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She wrote, “I have been working in the supply chain for 35 years, and we are still trying to solve the “demand” issue. Solving from a supply side seems to work for many companies I work with. I know that your primary focus is procurement. In a recent blog post, I was challenged by Anna. The reason?
The adoption of AI in supply chain automation is enabling companies to make more accurate decisions, reduce cycle times, and better manage complexity. AI in supply chain automation is gradually reshaping how core functions operate, particularly in procurement, warehousing, and logistics.
Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) is an established industry process that aims at finding a balance between demand and supply and streamlining cross-functional collaboration. Procurement People should learn the Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) Process.
As a supply chain executive, picture beginning your day with a cup of coffee when a news alert notifies you of newly imposed tariffs affecting your primary suppliers in China. Companies leaning heavily on global sourcing? Theyre feeling the heat most, as sudden trade policy curveballs throw procurementplans into chaos.
As early as next year, procurement and supply chain operations will begin to adopt AI agents, often called “agentic AI,” to work alongside employees to make and execute decisions with precision across procurement and even the most complex global supply chains.
In this type of environment, traditional procurement software 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.
Expanded health insurance coverage led to increases in the demand for care. Procurement became a logical place for leading healthcare systems to focus. As vice president of supply chain and procurement, Mr. Wengert was brought in to drive change. Procurement was a natural place to focus. These are great results.
Procurement and supply chain management are often used interchangeably—but in practice, the lines between them can blur in ways that create real friction. Misaligned priorities, siloed systems, and unclear ownership can directly impact key performance indicators like cost savings percentage and procurement cycle time.
Supply chain disruptions have become a persistent operational risk. Geopolitical instability, extreme weather, labor shortages, and fluctuating consumer demand regularly impact global logistics. Amazon is a leader in AI-driven supply chain management. Executives are left making high-stakes decisions with incomplete information.
Direct materials sourcing is evolving, with procurement now tasked not only with cost efficiency but managing sustainability and risk management. The environment is marked by heightened demand and expectations, compounded by challenges such as rising input prices, supply chain disruptions and geopolitical tensions.
Supply chain sustainability is increasingly important for companies facing expectations from investors, regulators, customers, and employees. Integrating ESG across supply chains presents clear operational and strategic challenges that require focused attention. Visibility typically decreases beyond immediate (Tier 1) suppliers.
Home Introducing Freightos Enterprise: End-to-End Procurement, Benchmarking, and Management Freightos Enterprise unifies market intelligence, tender management, and shipment operations into one solution, enhancing logistics efficiency for large import-export businesses.
SAP is embedding its generative Joule across the SAP Ariba source-to-pay solution portfolio to make it easier for their customers to manage routine inquiries, such as status updates, summarization, and frequently asked questions. When a procurement contract is negotiated, the buyer has planned to achieve a certain level of savings.
When one thinks of supply chain software vendors, the name InterSystems may not spring to mind. A supply chain data fabric can help companies augment their supply chain processes. They aim to achieve the same success in supply chain management that they have achieved in the healthcare sector. Who is InterSystems?
Procurement is in the middle of a tech tsunami. Autonomous procurement. Unified source-to-pay ecosystems. These innovations are converging and transforming how procurement teams operate. The GEP 2025 Procurement & Supply Chain Tech Trends Report breaks it all down. Agentic AI.
Historically, supply chain leaders managed supply chains in a world of abundance. There are many factors: war, supply shortages, climate change, labor (knowledge and availability), and shifts in governmental regulation. The waste included: Negative Forecast Value Added (FVA) in demandplanning. What does this mean?
The new year has arrived and so has the new wave of noteworthy news coming out of the supply chain space. A first-of-its-kind research project was published by the FAIRR Initiative, addressing human rights violations and overfishing in the seafood supply chain. Now let’s get into the supply chain news from this week!
India’s growth story can continue if it streamlines and effectively manages its supply chain like the iconic dairy brand Amul that recently entered the US market. Amul’s model supports small producers by integrating large-scale economics, cutting out intermediaries, and connecting producers directly with consumers.
Today, in supply chain planning, this could not be further from reality. Employees Cannot Get to the Right Data at the Speed of Business A war is raging between Oracle, Salesforce and SAP to automate supply chains. Each is attempting to slather AI on today’s offering: this fueling a hype cycle for agentic AI.
GEP’s sourcing expertise and market intelligence enabled the company to centralize sourcing and order management processes, strengthen key supplier relationships, and enhance supply chain resilience and agility. This is essential reading for all procurement and supply chain leaders.
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.
AI is reshaping the way organizations source, manage suppliers, and drive value today. As supply chains become more interconnected and risks more dynamic, traditional procurement tools fall short. AI agents offer a smarter, faster way to manage sourcing, risk, and spend across the entire procurement lifecycle.
