Supply Chain Shaman

APRIL 27, 2022

Supply chain excellence is easier to say than to explain. The promise of a well-intended consultant just sounds sooooooo good. At each company, there is a relationship between the metrics of growth, margin, inventory, customer service, and asset strategy. Business leaders are action-oriented and competitive. The reason?

Procurement Analytics 339

Procurement Analytics Manufacturing Procurement Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software 339

Supply Chain Shaman

MAY 13, 2024

Observations on What It Takes In the Mea Culpa post, I wrote that I used to believe that excellence in S&OP was a ratio of 60/30/10. (60% P&G did not appreciate the work Gilette accomplished on form and function of inventory and using market signals. Sounds easy, right? Leadership and S&OP? An analyst never implements.

S&OP 349

S&OP Supply and Demand Inventory Reduction Expense Reduction 349

Supply Chain Shaman

JANUARY 9, 2024

The companies with the strongest year-over-year performance (placing in the winner’s circle for six more times in ten years) are Apple, L’Oreal, Nike, Paccar, TJX, and TSMC. How Do You Define Excellence? In retrospect, I find that technology is an enabler, but only if we are clear on what defines supply chain excellence.

Supply Chain Planning Software 299

Supply Chain Planning Software Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Planning Gartner 299

Supply Chain Shaman

MAY 21, 2024

In follow-up qualitative interviews, one of the largest issues with organizational alignment was metric definition and a clear definition of supply chain excellence. In follow-up qualitative interviews, one of the largest issues with organizational alignment was metric definition and a clear definition of supply chain excellence.

Procurement Analytics 347

Procurement Analytics Metrics Optimal Sourcing Supply Chain Planning Software 347

Logistics Viewpoints

DECEMBER 2, 2021

import volumes still climbing (see Figure 1), limited processing capacity at key West Coast ports and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) contract expiring next summer, importers will be scrambling to maintain the inventory they need to support the demand increase. Here’s what to look for in 2022.

Predictive Analytics Software 337

Predictive Analytics Software Predictive Analytics Waste Reduction Cost Reduction Strategies 337

Supply Chain Shaman

OCTOBER 16, 2023

Clear operating strategy and definition of supply chain excellence across plan, source, make and deliver. Most companies buy decision support technology, but do not redefine work to improve decisions. I like the use of growth, margin, inventory turns, Return on Invested Capital, customer service and ESG metrics. Drives Value.

S&OP 333

S&OP Supply and Demand Forecasting Supply Chain Design Software 333

Supply Chain Shaman

SEPTEMBER 13, 2023

Given your expertise, I’d love to hear what alternatives you recommend for better demand forecasting and real-time visibility beyond what’s commonly adopted today.” If S&OP efforts were that effective, don’t you think that we would have made more progress against inventory levels, margin, and growth?

Supply and Demand 385

Supply and Demand Supply Chain Planning Software Modeling Demand Planning 385

Supply Chain Shaman

DECEMBER 7, 2023

Background The Council of Supply Chain Resilience met for the first time this month. Today, I speak at the North American Manufacturing Association, Manufacturing Leadership Conference, in Nashville on the use of data to improve supply chain resilience. Here I share some insights from my research. The reason? We are not clear on definition.

Supply Chain Design Software 316

Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Modeling Supply Chain Software 316

Supply Chain Shaman

JANUARY 2, 2023

The Center of Excellence at the company wanted to improve base-level capabilities but struggled to move forward due to the traditional views of the planning team, which they felt were self-serving. (The The team was not calibrated on the role of forecasting and the basics around process excellence. Definition. Merriam-Webster.

Supply and Demand 373

Supply and Demand Modeling Demand Planning Supply Chain Planning Software 373

Logistics Viewpoints

MARCH 9, 2023

Commerce is global and regional at the same time, the world is getting smaller and more interconnected, and Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) manufacturers operate in this build-anywhere and sell-anywhere market. The classical approach involves functional silos, sequential decisions, and Excel and people to render a plan executable.

Supply Chain Planning Software 233

Supply Chain Planning Software Modeling Forecasting Software Optimization Software 233

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 29, 2014

I remember the first time that I met the founders, Don and Toby. ” And from time to time, when we were behind deadline, and teasing each other about the looming weekly post, we would throw our llamas from cubicle to cubicle. It could no longer be just about inventory levels. The conference was low-key.

Supply Chain Design Software 268

Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Design Network Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software 268

Supply Chain Shaman

MARCH 9, 2020

As I shopped at Best Buy for office supplies, I struggled to not think about the massive disruption of electronics supply chain. Time to Sense Market Shifts in the 2007 Recession. While good news travels quickly in an organization, bad news travels slowly. Supply chains operate blindly on order data. The problem? Wrong focus I thought.

Supply Chain Design Software 309

Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Optimal Sourcing Supply Chain Design 309

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 23, 2020

This type of response is just not helpful. I find in my Supply Chains to Admire research that 96% of companies (when compared to their peer groups) are unable to drive improvement while delivering higher performance year-over-year on a balanced scorecard of growth, inventory turns, operating margin and Return on Invested Capital (ROIC).

