Supply Chain

The future of globalization and supply chains may very well be characterized by how well companies learn to overcome the "last mile" challenges associated with the bottom billion consumers.

Inventory optimization—the process of scientifically determining the right inventory levels across the supply chain—has never been easy. But advanced tools now available are enabling companies to do the job faster, more accurately, and with greater business impact. In fact, industry leaders are finding that IO can drive greater profitability through lower inventories, better fill rates, and ultimately a more satisfied customer.

If the last few years have shown us anything it is that the supply chain is being exposed to more and more risk. Some of this risk can be managed through better supply chain design; assessing where supply “choke points” are and building in supply and logistical redundancy. Other risk, however, must be managed through better response capabilities.

Our warehouse/DC engineer examines how you can transform your traditional warehouse environment and implement sustainable strategies that benefit your business, your customers, and your planet.

Have you considered the chain reaction toxic MRO master data can create throughout your organization?

Consumer packaged goods, supply chain management, manufacturing and distribution companies all depend on a reliable infrastructure for IT operations — often across multiple data centers around the globe - resulting in large labor, time, effort, and capital costs.

John Anton of IHS Global Insight provided a forecast earlier this week calling for HRC prices to rise into the 1st Quarter 2014.

“Supply Chain Matters calls attention to what we would characterize as a rather disturbing account of the state of hiring practices in the lower tiers of high tech and consumer electronics supply chains. It is yet another reminder of the existing gaps in social responsibility practices in certain industry global supply chains.”

"Trying to manage all of the market drivers and dynamic forces that introduce variability into material, equipment and labor supply is extremely difficult. The IHS PEG Engineering and Construction Cost Index provides powerful insight on cost trends that enable faster, more confident decisions that drive operational excellence."

Research supported by Zurich Insurance Group has revealed that service failures by outsources reach top three causes of supply chain disruption. Three quarters of businesses experienced at least one supply chain disruption in 2012, with the same percentage admitting they have a complete lack of visibility of their supply chain.

This Supply Chain Resilience report is the fifth in a series that started in 2009 to consider the challenge of developing resilient supply chains. This report, the result of a survey of 519 respondents from 71 countries, highlights the level, range and cost of disruptions that organizations face, and demonstrates how a disruption in one organization can spread out over the entire supply chain.

The ripple effect of small changes in customer demand are magnified upstream through a supply chain all the way from the customer to the retailer to distributor to manufacturer. It is so named because of the resemblance to a bullwhip as the variability of demand increases sharply when you progress up the supply chain.

What is research? In layman’s terms, research is the way you solve problems in a systematic manner and, you know very well, problems are part of the business environment.

This report commissioned by the Department for Transport and undertaken by Cranfield School of Management’s Centre for Logistics and Supply Chain Management (CLSCM) aims to clarify the complex issues inherent in the identification and management of supply chain vulnerability.

If your company is not already planning for this transition, it may be time to begin researching the solutions that are available, as well as the costs and benefits of adopting an electronic solution for both procurement and payables functions.

This report summarises the key outcomes of the newly published BCI’s 4th Annual Supply Chain Resilience Survey, which considered the causes and consequences of supply chain disruption; techniques to identify key supply chains; as well as offering up approaches and solutions to achieve supply chain resilience.

Some companies may have made the supply chain an area of strategic focus (Walmart and Zara in retail; P&G and Unilever in consumer product goods; Apple in consumer electronics), but even the most successful of them are now under intense new pressure to cut costs further: to do more with even less.

Cutting-edge demand classification technology integrated with network optimization and simulation enables cost reduction and increased inventory availability

Many people attribute the reshoring trend to the inflating manufacturing and logistics costs in low cost regions such as Asia. As the cost advantage of offshoring diminishes, will firms eventually all move back to the US? Not necessarily.

In essence, supply chain segmentation is the dynamic alignment of customer channel demands and supply response capabilities optimized for net profitability across each segment.”