Logistics Viewpoints

APRIL 1, 2025

A data gateway is essentially a connective tissue across your supply chain, providing unified access to supply chain data from various sources, including enterprise systems, data feeds, data warehouses, data lakes, data marts, and business entities. Achieving these goals requires visibility into the entire supply chain.

Optimal Sourcing 272

Optimal Sourcing Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Software 272

Logistics Viewpoints

APRIL 10, 2025

Reducing cost was the primary objective, and most operational decisionsfrom sourcing to fulfillmentreflected that mindset. Sudden tariff increases can quickly make a cost-optimized procurement strategy untenable, leaving companies scrambling to adjust. Procurement is another area seeing change.

Optimal Sourcing 224

Optimal Sourcing Modeling Cost Reduction Strategies Supply Chain Optimization 224

Logistics Viewpoints

APRIL 3, 2024

For many companies, this process begins with an overhaul of their manufacturing processes, looking at ways to promote sustainable manufacturing. Sustainable manufacturing is one step in the process of building sustainable supply chains. What exactly is sustainable manufacturing? Not all emissions are created equally.

Manufacturing Procurement 311

Manufacturing Procurement Sustainability Manufacturing Supply Chain Design 311

Logistics Viewpoints

DECEMBER 2, 2024

The high-tech firm is more than a manufacturer of PCs, tablets, smartphones, and servers. The company has more than 2000 suppliers and operates over 30 manufacturing sites. An iGPU (integrated graphic processing unit) is a current example. For example, we’re working on telling the solution that it has a budget.

Supply Chain Planning Software 292

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Planning Supply Chain Software Supply Chain Network Software 292

BlueYonder

MARCH 7, 2025

On the positive side, companies such as a small manufacturer of advanced plastic components used across various sectors, such as medical, industrial, automotive and consumer products has experienced increased interest from clients eager to purchase American-made goods. Where do industrial companies focus to prepare for tariffs?

Manufacturing Procurement 87

Manufacturing Procurement Optimal Sourcing Sourcing Strategies Material Savings 87

Logistics Viewpoints

APRIL 1, 2021

In a previous post , I made a case for how the Chief Supply Chain Officer (CSCO) and Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) are smarter together. Accordingly Supply Chain and Procurement will need continuous collaboration. Here are some examples of such use cases.

Optimal Sourcing 293

Optimal Sourcing Manufacturing Procurement Procurement Analytics Procurement Solutions 293

Logistics Viewpoints

MARCH 3, 2025

What Celanese has accomplished is the single best example ARC is aware of employing agentic AI and copilots at scale. Ibrahim Al Syed, the director of digital manufacturing at Celanese, was surprisingly forthcoming about how Celanese developed these capabilities at ARC Advisory Groups 29th Annual ARC Industry Leadership Forum.

Negotiating Skills 191

Negotiating Skills Supply Chain Design Software Modeling Software Supply Chain Planning Software 191

Logistics Viewpoints

APRIL 2, 2025

Companies that previously prioritized cost-cutting and centralized sourcing quickly found themselves exposed to serious production and distribution risks. In response, many organizations have shifted toward decentralized and regionalized supply chain models, distributing production and sourcing across multiple regions.

Modeling 171

Modeling Modeling Software Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software 171

Logistics Viewpoints

AUGUST 15, 2022

GEP and the North Carolina State University (NCSU) Supply Chain Resource Cooperative surveyed supply chain, procurement and IT professionals across a range of industries to gain insight into their priorities and strategies regarding supply chain resilience and optimization. For example, are you still a minority owned company?

Supply Chain Network Software 315

Supply Chain Network Software Manufacturing Procurement Procurement Analytics Optimal Sourcing 315

RFgen

DECEMBER 19, 2024

But between rising costs, complex logistics, and the constant struggle to optimize space and labor, staying ahead can feel like an uphill battle. Data-driven forecasting improves purchasing and cuts storage expenses. Examples: Automated order picking with autonomous mobile robots.

Optimal Sourcing 97

Optimal Sourcing Optimization Software Waste Reduction Inventory Reduction 97

Jaggaer

APRIL 9, 2025

The Manufacturing Supply Chain Journey through AI and Automation Manufacturing Supply Chains Explained The manufacturing supply chain comprises all the processes a business uses to turn raw materials and components into final products that are ready to be sold to customers, whether these are consumers or other businesses.

Manufacturing Procurement 52

Manufacturing Procurement Supply Chain Software Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software 52

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

Logistics Viewpoints

OCTOBER 23, 2023

The discipline has done a good job of driving collaboration between sales and marketing and manufacturing, procurement, and logistics. Because procurement is a major theme of the conference, I could not help but talk to the top executives of this business unit about the new Elon Musk biography.

