacturing Procurement Modeling 150

Supply Chain Shaman

SEPTEMBER 3, 2018

According to my research, top-performing supply chains possess three very different qualities. To help the reader, let’s start with definitions used in our research: Efficiency. In Table 1, from our research, I share ten tactics to consider. Reward teams for cross-functional metrics. Customer-Centric Supply Chain.

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

In this area of research, I find that companies are like dogs chasing cars. 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.)

Procurement Analytics 369

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

ToolsGroup

MARCH 11, 2025

Conduct Comprehensive Financial Analysis Demonstrate tangible ROI by highlighting: Projected revenue improvements Cost savings Return on investment metrics Performance during market volatility Real-world data shows probabilistic forecasting can improve forecast accuracy by 15-25% compared to traditional methods.

Forecasting 156

Forecasting Inventory Reduction Forecasting Software Price Reduction 156

Supply Chain Shaman

JULY 6, 2020

Despite goals to improve agility and resiliency, functional metrics for manufacturing efficiency continually throw the supply chain out of balance. However, in my research, I find four factors make the difference (correlations at an 80% confidence level): Supply Chain Leadership. The second step is to align metrics to the strategy.

Agile and Lean Supply Chain 362

Agile and Lean Supply Chain Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Strategy 362

Supply Chain Shaman

MAY 13, 2024

I share research, observations, and insights. How aligned do you believe your organization is to drive these metrics? I shared this after interviewing 150 companies on their S&OP processes while at AMR Research. This research, completed in 2006, was during the transformation of multi-national to global supply chains.

S&OP 393

S&OP Supply and Demand Inventory Reduction Expense Reduction 393

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 29, 2021

Using balance sheet data from 2011 to 2019, we chart companies’ progress by peer group on rate of improvement and performance in the metrics of growth, operating margin, inventory turns, and Return on Invested Capital (ROIC). A focus on functional metrics throws the supply chain out of balance.) We Give to You.

Supply Chain Planning Software 370

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Supply Chain Design 370

Supply Chain Shaman

DECEMBER 10, 2014

In our recent report on defining supply chain visibility in B2B networks, we provide a definition based on a research study of over seventy participants. The more research that I do the more convinced that I am that we have not powered our networks for success. They don’t. The term supply chain visibility varies by role.

Supply Chain Network Software 312

Supply Chain Network Software Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Software Supply and Demand 312

Supply Chain Shaman

MAY 29, 2014

For five of the past ten years, I voted on the Top 25 when I was an analyst at AMR Research (before the acquisition of AMR Research by Gartner). As a result, the metrics have to be viewed together as a pattern over time. In the journey, the supply chain leader needs to improve the potential of a portfolio of metrics.

Gartner 366

Gartner Inventory Reduction Supply Chain Planning Software Pharmaceutical 366

ivalua

NOVEMBER 29, 2022

Tracking the Metrics that Matter. While Ardent expects Procurement to rise to and tackle these challenges, tracking the metrics that matter will help them stay focused for full recovery. Inflation Metrics. Tracking this metric and taking steps to improve it can help combat inflation. Risk Metrics.

Procurement Analytics 130

Procurement Analytics Metrics Manufacturing Procurement Optimal Sourcing 130

Supply Chain Shaman

OCTOBER 29, 2014

The results in table 1 come from a nine months research project of 120 respondents representing 183 instances of demand and supply planning. What can we learn from this table, and the research? The second thing that I learned from the research is that we do not have good solutions for large organizations in the market today.

Supply Chain Planning Software 379

Supply Chain Planning Software Modeling Demand Planning Software Optimization Software 379

Supply Chain Shaman

DECEMBER 15, 2022

In my research, I find that the lack of alignment has a direct impact to value (operating margin and market price to book value). Functional Metrics. This maniacal focus on improving functional metrics threw the supply chain out of balance and made the organization less able to work together to solve issues.

