Supply Chain Shaman

APRIL 2, 2025

For my long-time readers, you know that fewer than 3% of companies outperform their peer group in our Supply Chains to Admire analysis , and that the Gartner Top 25 is essentially a beauty contest for underperformers. Using channel and trading partner signals build outside-in models and orchestrate decisions across source, make and deliver.

Optimal Sourcing 195

Optimal Sourcing Supply Chain Planning Software Modeling Supply Chain Design Software 195

Supply Chain Shaman

APRIL 24, 2025

The research methodology for the Supply Chains to Admire compares the performance of a company against its industry peer group for the metrics of Year-over-Year Revenue Growth, Inventory Turns, Operating Margin, and Return on Capital Employed (ROCE). For 80% of industries, the supply chain metrics represent more than 40% impact on value.

Gartner 195

Gartner Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Planning Scenario Planning 195

RFgen

DECEMBER 19, 2024

That’s the power of manufacturing data collection. Manufacturing data collection is your secret weapon for boosting efficiency, cutting waste, and staying ahead of the competition. Manufacturing data collection is your secret weapon for boosting efficiency, cutting waste, and staying ahead of the competition.

Manufacturing Procurement 98

Manufacturing Procurement Optimization Software Supply Chain Planning Software Inventory Reduction 98

Logistics Viewpoints

DECEMBER 15, 2022

For companies that want to go beyond the traditional spreadsheet, which cannot handle this ocean of information efficiently, statistical methods such as cluster analysis can help. What is Cluster Analysis? Cluster analysis is a statistical umbrella term for methods that classify data points according to their attributes.

Optimal Sourcing 264

Optimal Sourcing Analysis Procurement Analytics Purchasing Skills 264

Supply Chain Shaman

APRIL 18, 2023

For organizations layered in functional metrics and driving a cost agenda, this is a tough nut to crack. In the face of variability, this is two-to-six weeks too long to make allocation or procurement decisions. Build in-market sourcing. Rationalize global strategies to focus on building markets based on in-market sourcing.

Supply Chain Planning Software 418

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Optimal Sourcing Supply Chain Software 418

Supply Chain Shaman

FEBRUARY 18, 2021

Need For What-If Analysis. Advanced planning evolved with a focus on modeling manufacturing constraints. Initially, the output was published to procurement to design strategic buying strategies. Procurement became an island–isolated from the demand signal except for MRP. I love the metaphor of watermelon metrics.

Supply Chain Planning Software 346

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Supply and Demand Procurement Analytics 346

RFgen

DECEMBER 19, 2024

Data-driven forecasting improves purchasing and cuts storage expenses. IoT sensors monitor various parameters like temperature, humidity, and equipment status, providing valuable data for analysis and predictive maintenance. Consider solar panels and other renewable energy sources.

Optimal Sourcing 97

Optimal Sourcing Optimization Software Waste Reduction Inventory Reduction 97

Logistics Viewpoints

SEPTEMBER 4, 2023

Procuring transportation for freight is much different than any other procurement category. Transportation procurement needs to support both customer service and a company’s internal supply chain goals. One master of freight procurement is Kyle Masters. Simmons Foods Simmons Foods is a farm to fork poultry manufacturer.

Procurement Solutions 289

Procurement Solutions Procurement Analytics Manufacturing Procurement Optimal Sourcing 289

Kinaxis

DECEMBER 3, 2014

Over the years, working for and with numerous manufacturing companies, I’ve seen many supply chain practices that cost companies money. Reason #9 Relentless pursuit of one supply chain metric at the expense of other metrics. Why do companies focus on reducing a specific metric? by John Westerveld.

Expense Reduction 250

Expense Reduction Procurement Analytics Cost Reduction Strategies Metrics 250

SCMDOJO

MARCH 24, 2025

Introduction Gardner, (1954) and Huntzinger, (2007) define Purchase price variance (PPV) as a metric used to measure the effectiveness of cost-saving efforts by calculating the difference between the planned cost (standard pricing) allocated for purchasing activities and the actual cost incurred.

Purchasing Skills 69

Purchasing Skills Negotiating Skills Negotiate Pricing Procurement Analytics 69

RFgen

DECEMBER 4, 2024

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.

Sourcing Strategies 96

Sourcing Strategies Inventory Reduction Waste Reduction Expense Reduction 96

Supply Chain Shaman

DECEMBER 28, 2020

My goal is to convince you to ground supply chain processes and technology implementations in data analysis while tying the results to the improvement in corporate performance. The first story is about a large regional food manufacturer. The second story is about a regional beverage manufacturer. What do I mean by science?

Supply Chain Planning Software 420

Supply Chain Planning Software Forecasting Forecasting Software Modeling 420

Supply Chain Shaman

SEPTEMBER 3, 2018

We consistently see that companies focused on functional excellence–a focus within a functional silo like manufacturing, transportation or distribution– or singular metrics– like inventory or costs– underperform against their peer groups. Reward teams for cross-functional metrics. Cost-to-Serve Analysis.