Supply Chain Design Software 293

Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Analytics Software Optimization Software 293

ToolsGroup

NOVEMBER 4, 2022

Excess inventory – it’s taking up your warehouse space, tying up working capital, and limiting your planning team’s range of motion. It’s time to Marie Kondo your supply chain by eliminating excess inventory and learning how to avoid it in the first place. Let’s talk about: What Excess Inventory Is.

Inventory Reduction 156

Inventory Reduction Material Savings Cost Reduction Strategies Inventory 156

Supply Chain Shaman

DECEMBER 23, 2014

At that time, manufacturers talked about customer-centric supply chains, but were afraid to aggressively adopt ecommerce strategies. Get Good at Having a Real-time Perpetual Inventory Signal. Foundational for ecommerce is a real-time perpetual inventory (PI) signal. No matter where inventory is, put it to work.

Packaging 290

Packaging Inventory Reduction Supply Chain Design Software San Francisco 290

Supply Chain Shaman

SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

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. We feel so strongly about this that we do not have an inventory planning role.”

Waste Reduction 150

Waste Reduction Inventory Reduction Inventory Optimal Sourcing 150

Supply Chain Shaman

JULY 6, 2020

Tom, the colorful warehouse manager, constantly heckled Frank for the increasing inventory levels while Ed, the quiet material/logistics manager, constantly questioned if there was a better way. The changeover times for the CM Bartlelts was 5X more prolonged than the more agile IM machines. Sharing My Experience. The year was 1982.

Agile and Lean Supply Chain 297

Agile and Lean Supply Chain Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Strategy 297

Kinaxis

DECEMBER 3, 2014

Reason #4 Making key decisions by modelling the supply chain in Excel. Reason #6 Not effectively managing inventory. Just focus on geography and forget about anything else. One example that I’ve seen several times is around inventory targets. Reason #5 Not having a supply chain risk management process. Don’t care.

Expense Reduction 250

Expense Reduction Procurement Analytics Cost Reduction Strategies Metrics 250

My Office Apps

JANUARY 16, 2024

Start Your Year with Cloud-Based ERP: The Ultimate Guide to Operational Excellence Begin your year on a transformative note by embracing the power of Cloud-Based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. Real-Time Analytics and Reporting: Offers advanced analytics for real-time insights, empowering decision-makers with data-driven choices.

Optimal Sourcing 105

Optimal Sourcing Eliminating Excel in Purchasing Manufacturing Procurement Procurement Analytics 105

The Logistics of Logistics

MARCH 16, 2022

Esther is the Chief Revenue Officer at Flowspace , an ecommerce fulfillment platform that helps brands meet their customers’ post-purchase expectations. Flowspace is an ecommerce fulfillment platform that helps brands meet their customers’ post-purchase expectations. About Esther Kestenbaum Prozan.

Supply Chain Network Software 190

Supply Chain Network Software Supply Chain Planning Software Network Optimization Network Optimization Software 190

Supply Chain Shaman

DECEMBER 17, 2018

Nick Lynch is the Global Excellence Manager at Shell Lubricants, a division of Shell Global. It is just not enough to do a software upgrade or slowly push continuous improvement projects. Nick is a master of influence skills and building cross-functional, horizontal processes. In this post we share our take on his journey.

Demand Planning Software 255

Demand Planning Software Supply and Demand Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software 255

Supply Chain Shaman

DECEMBER 4, 2018

For the past five years, the team at Supply Chain Insights identified Supply Chains to Admire Award Winners by analyzing performance by peer group on the key metrics of growth, operating margin, inventory turns and Return on Invested Capital (ROIC). In 2018, Rockwell Automation won the Supply Chains to Admire Award. Meet Ernest.

Supply Chain Software 30

Supply Chain Software Case Study Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software 30

Logistics Viewpoints

APRIL 25, 2024

So, the parking spots are getting more and more occupied with drop trailers, meaning lot capacity shrinks while finding the trailer with the highest-priority inventory becomes even harder. For various reasons, many drivers show up unexpectedly and at the same time. Bottom line: yards are hard. But these are not intractable problems.

Expense Reduction 267

Expense Reduction Cost Reduction Strategies Supply Chain Design Software Inventory Reduction 267

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 29, 2022

Concurrent macro forces–material shortages, war, shifts in consumer buying patterns, logistics constraints, inflation/recession, and climate change– are reshaping today’s reality necessitating the need for a supply chain reset button. Asset relocation takes time. I share the questions in bold and my answers follow.

Supply Chain Design Software 259

Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Pricing Training 259

The Logistics & Supply Chain Management Society

FEBRUARY 15, 2021

In the cloud, companies can deploy resources on an as-needed basis, rather than invest in additional servers and storage capacity that they may only need for a short time. Centralized information eliminates data silos and strengthens information sharing through real-time communication (instead of point-to-point data transmission).