Manufacturing Procurement 397

Manufacturing Procurement Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Procurement Analytics 397

Supply Chain Shaman

SEPTEMBER 17, 2014

Supply Chain Improvement is based on the work that we completed with an Arizona State University Operations Research team to determine the Supply Chain Index. Attending the conference was Alexia Howard, Senior Research Analyst – US Foods for Sanford C. Aligned Metrics. We find that this is true of too few companies.

Optimal Sourcing 365

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

Supply Chain Shaman

MARCH 19, 2014

As an analyst in the market for the past ten years (first with Gartner, then with AMR Research, followed by my work at Altimeter Group and now with my own firm Supply Chain Insights), I have stood in front of clients doing strategy days advocating “best practices” and I wanted to set the record straight. We have stubbed our toes.

Gartner 382

Gartner Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Strategy Supply Chain Software 382

Supply Chain Shaman

JULY 22, 2019

In the research, I’m trying to understand the impact of choices—technology, process innovation, and leadership– on balance sheet performance. The research is independent and data-driven. For the past six years, I have analyzed public reporting and triangulated the results to the quantitative research. What have I found?

Supply Chain Design Software 304

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

Supply Chain Shaman

NOVEMBER 9, 2014

So much so, that three years ago, I founded a research company to focus on understanding supply chain excellence. In our work, we tie research from quantitative and qualitative studies to financial results to drive new insights. When all functions are jointly focused on improving these metrics, then we can have one team.

Manufacturing Procurement 318

Manufacturing Procurement Optimal Sourcing Benchmarking Supply Chain Design Software 318

The Logistics of Logistics

SEPTEMBER 15, 2023

Jonathon and Sarah are partners in PATH , a supply chain market research and business management firm that helps businesses understand their customers, employees, and the market better to drive long-term growth. Employee engagement, market research, strategic planning, and more.

Price Reduction 278

Price Reduction Company Supply Chain Strategy Logistics Network Optimization Software 278

Logistics Viewpoints

FEBRUARY 16, 2021

And the linked nature of supply chains mean that collaboration is necessary to ensure that a solution to a problem doesn’t meet the metrics for one link but negatively impact another. Latency kills agility, because by the time the spreadsheet you need lands in your inbox the situation has likely already changed.

Supply Chain Visibility 331

Supply Chain Visibility Agile and Lean Supply Chain Supply Chain Planning Software Scenario Planning 331

Supply Chain Shaman

JULY 29, 2013

Based on our recent research, we find that only 1% of process-based companies are making progress on both operating margins and inventory. Which supply chain metrics correlate to market capitalization by Morningstar sector? Numbers don’t lie. Companies are stuck. As a result, I don’t believe that we have best practices.

Supply Chain Planning Software 350

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

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 24, 2022

As I search for answers, three questions are top of mind in my current research. One of my stark realizations this year is that smaller companies are beating larger and often more established companies on growth metrics, inventory turns, operating margin, and Return on Invested Capital (ROIC). (In Look for the full report next week.).

Supply Chain Planning Software 397

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Supply Chain Software 397

Supply Chain Shaman

SEPTEMBER 9, 2014

It is the end of a two-year research project, and identifies which publicly held companies outperformed their peer group on balance sheet results. Here we share the answers to the questions that we get the most often about this research: What is the source of data? Today we published a new report, Supply Chains to Admire.

Pharmaceutical 307

Pharmaceutical Gartner Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Design 307

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 13, 2017

If the arrow is red, the industry is moving backwards on a metric. While we agree that each of these companies are leaders with significant contributions to the industry, we do not find these companies outperforming when compared against their peer groups on a balanced portfolio of metrics. This is part of our future research.

Supply Chain Planning Software 0

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Software Supply Chain Planning Supply Chain 0

Logistics Viewpoints

DECEMBER 15, 2022

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. Since there are often differences in store sizes, a metric representing the size can be added as well for a two-dimensional clustering approach. Asena holds B.S.

