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When many businesses forecast demand, even the most studious companies will not get it 100 percent accurate, instead of perfection, the focus should be on minimising errors. Planning is one of the core functions of supply chain management that can help minimise errors and thus increase the accuracy of forecasting demand. Understanding and predicting customer demand is vital for businesses to avoid stock-outs, maintain adequate inventory stock levels and increase overall profitability.
Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP), a process often focused around a monthly meeting, is evolving into a more continuous process. A recent whitepaper by supply chain planning and optimization firm Optilon explains why and how. S&OP is a process where decisions are traditionally made once a month as a part of an executive review. But the infrequent nature of the decision making often leads to a gap between S&OP and operations.
The importance of an omnichannel supply chain strategy cannot be overstated. According to Randy Strang of Supply Chain 24/7, a survey of the most important parts of a shopping experience found customers’ expectations are more than meets the eye. Up to 62 percent want to purchase online and have the option of returning it in-store, and 47 percent want promotions and coupons available through their smartphone.
by Jonathan Lofton I recently rented a car featuring steering assist and intelligent cruise control. Now, I’m used to driver assist technologies as my vehicle has blind spot warning and front and rear collision warning, and braking. My wife’s car has a heads-up display as well as steering wheel vibration when you stray onto the lane lines, but when driving this rental, I felt the car was actually steering itself back into the lane when it drifted astray.
Procurement leaders are at a pivotal moment. With CPOs playing an increasingly strategic role, it’s time to leverage innovation and technology to drive resilience and efficiency. Download The 2025 Annual ProcureCon CPO Report to uncover key insights to thrive in a dynamic procurement landscape. What’s Inside: How CPOs are driving strategic decision-making and technology adoption The top priorities and challenges for procurement in 2025 Why AI, sustainability, and data analytics are essential for
More than a year into a freight capacity crisis that shows little sign of weakening, it’s time for all parties involved in logistics and freight transportation to meet this issue head on. Solving the challenge and underlying issues will require focus and attention to internal processes, better communication with carriers and partners, and using technology to gather and make sense of the vast amount of data flowing through transportation networks.
Since the inception of EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) in the early 1970’s logistics professionals have always taken for granted the accuracy of EDI tracking transactions sent for various activities across their global supply chains. But this may need to be rethought now that Satellites and AIS technology are being applied, and are capturing the “truth” about these activities, by monitoring actual ship movements and by comparing this to the related EDI arrival transactions fo
Since the inception of EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) in the early 1970’s logistics professionals have always taken for granted the accuracy of EDI tracking transactions sent for various activities across their global supply chains. But this may need to be rethought now that Satellites and AIS technology are being applied, and are capturing the “truth” about these activities, by monitoring actual ship movements and by comparing this to the related EDI arrival transactions fo
Demand for e-commerce capability is increasing. E-Commerce requires intense coordination between supply chains and an understanding of how to achieve maximum efficiency in all modes of transportation, explains BigCommerce.com. When it comes to over-the-road (OTR) shipping, e-commerce becomes even more difficult, requiring advanced knowledge of various carriers, rates, HOS regulations, the ELD mandate and more.
“Cigarette production and consumption have seen dramatic growth in recent decades and although the health effects of smoking are widely recognized, its impacts on the environment are largely overlooked”, the authors of a new World Health Organization report argue, which is titled Cigarette Smoking: An Assessment of Tobacco’s Global Environmental Footprint Across Its Entire Supply Chain (pdf).
The VP of Supply Chain and Logistics at our house (aka my wife) has been out of the country this week. This is the first time in many years that I’ve had to assume all of her responsibilities in managing the complex operations of a house with three kids (our oldest child is in college, which you would think would make things easier, but she lost her prescription eye glasses, so I had to pick up a new pair at the store, box them up, drive to the post office, and stand in line to mail them to her.
Growing up in a small oilfield town, we didn’t have a McDonald’s; we had Joy’s Grill. Joy, the owner, and his wife, Wanda, ran a straightforward automated operation in their diner with one row of booths and a counter open to the grill. She took the orders and yelled out “mash one,” which queued Joy to throw another patty on the grill. He finished the order, Wanda served, and whoever had a free hand, rang up the checks at the register.
Savvy B2B marketers know that a great account-based marketing (ABM) strategy leads to higher ROI and sustainable growth. In this guide, we’ll cover: What makes for a successful ABM strategy? What are the key elements and capabilities of ABM that can make a real difference? How is AI changing workflows and driving functionality? This Martech Intelligence Report on Enterprise Account-Based Marketing examines the state of ABM in 2024 and what to consider when implementing ABM software.
E-commerce is growing at a phenomenal rate and, powered by the top trends in e-commerce logistics, shippers have an amazing opportunity to increase profitability and reduce freight spend simultaneously. The time to understand the trends in commerce logistics and position their organizations succeed and overcome the challenges that accompany this unique way of moving product on a global scale.
Leading supply chain and logistics publication includes PINC, the leading provider of real-time digital inventory solutions, to its annual list of 100 Great Supply Chain Partners.
Sending out a Request for Proposal — an RFP — is what most companies do when they’re looking for a technology solution. But what if instead of a Request for Proposal , the RFP became a Request for Partnership , as my friend Kate Vitasek from the University of Tennessee suggested several years ago ? It seems like companies are starting to move in that direction, viewing and evaluating providers of technology not as prospective vendors , but as prospective partners.