AI is reshaping the way organizations source, manage suppliers, and drive value today. As supply chains become more interconnected and risks more dynamic, traditional procurement tools fall short. AI agents offer a smarter, faster way to manage sourcing, risk, and spend across the entire procurement lifecycle.
Harvard Business Review recently published an article, “ To Build Resilience, CEOs Need to Become Supply-Chain Experts ”. In this article, we wanted to discuss one aspect of supply chain that is often not given enough attention – building strategic relationships and shared value with direct spend suppliers.
Jack Fiedler, the vice president for digital transformation of the global supply chain at Lenovo Lenovo is ranked tenth by one leading analyst firm among a list of global companies with exceptional supply chains. I’ve not seen a company that does a better job of agile planning across an end-to-end, multi-tier supply chain.
Strategic sourcing and innovative solutions are often viewed as two distinct procurement tools, 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.
Why Transformation Is a Boardroom Priority Supply chain management is now a core strategic concern for business leaders. Recent disruptions have exposed significant vulnerabilities in traditional models, driven by geopolitical instability, fluctuating demand, and operational inefficiencies. Resilience is now taking precedence.
Procurement and purchasing are often used interchangeably, but they serve distinct roles within any successful organization.While both involve acquiring goods and services, their workflows, objectives, and impact on enterprise risk management differ significantly. Procurement vs. Purchasing: What’s the Difference? What is Procurement?
Trade policies are constantly evolving, forcing companies to assess how these changes impact customer demand, supply networks, fulfillment strategies, and cost to serve. Supply chains need to be more agile than ever, yet much of the advice circulating in the industry remains high-level or less than ideal.
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. AI, automation, and generative tools are redefining efficiency, allowing procurement teams to move from reactive to proactive decision-making.
Home Meet Freightos Procure: The Next Evolution of SHIPSTA Freightos Procure rebrands SHIPSTA, enhancing procurement with market intelligence and seamless booking within the Freightos Enterprise suite, empowering shippers to manage the entire freight lifecycle efficiently. Were raising the bar.
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.
Home Introducing Freightos Enterprise: End-to-End Procurement, Benchmarking, and Management Freightos Enterprise unifies market intelligence, tender management, and shipment operations into one solution, enhancing logistics efficiency for large import-export businesses.
The core topics ranged from how prepared the world is to power the energy transition, developments in carbon removal, financing new investments, and grappling with supply chains. The Coming to Grips with Supply Chains session had me on the edge of my seat as someone whose focus revolves almost solely around the supply chain and regulations.
For years, supply chains were engineered to be lean. Reducing cost was the primary objective, and most operational decisionsfrom sourcing to fulfillmentreflected that mindset. Recent years have brought a series of disruptions that exposed vulnerabilities in how supply chains are designed. AI also helps with scenario modeling.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced a plan to phase out eight petroleum-based synthetic food dyes from the U.S. food supply by the end of 2026. Companies may need to revise inventory strategies and adjust procurement lead times accordingly.
In a world of ever-growing economic uncertainty, procurement is at the heart of organizations’ aim to drive efficiency and cost savings. As more and more companies invest in S2P technology, Ivalua has commissioned a survey and report on “The State of Source-to-Pay Digitization 2025” from trusted research and advisory firm Ardent Partners.
Supply chains are entering the era of legal volatility sharkins Wed, 06/11/2025 - 11:22 The conventional assumption that tariffs are geopolitical risks is becoming outdated. The resulting strategic question for companies is: How do we build resilient supply chains when even the rule-makers are unstable?
Home No More Black Swans: The Age of Supply Chain Uncertainty Freightos Enterprise unifies market intelligence, tender management, and shipment operations into one solution, enhancing logistics efficiency for large import-export businesses. What’s become increasingly clear is that there are no more black swans in global logistics.
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.
Supply chains, which facilitate the movement of products from manufacturers to consumers, have historically encountered issues such as inefficiency, fraud, and a lack of transparency. Companies find it difficult to fully trust the data from suppliers, complicating efforts to ensure product authenticity, safety, and ethical sourcing.
Excess inventory weighs down supply chains. Companies often overproduce to hedge against demand swings, yet end up with shelves of unused goods. This is where On-Demand Production comes in plat A smarter approach is taking shape. Manufacturers are shifting to on-demand production to align output with real-time demand.
One moment, a sense of relief; the next, a new tariff threat appears on the horizon. But amid the ups and downs, one thing remains constant: the need for agility and adaptability in supply chain management. Automotive businesses can gain a significant edge by implementing real-time scenario planning.
In Figure 1, I share a supply chain planning taxonomy or what I lovingly term an old-fashioned jalopy. Few companies design their supply chains (research data shows that 9% of companies actively design their supply chains), and few planning systems actively analyze and drive answers to the questions: Do I have a good plan?
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