Supply Chain Planning Software 298

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Software Prescriptive Analytics Software Predictive Analytics Software 298

Supply Chain Shaman

SEPTEMBER 27, 2021

Unloading times are double and costs are triple. At the time, a functionally encased view of visibility was sufficient. The secondary problem is the lack of definition of process requirements and a buying team that cannot see past simple MRP/MRP II/DDMRP requirements. Supply chain shortages abound. Reflection. The reason?

Supply Chain Planning Software 333

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

Supply Chain Shaman

SEPTEMBER 24, 2018

<Bear with me… > Here I share a nine-step process in an attempt to help companies unravel the process for buying supply chain planning software. I think that it is time for some straight talk. They center on how to make a good decision in the purchase of supply chain planning solutions. Get a cup of coffee.

Supply Chain Planning Software 233

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Supply Chain Software 233

Supply Chain Shaman

SEPTEMBER 10, 2023

On a call, Pete gave me a hard time. I was working on a report on the Multi-Enterprise Inventory Management (often termed MEIO) and I challenged Pete. Was it that Kraft was not clear in its definition of supply chain excellence (which was true) or not clear on how to best use the system (which was also true)? Why does it matter?

Supply Chain Planning Software 259

Supply Chain Planning Software Modeling Forecasting Software Supply and Demand 259

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 7, 2018

As time goes on, these high energies dissipate. Or agreement on the definition of supply chain excellence. As a result, functional excellence anchors action. The focus is on digitization—automating today’s processes—versus rethinking process excellence based on the art of the possible. ” Incrementalism. I am tired.

Supply Chain Planning Software 231

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Optimization Software Forecasting Software 231

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 16, 2014

Despite two decades of advancement in supply chain technologies, companies are struggling to gain balance at the intersection of operating margin, inventory turns and case fulfillment. After three years of research, I have just refined the methodology to start to pull the trends. ” —Translation from the Greek by Ludwig Edelstein.

Supply Chain Design Software 287

Supply Chain Design Software Network Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Network Software 287

Kinaxis

SEPTEMBER 16, 2014

While other “lists” use ROA, Inventory Turns and Revenue Growth, I find Lora’s science very objective. While other “lists” use ROA, Inventory Turns and Revenue Growth, I find Lora’s science very objective. While 12 out of 13 improved resilience, 11 out of 13 lost ground at the intersection of operating margin and inventory turns.

Supply Chain Planning Software 279

Supply Chain Planning Software Gartner Supply Chain Design Software Agile and Lean Supply Chain 279

Supply Chain Shaman

SEPTEMBER 28, 2012

I have been at it for a long time. I just started working on it as an objective. ” I just think it needs to get done, and that in most organizations it is not. Most lack the understanding and they are just not incented to build value networks. I think that it is at the core of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Pricing Training 262

Pricing Training Supply Chain Design Software Waste Reduction Purchasing Training 262

ToolsGroup

FEBRUARY 7, 2022

Love it or hate it, daily necessities need to be purchased. Whichever reasons fuel the motivations of your target market, here are the top trends shaping how they’ll buy – and how you can stay front of mind and ahead of the competition. eCommerce Purchases and “The New Normal” Retail Categories. Ah, the joy of shopping.

Supply Chain Planning Software 177

Supply Chain Planning Software Trends Retail Forecasting Software 177

Logistics Viewpoints

DECEMBER 12, 2022

Supply chain planning is not just for the big boys. At Dow, Mr. Baker had Purchasing experience in raw materials, and logistics for their plastics supply chain. S&OP is the key process in effectively balancing supply – what can be made – with demand – what customers want to buy.

Supply Chain Planning Software 228

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Planning Procurement Solutions Scenario Planning 228

Supply Chain Shaman

FEBRUARY 14, 2022

I wrote many reports on airport floors in those days–electrical plugs were just too scarce.) (I wrote many reports on airport floors in those days–electrical plugs were just too scarce.) At the time, I was fascinated how the most mature teams bucked the system. Sales and Operations Maturity Model from 2005-2008.

S&OP 195

S&OP Supply and Demand Procurement Analytics Manufacturing Procurement 195

Logility

MAY 25, 2023

In today’s fast-paced and unpredictable global market, the secret to maintaining a competitive edge lies in a key area—robust inventory control techniques. Inventory control is the act of managing and organizing stock to meet customer demand without surplus or deficiency. This is where inventory control techniques come in.

Inventory Reduction 130

Inventory Reduction Inventory Management Software Inventory Optimal Sourcing 130

Supply Chain Shaman

SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

As Allyson presented her story of working for multiple consumer products companies, with very advanced technologies (demand sensing, advanced automation of forecasting, data lakes and descriptive analytics), she spoke of why at the end of the day, the most important technology that she uses is Excel. The question is, “Why?”

Optimal Sourcing 221

Optimal Sourcing Analytics Software Procurement Analytics Supply Chain Planning Software 221