News

An Interview by Dustin Mattison with Edith Simchi-Levi, VP of Operations at OPS Rules Management Consultants, who discussed The Role of Analytics in Supply Chain and Operations Strategy.

In many organizations, maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) inventory accounts for a significant slice—as much as 40 percent—of the annual procurement budget. Yet it is still not managed with the level of rigor typically applied to production inventory. There are five basic practices that can quickly close the gap with best practices in MRO inventory management.

Too often, supply chain and procurement leaders are not well-prepared for complex negotiations with key suppliers. So what does it take to get ready for even the toughest adversaries? Here are seven techniques that top supply management negotiators put into action—techniques that prove effective even when the deck is stacked against them.

The key question that supply chain professionals are asking these days is, What can we do to maximize the ROI from our technology investment? This article provides some practical answers from the experts. It also presents the results of a survey detailing how well practitioners are actually doing in getting the most from their investment.

Tompkins Supply Chain Consortium: Companies need to utilize latest technologies for demand-driven operations & meet expectations of today’s omnichannel customer.

Finding the right 3PL in today’s global marketplace involves looking beyond the provider’s “vision” statement. And there’s still an element of prognostication involved once a short list of the Top 50 has been whittled down.

Lora Cecere over at Supply Chain Insights has been writing for some time about Conquering the Supply Chain Effective Frontier. Lora characterizes this as a focus on long term resiliency of the supply chain, not just short term cost efficiency.

Hours of Service (HOS) changes announced in December 2011 are scheduled to go into effect on July 1, 2013. As this date gets closer, here is a summary of the impending changes: Within the 34 hour restart, a driver will only be able to use the restart once a week and Similarly, the 34 hour restart will need to include two 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. time periods.

The report looks at what separates outperformers from the rank-and-file organizations that fall short. And, finally, the report provides a roadmap that CPOs can follow that will enable them to begin emulating the practices of outperformers to positively impact the competitive position of their organizations.

Companies and their supply chain managers can no longer afford to treat reverse logistics as an afterthought. There is just too much at stake in terms of brand protection, sustainability requirements, and ultimately profitability. In short, reverse logistics needs to become a core competency. The practical insights offered here will help you develop that competency.

If your supply chain is going to involve a logistics company, properly vetting that company will determine whether or not your supply chain adds value or hobbles along. The tips in this article will give you a solid benchmark of what you should be looking for from a 3PL.

Cloud-enabled transportation “control towers” are transforming logistics and supply chain performance. Our consulting team explains how shippers can realize benefits from true end-to-end supply chain integration that can be operated through an optimized transportation service network.

The skills needed to do the supply chain job keep evolving. That’s not to say that the fundamentals learned in the classroom or in early job assignments are no longer relevant. Rather, they need to be revisited and reinvigorated within the context of today’s challenges. These are the “new basics” that supply chain managers must master.

How does your IT team today determine your company’s current industrial wireless system needs and assess whether they are being met? When was the last time the wireless network at your industrial sites was upgraded or refreshed – does it lag behind the deployment of new mobile devices or applications?

Peerless Research Group, the survey captures revealing—and sometimes surprising—information about the many ways a lift truck might make its way from the supplier’s showroom to the warehouse floor. From corporate policies to gut instincts, the results depict a real-world fleet landscape poised for sweeping change.