Manufacturing Procurement 321

Manufacturing Procurement Supply Chain Design SAP Procurement 321

Logistics Viewpoints

FEBRUARY 11, 2021

At the same time, the Chief Purchasing Officer (CPO) has taken on a pivotal role by securing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to protect the workforce and direct materials when primary sources fail. As disruptions become the norm, Supply Chain Planning and Source-to-Pay (S2P) cycles need to be increasingly dynamic and intertwined.

Manufacturing Procurement 295

Manufacturing Procurement Sourcing Strategies Pharmaceutical Procurement Solutions 295

Logistics Viewpoints

JANUARY 16, 2025

Edge Hardware: The battle for edge hardware also intensified in 2024, as companies sought to deploy AI capabilities closer to the source of data. This puts pressure on other device manufacturers to follow suit. ChatGPT Search : This feature gives users a way to get answers from relevant web sources.

Modeling Software 299

Modeling Software Supply Chain Design Software Optimization Software Predictive Analytics Software 299

Logistics Viewpoints

MAY 26, 2022

Challenges drive dramatic shifts in supply chain and logistics. Across many of our industries, conventional wisdom about best practices for supply chain operations and logistical networks is being challenged. Hallmarks of successful logistics transformation.

Logistics Network Optimization Software 340

Logistics Network Optimization Software Optimal Sourcing Supply Chain Design Software Modeling 340

Logistics Viewpoints

JUNE 28, 2024

And now on to this week’s logistics news. Walmart announced that it will pilot agriculture technology with crop supply intelligence company Agritaskto get real-time information on crops and improve sourcing decisions around produce. The company is selling Coyote for $775 million less than the purchase price. billion in 2015.

Logistics Network Optimization Software 292

Logistics Network Optimization Software Waste Reduction Logistics Price Reduction 292

Jaggaer

APRIL 9, 2025

How AI is Transforming Manufacturing: Strategies, Benefits, and Use Cases Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a huge topic and one that is constantly changing as research and development efforts push out the boundaries of whats possibleand whats already happening! Manufacturers now generate and own vast volumes of it.

Material Savings 52

Material Savings Inventory Reduction Manufacturing Procurement Waste Reduction 52

Jaggaer

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

What Is Strategic Sourcing? A Complete Guide Strategic sourcing is a data-driven approach to securing the best value for your organization from its strategic suppliers. It is called strategic because it replaces traditional ad hoc approaches to sourcing, which were almost entirely focused on cost savings, item by item.

Negotiating Skills 52

Negotiating Skills Sourcing Strategies Purchasing Skills Optimal Sourcing 52

The Logistics of Logistics

OCTOBER 30, 2023

Over his 30+ year career in the supply chain, Richard has worked with manufacturers around the world in operations, supply chain, and lean strategy roles to develop systems that can manage complex supply chains on a global scale. Richard previously founded and led Factory Logic, Inc. acquired by SAP). The Greenscreens.ai

Optimal Sourcing 278

Optimal Sourcing Inventory Reduction Supply Chain Design Software Manufacturing Procurement 278

Logistics Viewpoints

MARCH 17, 2025

A data fabric does not store data itself; it connects and provides access to data from diverse sources without physically moving or duplicating it. It accesses, transforms, and harmonizes data from multiple sources to make it usable and actionable for various business use cases. This is an impressive feat that sounds almost magical.

SAP 203

SAP Modeling Software Logistics Network Optimization Software Manufacturing Procurement 203

Logistics Viewpoints

JUNE 3, 2024

Manufacturers refer to it as the “shop floor to top floor disconnect.” This reflects manufacturers’ difficulty in synching the plans finalized in an integrated business planning executive meeting with what the shop floor is capable of manufacturing in the short-term time planning horizon.

Supply Chain Planning Software 311

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Planning Scenario Planning Manufacturing Procurement 311

Supply Chain Shaman

APRIL 27, 2022

Let’s take P&G as an example. Keith led the work to move P&G from a regional to a global manufacturer opening up the Warsaw center of planning excellence and outsourcing IT to HP. Keith was an undisputed leader in building talent to drive manufacturing excellence. A manufacturing capability is not ubiquitous.

Procurement Analytics 353

Procurement Analytics Manufacturing Procurement Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software 353

Logistics Viewpoints

FEBRUARY 20, 2023

In the supply chain world, contract logistics – where a third-party logistics (3PL) firm runs and manages warehouses on behalf of their clients, is a $200 billion plus market. For example, in contract logistics, the 3PL makes use of a warehouse management system so that they can do the job efficiently.

