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. By aligning supply chain and procurement, spend can be considered more holistically.

Optimal Sourcing 282

Optimal Sourcing Manufacturing Procurement Procurement Analytics Procurement Solutions 282

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. Alex Zhong, Director Product Marketing at GEP.

Supply Chain Network Software 309

Supply Chain Network Software Manufacturing Procurement Procurement Analytics Optimal Sourcing 309

Jaggaer

NOVEMBER 14, 2024

In today’s dynamic market, procurement is far more than just a buying and purchasing center. Forward-thinking organizations have transformed the department into an untapped gold mine that creates value for the entire end-to-end manufacturing process—from design and sourcing to production and delivery.

Manufacturing Procurement 52

Manufacturing Procurement Optimal Sourcing Procurement Solutions Procurement Analytics 52

Supply Chain Shaman

FEBRUARY 18, 2021

Next Steps: Start to model demand based on market data to align the organization on baseline demand. Resist the temptation to place deeper analytics on top of existing data models. Instead, rethink the model and the approach. Out of desperation, they turned to the use of descriptive analytics. Next Steps.

Supply Chain Planning Software 303

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

Logistics Viewpoints

APRIL 6, 2023

Procurement and Supply Chain Management are essential functions that can help companies navigate these challenges, but they are often siloed and operate in separate departments. Their metrics are often misaligned as well – supply chain focuses on service and procurement focuses on the cost of acquiring materials and services.

Optimal Sourcing 246

Optimal Sourcing Sourcing Strategies Manufacturing Procurement Material Savings 246

Supply Chain Shaman

JULY 25, 2021

Only four percent of companies outperformed their peer groups. of revenue on IT solutions and expensive solutions to improve performance, yet degrade balance sheet results against peer group sectors in tough markets? The Focus Inside-out Supported by Functional Metrics. How could the industry spend 1.7%

Procurement Analytics 370

Procurement Analytics Supply Chain Design Software Agile and Lean Supply Chain Supply Chain Planning Software 370

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 3, 2013

It was funded by 50 large consumer products manufacturing companies (CPG). In the dawn of e-commerce, conservative manufacturers, anteed up $240 million in four months. In the height of the e-commerce craze, the marketplace offerings started with a focus on e-procurement. The stories border on the ridiculous.

Supply Chain Design Software 264

Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Procurement Analytics Manufacturing Procurement 264

Logistics Viewpoints

DECEMBER 15, 2022

The idea is that data points within a group share similar properties, and each group is different (statistically speaking) from another. There is so much data, and to make use of it, we need to use data mining and analytics to drive meaningful insights that can be put to some good use. The retail industry is rich with data.

Optimal Sourcing 260

Optimal Sourcing Analysis Procurement Analytics Purchasing Skills 260

Supply Chain Shaman

JANUARY 2, 2023

A large consumer products manufacturer with nine Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) instances and several divisions wanted to discuss forecasting. The Company focused primarily on retail planning and wanted to extend its capabilities into a consumer products manufacturing solutions offering. Models Matter. Traditional Models.

Supply and Demand 391

Supply and Demand Modeling Demand Planning Supply Chain Planning Software 391

GlobalTranz

JUNE 30, 2017

Manufacturers have always struggled to know their customers. Unfortunately, this means manufacturers face an even greater challenge, as more customers translate into greater use of customer service. But, how do manufacturers turn their focus to the customer experience? Determine What Customers Want Today.

Manufacturing Procurement 205

Manufacturing Procurement Manufacturing Procurement Analytics Price Reduction 205

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 23, 2020

I write for this blog, craft reports from research for our newsletters, create blogs for Linkedin, and build articles for Forbes. I define supply chain excellence as year-over-year performance better than the peer group on this balanced scorecard. Each company ranks in the 4% of companies beating their peer groups. Stay tuned.

Supply Chain Design Software 299

Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Analytics Software Optimization Software 299

Logistics Viewpoints

MARCH 3, 2025

According to a survey by ARC Advisory Group, only 10% of industrial companies are ready to apply artificial intelligence/machine learning. The company has 55 manufacturing sites across the world. The risks associated with chemical manufacturing include the storage and transportation of raw materials, finished products, and waste.

Negotiating Skills 182

Negotiating Skills Supply Chain Design Software Modeling Software Supply Chain Planning Software 182

Supply Chain Shaman

JANUARY 9, 2024

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. As shown in Figure B, the Company outperforms their peer group but lacks resilience.

