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Theyre feeling the heat most, as sudden trade policy curveballs throw procurement plans into chaos. manufacturer I know saw their import costs jump overnight, forcing a rethink of a decade-old sourcing strategy. Traditional procurement, with its long-term contracts and rigid supplier ties, just isnt cutting it anymore.
They integrate AI into demand forecasting, inventory optimization, and logistics operations to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and mitigate risks. Companies must react after the fact, often incurring higher costs and reduced service levels. Predictive maintenance of transportation fleets reduces downtime and repair costs.
It ties up capital, wastes storage space, and risks product obsolescence. By producing only whats needed, when its needed, they eliminate the burden of forecasting errors and reduce warehouse dependency. Powered by digital tools, on-demand strategies offer a cleaner, more responsive path to production.
Procurement and sustainability functions often operate independently, leading to inconsistencies when ESG criteria are applied during sourcing and supplier management. Legacy procurement systems pose challenges, as they were not designed to capture and manage ESG-related data. Companies also face internal coordination issues.
Amul’s model supports small producers by integrating large-scale economics, cutting out intermediaries, and connecting producers directly with consumers. Direct Procurement : Milk is collected directly from farmers at the village level. This reduces intermediaries, ensuring that farmers receive a higher price for their milk.
Most organizations have public commitments to reduce their carbon footprint, with some of the more aggressive goals promising net zero emissions as early as 2040. Reducing emissions from transportation is crucial to achieving organizations sustainability goals. Freight transportation makes up over 10% of total global carbon emissions.
In May, the total number of job cuts in the US were 696,309 – an increase of 80% from the 385,859 jobs cut in the first five months of 2024. During the first week of June 2025, job cuts continued with 90,000 layoffs with iconic brands like Kimberly-Clark (1500-1900), Microsoft (6,000), P&G (7000), and Wal-Mart (1,500).
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.
Understanding The Shift In running the supply chain during a period of abundance, waste was a by-product of traditional thinking. The waste included: Negative Forecast Value Added (FVA) in demand planning. The use of outside-in signals can reduce it by 40-60%. Measure waste. Highlight the waste for the organization.
In this article, we’ll explain what centralized purchasing is, the challenges it tackles, the benefits of centralized procurement, and the types of companies that can benefit most from it. That’s when a centralized procurement organization structure proves beneficial.
Now for the Do’s & Don’ts In the dynamic world of FMCG, your Route to Market (RTM) strategy and distributor partnerships can make or break your brand’s success. Don’t Neglect Last-Mile Execution : Even the best strategy fails without strong in-market execution. Ensure margins are fair and sustainable.
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. In the automotive sector, manufacturers are simultaneously reducing inventory costs and delivery times.
To reduce the risk of supply chain disruption , shippers need to know what it means for their operation going into the start of May and how to use the right services to find available capacity before the CVSA roadcheck storm arrives. Consolidate parcel and LTL freight to reducewasted space and tap additional capacity.
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.
Below are some common problems in supply chain management and how they can be mitigated with the assistance of software solutions and digital strategies in logistics. It must address various demands, including indirect procurement requests, project and manufacturing requirements, and external customer demands.
Production, technology, and organizational structure should all support the overall scaling strategy. Digital Transformation and Automation Solutions Technology and automation streamline manufacturing processes, enhancing operational efficiency and quality management, reducing manual labor, and significantly improving overall productivity.
These are the companies and leaders that aren’t letting a good downturn go to waste. HBR also cites technology’s ability to cut costs and to make “companies more agile and therefore better able to handle […] uncertainty and rapid change.” Reduced working capital. Let’s not waste it. Faster order-to-cash.
In this blog, well explore key strategies to enhance supply chain resilience and highlight how services like those offered by ModusLink can help businesses navigate these challenges effectively. Effective demand planning also optimizes inventory levels, reducing costs associated with storage and carrying inventory.
That’s exactly what Kyle Krug , Vice President of Corporate Strategy & Marketing at Legacy Supply Chain Services, suggests. The SAP staff explains, “The good news is that you can now leverage smart technologies and tools to better power increasingly sophisticated supply chain optimization strategies.”
There are many ways an organization can cut supply chain costs. While there are no short-term fixes, enterprises should prioritize areas where they can make the quickest gains to reduce costs. Mastering Direct Spend Management Procurement teams generally do not report to the chief supply chain officer.
Shoppers coping with inflation have shifted buying habits , purchasing fewer goods and cutting back on big name brands in favor of cheaper alternatives. Short-term consumer product strategies for tariffs and regional demand shifts In the short-term, U.S. As tariffs expand, be prepared to mirror these strategies in other regions.
LeMaster highlighted the variety of subcommittees within the council, including those focusing on digitalisation, ocean procurement, and air freight procurement, all working collaboratively to share best practices and spearhead change. This can have several implications for the industry: 1.
You’ll learn how to leverage data to streamline operations, reduce costs, improve efficiency, and exceed customer expectations. Various supply chain optimization techniques, such as detailed planning, assessing current practices, and automating processes, can significantly enhance efficiency and reduce costs. Let’s dive in.