Optimal Sourcing 264

Optimal Sourcing Analysis Procurement Analytics Purchasing Skills 264

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 8, 2014

I now have a working manuscript for the entire book of Metrics That Matter. In preparation, we are finishing up research on supply chain planning excellence, big data and supply chain, supply chain talent, and digital manufacturing. As always, we would love your insights on our research studies. It has been a good week.

Supply Chain Planning 356

Supply Chain Planning Supply Chain Strategy Supply Chain Software San Diego 356

Supply Chain Shaman

DECEMBER 23, 2014

Some of the packages on the trucks moving right now are the first shipments of Metrics that Matter. The book is the end of three years of research and nine months of writing. So, if your doorbell rings, with your copy of Metrics that Matter, think about the importance of logistics this holiday season. What do you think?

Packaging 332

Packaging Inventory Reduction Supply Chain Design Software San Francisco 332

Logistics Bureau

JANUARY 21, 2025

It’s important to remember that when you document your needs, do your market research and run a proper evaluation process, youre not just finding a service provider – youre finding a partner who can help evolve your business. You also need to ensure that you’re cascading these metrics through your organisation.

Supply Chain Design Software 98

Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Software Supply Chain Design 98

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 16, 2014

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.

Supply Chain Design Software 319

Supply Chain Design Software Network Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Network Software 319

Supply Chain Shaman

JANUARY 8, 2024

Note to the reader: we selected these metrics for the balanced scorecard for the analysis after work with Arizona State University to understand which metrics, in combination, most closely correlated with market capitalization. Consider the role of functional metrics and the lack of alignment with the corporate scorecard.)

Supply Chain Design Software 243

Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Modeling Software Supply Chain Network Software 243

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 19, 2018

It is now our fifth year of analyzing balance sheets to understand which companies are outperforming their peer groups on the metrics of growth, operating margin, inventory turns and Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) while driving improvement. It takes us three months and two full-time research assistants to finish the analysis.

Gartner 277

Gartner Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Design Supply Chain Strategy 277

Logistics Viewpoints

FEBRUARY 14, 2022

D’Aquila is a director of research at ARC. This orientation is fundamental in determining what KPIs the company values, as many of them are far different from metrics managed by manufacturers relying on traditional views of success.”. Tesla scored the top spot, followed by Intel, BMW, Johnson & Johnson, 3M, and Eli Lilly.

Supply Chain Design Software 263

Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Software Report Logistics Network Optimization Software 263

Supply Chain Shaman

SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

We analyzed the impact of 150 factors on 493 financial metrics for the period of 2004-2016. This research was tough work. By graphing the financial metrics through orbit charts, we find that 90% of companies are stuck at the intersection of operating margin and inventory turns. It took us four months. The results?

Cost Reduction Strategies 262

Cost Reduction Strategies Inventory Reduction Resource Reduction Manufacturing Procurement 262

Supply Chain Shaman

MARCH 21, 2024

In the research, we find that deploying an outside-in model always beats an inside-out model, reducing process and data latency while improving the organization’s ability to make decisions at the speed of business. Lack of aligned metrics. As boomers retire and planners change jobs, we are not retaining planning basics.

Inventory Reduction 434

Inventory Reduction Supply Chain Planning Software Cost Reduction Strategies Supply Chain Design Software 434

Supply Chain Shaman

OCTOBER 11, 2023

We speak about the need to move from a functional understanding to a global, holistic capabilities, but the traditional supply chain leader defines bonus incentives and process performance goals based on functional metrics. In 2004, my research showed a bell curve of innovators and laggards. Measurement. Innovation.

Supply Chain Planning Software 417

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Software Forecasting Software Supply Chain Network Software 417

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 30, 2018

Companies with the lower score on the Index are driving faster rates of metrics improvement. Energizer and Unilever are driving the fastest rates of improvement and Clorox and P&G improvement rates are the slowest on the Metrics That Matter of Growth, Operating Margin, Inventory Turns, and Return on Invested Capital (ROIC)).

Supply Chain Design Software 218

Supply Chain Design Software Inventory Reduction Supply Chain Planning Software Price Reduction 218