Supply Chain Planning Software 298

Supply Chain Planning Software Logistics Network Optimization Software GEP Supply Chain Software 298

Logistics Viewpoints

FEBRUARY 8, 2022

As physical stores opened, shut down and re-opened again, consumers became more flexible in the way they shop for, and purchase, just about every product. For example, they might browse products online, but visit a brick-and-mortar store to finalize their selection. Navigating an Increasingly Challenging Logistics Landscape.

Logistics Network Optimization Software 263

Logistics Network Optimization Software Optimal Sourcing Supply Chain Planning Software Modeling 263

Logistics Viewpoints

DECEMBER 14, 2023

And even before they begin, they must realize these problems are too big for any single team—supply chain must connect with finance and procurement to treat the n-tier suppliers as an extended part of their network and become their preferred customer. By identifying these gaps, you can create sourcing events to close them.

Supply Chain Design Software 326

Supply Chain Design Software Optimal Sourcing Supply Chain Planning Software Modeling 326

Logistics Viewpoints

FEBRUARY 20, 2024

To demonstrate that classic (single time series demand input) optimization and stochastic (multiple time series demand input) optimization can yield substantially different results, we will analyze a network of a company A that has four manufacturing plants that need to service demand in every mainland US state.

Sourcing Strategies 312

Sourcing Strategies Supply Chain Design Software Modeling Inventory Reduction 312

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 30, 2021

The current state of logistics is our malady. I find no agency or entity trying to find a holistic solution to global logistics. Value networks do not interoperate and the business leader trying to track shipments must manually sync multiple data sources to get to answers. The average purchase order changes 3-4X before shipment.

Supply Chain Design Software 452

Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Supply Chain Software 452

Logistics Viewpoints

AUGUST 1, 2024

Top Challenges Faced by Companies: Customer Preferences: Example: An online fashion retailer faces the challenge of constantly changing customer preferences. Supply side shifts: Example: A global coffee manufacturer experiences disruptions due to a natural disaster affecting one of its key suppliers in Brazil due to dry weather.

Modeling 317

Modeling Network Optimization Supply Chain Design Software Material Savings 317

GlobalTranz

FEBRUARY 25, 2021

What is reverse Logistics? Before we dive in the nuances of reverse logistics, otherwise known as return logistics, integration, let's briefly recap what reverse logistics is. Reverse logistics refers to all operations related to the reuse of products and materials. Managing return logistic can be challenging.

Reverse Logistics 210

Reverse Logistics Logistics Network Optimization Software Logistics Material Savings 210

Logistics Viewpoints

MAY 6, 2022

Well, according to Czinger, a Los Angeles-based boutique hypercar manufacturer, that is about to be a possibility. And now on to this week’s logistics news. The company has faced sourcing constraints as a result of the war in Ukraine, causing the company to rely on second sourcing capabilities for its mustard procurement.

Logistics Network Optimization Software 264

Logistics Network Optimization Software Negotiating Skills Manufacturing Procurement Negotiate Pricing 264

Supply Chain Shaman

NOVEMBER 15, 2023

PWC’s Digital Trends in Supply Chain Survey reports that 83% of manufacturers say that supply chain technologies have not delivered the expected results. When he speaks of the supply chain, he means procurement. Likewise, when he speaks about the supply chain, his partner, Yossi, his mental model is logistics.

Supply Chain Planning Software 409

Supply Chain Planning Software Optimal Sourcing Modeling Forecasting Software 409

Logistics Viewpoints

JANUARY 31, 2024

This added responsibility for companies will have lasting effects on business operations, corporate partnerships, supply chain logistics, compliance requirements, and data integrity. Finding this data may reveal that double the work is being completed to source information that already exists in other branches.

Report 317

Report Data Material Savings Manufacturing Procurement 317

Supply Chain Shaman

FEBRUARY 18, 2021

The Emergence of Logistics as Constraint. 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. Over time, this changed.

Supply Chain Planning Software 303

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Supply and Demand Procurement Analytics 303

Logistics Viewpoints

MAY 16, 2022

They have a complex network of suppliers, internal assets, and transportation and manufacturing partners, many of whom are changing on an ongoing basis. In supply chain we talk about the fact that just optimizing one link in a chain – for example, optimizing manufacturing – does not lead to an optimized system.

Supply Chain Planning Software 312

Supply Chain Planning Software Optimal Sourcing Supply Chain Optimization Supply Chain Planning 312

Logistics Viewpoints

JANUARY 13, 2022

As organizations look for reducing dependencies on concentrated sources of supply, Eastern Europe, Mexico, and South Asian countries will start providing viable alternatives to the current manufacturing powerhouse countries. As demand for last mile logistics intensifies, warehouses become the prime candidates for automation.

Supply Chain Design Software 312

Supply Chain Design Software Predictive Analytics Software Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Software 312