And instead of lamenting their detrimental impact after the fact, logistics professionals would do better to learn lessons and develop strategies to be prepared for the inevitable next disruption. To determining which tools can help execute that strategy.
It’s about strategic optimizationensuring availability while minimizing waste and costs. Poorly managed inventory leads to excessive holding costs, increased downtime, and wasted resources. A structured approach helps businesses: Lower operational costs by eliminating unnecessary stock. Overstocking of non-essential items.
As businesses globally focus on reducing lost productivity, costly downtime, and rising inventory expenses, effective spare parts management has become a top priority—especially for asset-intensive industries. This balance ensures that spare parts are always available for critical needs while reducing unnecessary inventory costs.
How AI is Transforming Manufacturing: Strategies, Benefits, and Use Cases Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a huge topic and one that is constantly changing as research and development efforts push out the boundaries of whats possibleand whats already happening! Smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0 Smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0
Top 3 Procurement Technologies to Embrace in 2025 Staying ahead of key procurement technology and advancements is essential for CPOs who want to improve spend cost reduction, drive strategic value, and navigate the increasingly complex procurement landscape.
Economic downturns can disrupt the flow of goods, increase operational costs, and reduce profit margins. In this blog post, well explore the importance of robust supply chains, the key risks they face during economic downturns, and practical strategies. Recession-proofing a supply chain doesn’t mean eliminating all risks.
The US energy industry is also awaiting changes in basic operating procedures, which are expected to dramatically reduce energy costs. As reshoring continues, more supplies will be needed, which has major implications for procurement professionals, as well as increased demand for new talent and more truck drivers.
Category management isn’t just another procurement trend. With today’s growing cost pressures and increasingly complex supply chains , quick fixes no longer cut it. Category Management (CM) is a strategic procurement approach that groups related purchases into categories to manage each as a strategic unit.
Peeling Back the Lid on Supply Chain World Salad In this world, where board discussions focus on eliminatingwaste and meeting corporate social responsibility goals, supply chain teams respond with projects like end-to-end planning, control towers, and real-time decisions. Each concept is flawed adding to, not reducing, cost and waste.
The key to Zara’s ability to establish an agile Supply Chain rests on the following unique approaches: Procurement Methodology: Zara’s Procurement team doesn’t work on the number of finished clothes but on the quantity of raw materials needed to manufacture the clothes. Spare Capacity.
Especially grievous are the gaps between finance and operations, manufacturing and procurement, and the operations and commercial teams. Lane RFPs focused on cost reduction, but few asked if they had a feasible plan. Cost and Waste Can Be Pushed Backwards in the Value Chain Without Consequences. We are to blame.”
I was drawn to Hunter and Amory Lovins, who advocated a strategy pairing energy efficiency with renewables, long before its current popularity. After all, what’s the point of installing solar panels only to waste the greener energy produced? Buffering creates waste. Proper disposal can cause downstream issues.
While making these changes is now imperative for helping prevent climate change, it can be difficult to know where to start when it comes to sustainable procurement. For any business looking to reduce their environmental impact, establishing communication on initiatives with suppliers should be a core part of their future operations.
For years scientists and activists have been lobbying the need to reduce our carbon footprint. However, environmental concerns of waste generated from disposing used pallets have led to innovative ideas using alternative materials to match the robustness and cost effectiveness of the wood or plastic pallet.
This article is derived from our newest SRM White Paper, “One Platform, One Vision – The Benefits of a Unified AI-Driven Supply Chain Planning & Procurement Decision-Making Platform” Ask a procurement leader and a supply chain planner about their biggest priorities, and you’ll likely hear two very different answers.
We were discussing the results of the planning benchmarking work that we have just finished, and I was sharing some insights on inventory management when one of the panelists emphatically stated, “Inventory is a waste to manage. Companies need to carefully manage the asset and mitigate the waste. A heated debate ensued.
Tariffs are reshaping sourcing strategies, forcing tech upgrades, and making inventory planning a lot more complicated. When Tariffs Disrupt Global Supply Chains, Inventory Models Shift Traditionally, companies have relied on just-in-time (JIT) inventory strategies to minimize storage costs and reducewaste.
One of the most effective strategies for building resilience is integrating project management into supply chain operations. This proactive approach minimizes downtime, reduces financial losses, and strengthens overall operational efficiency.
Why should Procurement own Scope 3 Emissions? For most procurement (and supply chain) professionals, the topic of Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions should be coming at you from every direction. In the diagram below, it’s clear that the main area of impact for Procurement is upstream Scope 3 emissions. POs, and invoices).
Why should Procurement own Scope 3 Emissions? For most procurement (and supply chain) professionals, the topic of Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions should be coming at you from every direction. In the diagram below, it’s clear that the main area of impact for Procurement is upstream Scope 3 emissions. POs, and invoices).
To stay ahead of the curve, industry leaders are turning to data-driven strategies and artificial intelligence (AI) to transform how they manage inventory, forecast demand, and optimize the entire spare parts lifecycle. This lack of transparency hampers accurate demand forecasting, procurement efficiency, and inventory optimization.
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