Supply Chain Planning Software 366

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Agile and Lean Supply Chain Supply Chain Software 366

RFgen

JANUARY 16, 2025

Keeping track of all your moving parts in manufacturing is a tall order. That’s where manufacturing inventory management software comes in. We’re talking real-time tracking, automated purchasing, and a whole lot less stress. Its your single source of truth for inventory, constantly updated and readily available.

Inventory Management Software 52

Inventory Management Software Manufacturing Procurement Supply Chain Planning Software Optimization Software 52

Supply Chain Shaman

FEBRUARY 1, 2024

Optimization engines to improve functional metric performance resulted in an exploding number of planners. Contract Manufacturing Signal Latency. In my last blog post, I shared insights on data synchronization between brand owners and contract manufacturing. days to receive a purchase order confirmation.

Supply Chain Planning Software 390

Supply Chain Planning Software Optimal Sourcing Manufacturing Procurement Waste Reduction 390

Supply Chain Shaman

SEPTEMBER 17, 2014

There are three reasons why: Vertical excellence—having the best manufacturing, procurement or transportation function—has not worked. Aligned Metrics. What percentage of retail out-of-stocks could be prevented by the manufacturer in these industries? How do you balance the trade-offs between source, make and deliver?

Optimal Sourcing 333

Optimal Sourcing Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Manufacturing Procurement 333

Supply Chain Shaman

JULY 6, 2020

Frank, the line manager for manufacturing, dominated the meetings. Despite goals to improve agility and resiliency, functional metrics for manufacturing efficiency continually throw the supply chain out of balance. Strong manufacturing organizations do not make the most effective manufacturers.

Agile and Lean Supply Chain 323

Agile and Lean Supply Chain Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Strategy 323

QAD

JULY 1, 2021

What are Total Manufacturing Costs? Your total manufacturing costs are essentially an expense analysis that calculates how each of your company’s departments contributed to producing a finalized product. This looks at all stages of the manufacturing process from raw materials to work-in-progress to final result.

Manufacturing Procurement 98

Manufacturing Procurement Procurement Analytics Cost Reduction Strategies Purchasing Skills 98

RFgen

NOVEMBER 27, 2024

It’s the key to transforming your supply chain from a source of frustration into a well-oiled, profit-generating machine. Implementing Data Analytics for Supply Chain Success Data analytics transforms supply chains with precise insights and real-time monitoring by bringing together multiple data sources. The result?

Optimal Sourcing 98

Optimal Sourcing Supply Chain Optimization Modeling Inventory Reduction 98

Supply Chain Shaman

MARCH 5, 2019

While there are many types of visibility (see Figure 1), the most common use case is either sourcing or transportation visibility. Contract manufacturing or 3PL data often will have a 24-hour latency due to batch integration. The focus is on functional metrics, but are unable to get to overall supply chain metrics.

Supply Chain Design Software 337

Supply Chain Design Software Real-time Visibility Prescriptive Analytics Software Supply Chain Planning Software 337

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 16, 2014

I have learned that supply chain systems are more complex than I originally thought, and that the relationships between supply chain metrics are nonlinear. I have also learned that you need a large data pool to derive the type of analysis that I want to publish. These tools allow us to look at sell, source, make, and deliver together.

Supply Chain Design Software 297

Supply Chain Design Software Network Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Network Software 297

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 6, 2013

Closing the gaps happens when there are aligned metrics, clarity of vision and aligned planning processes. It combines decisions across sell, deliver, make and source processes to drive value based outcomes. Most companies operate well within functions, but struggle to build strong horizontal processes. They lack cohesion.

Supply Chain Planning Software 299

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Planning Optimal Sourcing Scenario Planning 299

Silvon Software

APRIL 19, 2022

Procurement is one core process area being focused to better manage today’s fluctuating change, with key performance metrics leading the way to assessing and managing procurement performance. The Basics of Procurement KPIs. Every KPI needs a clearly defined goal.

Optimal Sourcing 124

Optimal Sourcing Procurement Analytics Manufacturing Procurement Negotiate Pricing 124

GlobalTranz

JULY 28, 2021

That means identifying areas of waste, overlap and large volumes and enabling continuous improvement through the use of transportation metrics to track performance. Using an offshore vendor to manufacture a component for a larger automotive assembly is a typical example.

Optimal Sourcing 317

Optimal Sourcing Optimization Software Network Optimization Supply Chain Optimization 317

Logistics Viewpoints

SEPTEMBER 19, 2023

Management practices such as lean manufacturing and just-in-time inventory management, along with globalization, have made tremendous impact on cost and service, but have accentuated risk. Metrics such as lead-times, forecast accuracy, inventory levels, and service are used to measure operational risks. are most exposed to risk?