Hurricane Michael is approaching Florida via the Gulf Coast, threatening to rise from its current Category 1 status before making landfall on Wednesday. Just like with last month's Hurricane Florence in the Carolinas, Michael is going to bring storm surge, heavy rains, and severe winds throughout the state. A state of emergency has already been declared in 26 counties, and residents and businesses in the storm's path are on high alert.
Fulfillment is no longer just about getting products from point A to point B – it's about crafting seamless, scalable, customer first experiences. Flexible fulfillment strategies are more important than ever for those aiming to stay ahead and build resilience as retail enters a new era in 2025. Learn how to optimize fulfillment processes, tackle complex, multi-vendor orders, and create seamless customer experiences – from white-glove delivery for high-value items to quick-ship solutions for ever
Final mile and last mile both referred to the final stage of delivery, and the use of last mile in e-commerce can mean the difference between a positive customer experience and a return. Simply not delivering a package on time will dramatically increase the rate of returns, and poor last mile in e-commerce delivery can contribute to increasing logistics costs.
This post originally appeared on Forbes. Digital transformation has remained a hot topic this year not only because of how integral it is for businesses, but also because so many conversations focus on predicting where it’s poised to go. Worldwide, companies are predicted to spend $1.7 trillion on digital transformation by the end of 2019, which will be up 42% from 2017.
Hurricane Michael has made landfall with the Florida panhandle as a very scary Category 4. That is the second-highest category, with winds of 130 to 156 MPH. You can imagine what kind of damage that can do to buildings and highways, let alone a truck, so if you are in or near the Gulf Coast of Florida or Alabama, or anywhere in the path of the storm, PLEASE seek shelter and make safety your one and only priority.
In 2015, the world got one step closer to a better future when 193 countries committed to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a framework for addressing the global community’s most critical economic, social and environmental challenges. These goals aim to eliminate poverty and hunger, promote global access to healthcare and education, protect earth’s natural resources, achieve gender equality, and more.
The Supplier Relationship Management Playbook is your guide to building effective supplier partnerships that drive supply chain excellence. This playbook equips supply chain professionals with strategies for managing compliance, tracking performance, and fostering collaboration to reduce supply chain risks. Inside, you’ll find: Strategies for Compliance: Best practices to help meet regulatory standards.
E-commerce has presented wholesale distributors and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) with a crown opportunity for growth, but it comes at the cost of transitioning from single-channel shipping. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce , U.S. e-commerce retail sales have increased 3.9 percent from the first quarter of 2018. Over the last year, average e-commerce sales have increased more than 15 percent, revealing the increasing demand for multichannel fulfillment and shipping.
Last week, I had the opportunity to speak again at CSCMP’s annual global conference, which focused on providing attendees with real-world strategies to maximize and transform supply chains. With 3,000+ attendees and 100 sessions at the event, the content addressed a wide range of supply chain opportunities and challenges. TMC’s participation included two different panel discussions; one was an overview of our Truckload Leader or Laggard research with MIT, which you can learn more about in my pre
The supply chain attack could have siphoned corporate secrets and government information while leaving few fingerprints. This week there was a blockbuster Bloomberg Businessweek report about U.S. investigations into a digital attack that involved planting snooping devices in the kinds of circuit boards used by Amazon, Apple, the U.S. government and other important organizations.
An organization’s packaging operation provides an excellent starting point for driving warehouse efficiencies and should be considered as a major contributor to your supply chain performance. Packaging inefficiencies often lead to a number of issues that can quickly accumulate into a hefty bill. Here are a few steps your organization can take to avoid costly … The post 3 Key Steps to Improving Packaging Efficiency appeared first on Chainalytics.
Tariffs will have a major impact on your supply chain, margins, and operations. Drawing on our work with global companies across manufacturing, automotive, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, software, technology, financial services, and a range of service industries, we outline the key strategic and tactical actions companies are taking to navigate this period of heightened uncertainty.
This week’s manned Soyuz launch to the International Space Station appeared to be going smoothly, but some 90 seconds later NASA, on its livestream, reported that a problem seemed to have occurred with the booster rocket between the first and second stages of separation. The two astronauts were forced into a “ballistic descent” with their capsule landing a few hundred miles from the launch site.
Realizing the benefits of a continuous engagement, a leading department store chain partners with Chainalytics to strategically realign their distribution network in order to remain competitive in an evolving retail environment. The strategic business challengeAs one of the most rapidly changing industries, retail is in an era of significant transformation.
Over the last two years, there’s been a 76 percent increase in AI adoption across sales organizations. The reason for its rise? AI increases teams’ productivity by predicting and automating actions that require manual effort. In other words, the research that takes reps hours, AI can do in seconds. For sales teams, AI opens up a world of new possibilities, including automating outreach, identifying best-fit buyers, and keeping CRMs flush with fresh data.
Hurricane Michael is approaching Florida via the Gulf Coast, threatening to rise from its current Category 1 status before making landfall on Wednesday. Just like with last month's Hurricane Florence in the Carolinas, Michael is going to bring storm surge, heavy rains, and severe winds throughout the state. A state of emergency has already been declared in 26 counties, and residents and businesses in the storm's path are on high alert.
Demand forecasting is the process of estimating the number of products that customers will be willing to purchase in the future. It involves leveraging data and analytics about your product and the market to closely predict customer demand over a particular time frame. It’s a crucial aspect for many companies and inherent in more reliable demand forecasting is demand planning.
We're breaking down supply chain management to celebrate National Healthcare Supply Chain Week to help your team bring back the focus to what matters most: patient care.
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