Supply Chain Design Software 299

Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Design Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Software 299

ToolsGroup

SEPTEMBER 20, 2022

Automation is at the center of modern manufacturing businesses, with companies exploring the possibilities of artificial intelligence in improving workflows and profitability. Industrial engineers incorporate these technologies in designing and fabricating advanced manufacturing systems. How AI Is Changing the Manufacturing Industry.

Manufacturing Procurement 156

Manufacturing Procurement Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Optimal Sourcing 156

Supply Chain Shaman

MARCH 21, 2024

During the 1980s, I was on a management team for a large manufacturer. The Company was attempting to gain economies of scale by grouping manufacturing technologies within a common infrastructure to reap the benefits of a co-generation facility, a centralized warehouse, and a talented administrative team. Lack of aligned metrics.

Inventory Reduction 435

Inventory Reduction Supply Chain Planning Software Cost Reduction Strategies Supply Chain Design Software 435

Supply Chain Shaman

OCTOBER 5, 2018

The award, based on beating the industry peer group on rate of improvement on the key metrics of growth, operating margin, inventory turns, and Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) while outperforming their peer group, is tough to achieve. We complete the analysis each year. In this analysis, patterns matter.

Case Study 303

Case Study Inventory Reduction Study Agile and Lean Supply Chain 303

Silvon Software

APRIL 16, 2025

Inventory is the lifeblood of any manufacturing business. By leveraging analytics and key performance indicators (KPIs), manufacturers can optimize inventory, reduce waste, and boost profitability. Get it right, and youve got happy customers and streamlined costs. Get it wrong, and you risk financial strain and fulfillment headaches.

Optimal Sourcing 65

Optimal Sourcing Inventory Reduction Supply Chain Optimization Price Mitigation Strategies 65

Supply Chain Shaman

JANUARY 9, 2024

For a more detailed analysis, check out the Power point summary.) Nvidia, Northrup Grumman, PACCAR Inc, PCA (Packaging Corporation of America), ResMed, Rockwell Automation, Ross Stores, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC) Company, Tempur-Pedic, TJX, Toro, Toyota, West Pharma, United Tractors, and Urban Outfitters. be careful.

Supply Chain Planning Software 354

Supply Chain Planning Software Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Planning Gartner 354

Supply Chain Opz

JANUARY 7, 2013

This case study will show you the analysis of Apple Supply Chain core processes, challenging issues and complexities of its operations. To get a closer look at the modern day supply chain at Apple Inc, this case study utilizes content analysis technique. Some re-sellers may also distribute products from the competing manufacturers.

Case Study 279

Case Study Study Negotiating Skills Supply Chain Planning Software 279

Logistics Viewpoints

FEBRUARY 14, 2022

ARC Advisory Group, where I work, recently announced the publication of their analysis of the 25 manufacturers with the most mature digital transformations. In fact, their digital champions began by aggressively expanding their sources of wisdom beyond their historic and current resources. Digital leaders learn from others.

Supply Chain Design Software 263

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

SCMDOJO

OCTOBER 30, 2024

Conversely, a student who quickly grasps procurement strategies can be challenged with advanced case studies and leadership projects. Developing Analytical Skills Data analysis is at the heart of effective supply chain management.

Supply Chain Planning Software 97

Supply Chain Planning Software Analytics Software Forecasting Software Predictive Analytics Software 97

ivalua

AUGUST 17, 2021

What does Procurement mean? An organization’s Procurement function is responsible for managing spend, in other words the buying goods and services that are used to make the products sold to customers as well as the purchasing of products and services used to run the organization on a day to day basis.

Manufacturing Procurement 130

Manufacturing Procurement Optimal Sourcing Procurement Analytics Procurement Solutions 130

Logistics Viewpoints

JULY 18, 2022

The company sources goods from 34,000 suppliers out of 30 nations. In the annual report where they report on their key performance indicators (KPIs), they don’t just report on core financial metrics and the NPS, they also have people metrics. The company has shown sustained improvement on this metric.

Supply Chain Design Software 305

Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Software Network Design Software 305

Supply Chain Shaman

NOVEMBER 15, 2021

Especially grievous are the gaps between finance and operations, manufacturing and procurement, and the operations and commercial teams. Based on the analysis of rythmns and cycles of supply chain variability and constraints, most have five-to-six. Build Strong Supply Chain Sourcing Development Practices. We are to blame.”

Supply Chain Design Software 346

Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Sourcing Strategies Supply and Demand 346

Kinaxis

FEBRUARY 3, 2020

The recent outbreak of coronavirus has shaken communities and put companies that rely on manufacturing from facilities in Wuhan, China at risk. Sequential planning may take days or even weeks just to determine the financial impact of a lockdown, not to mention possible manufacturing alternatives. A cure for inefficient planning.

Supply Chain Planning Software 273

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Software Supply Chain Planning 273