Supply Chain Planning Software 310

Supply Chain Planning Software Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Planning Gartner 310

Logistics Viewpoints

MAY 19, 2022

Operational innovations like the invention of containers led to the huge growth in global value chains, and today 95% of manufactured goods move on ships. Analytical techniques like linear programming can create the mathematically “optimal” plan, but these methods must be implemented well to avoid creating other challenges.

Optimal Sourcing 300

Optimal Sourcing Modeling Supply Chain Optimization Optimization Software 300

Supply Chain Shaman

NOVEMBER 11, 2020

Globally ten percent of jobs are in manufacturing, while 37% are associated with supply chain management. They are impatient that they know more about pizza’s status for lunch before their zoom meeting than the inbound shipment status for their critical manufacturing run. Kinaxis Purchase of Rubikloud. Reflection.

Supply Chain Design Software 322

Supply Chain Design Software Procurement Solutions Manufacturing Procurement Supply Chain Planning Software 322

Logistics Viewpoints

AUGUST 5, 2021

PwC reports that almost half of assets under management are held by investment firms committed to decarbonization. Similarly, UPS has strong commitments to sustainability and invests in many options, such as alternative fuel vehicles, e-cycles in dense cities, and carbon offsets for purchase with shipping. Buffering creates waste.

Supply Chain Planning Software 322

Supply Chain Planning Software Sustainability Material Savings Supply Chain Planning 322

Precoro

MARCH 27, 2025

Rising costs, supply chain chaos, and economic swings put businesses under enormous pressure to protect their margins. According to McKinsey & Company, procurement accounts for 50% to 80% of a company’s cost base. That’s why organizations zero in on strategies to achieve procurement cost reduction. 

Cost Reduction Strategies 45

Cost Reduction Strategies Price Reduction Expense Reduction Vendor Strategies 45

Supply Chain Shaman

SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

For years Campbells strove to grow the soup category only to lose share in the soup category due to limited manufacturing capacity for the Swanson’s brand. Demand latency is the time from channel purchase to order receipt.) Underneath the technology market in advanced analytics is the move from planning to decision support.

Supply Chain Planning Software 427

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply and Demand Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Software 427

Supply Chain Shaman

SEPTEMBER 13, 2023

I know that your primary focus is procurement. Or planned orders to purchase orders?) Similarly, groups still believe that the world is flat even though Pythagoras in the 6th century BC and Parmenides in the 5th century BC determined that the earth was a sphere. ” Anna, this blog post is for you. I don’t know.

Supply and Demand 402

Supply and Demand Supply Chain Planning Software Modeling Demand Planning 402

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 14, 2014

“The idea of the value chain is based on the process view of organizations, the idea of seeing a manufacturing (or service) organisation as a system, made up of subsystems each with inputs, transformation processes and outputs. How value chain activities are carried out determines costs and affects profits.”

Manufacturing Procurement 290

Manufacturing Procurement Optimal Sourcing Procurement Analytics Modeling 290

Supply Chain Shaman

JANUARY 30, 2025

following the reporting of fourth-quarter results. The Salesforce.com model is primarily a pipeline management tool suitable for discrete markets but not process manufacturers. Relex will continue to do well in the retail market but will struggle to be a serious player in manufacturing due to the lack of thought leadership.

Supply Chain Planning Software 199

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Modeling Modeling Software 199

Supply Chain Shaman

OCTOBER 29, 2014

Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people in which there is a desire for harmony within the group, but the result is an irrational or dysfunctional outcome. I feel that the industry is engaged in ‘Group Think’ No one in this meetings is going to ask tough questions.

Supply Chain Planning Software 320

Supply Chain Planning Software Modeling Demand Planning Software Optimization Software 320

Logistics Viewpoints

OCTOBER 18, 2023

Or have these concerns been replaced with cost-price inflation and compressed profit margins? These are questions ARC Advisory Group will seek to answer in our online survey research of supply chain executives over the next few months. The report for August (released in late September) shows negligible changes in the aggregate.

Manufacturing Procurement 332

Manufacturing Procurement GEP Purchasing Skills Logistics 332

Supply Chain Shaman

AUGUST 12, 2020

I struggled to manage myself as I settled in elbow-to-elbow with the group to listen to the presentation. When Gartner purchased AMR Research in December 2009, the methodology became the Gartner Supply Chain Top 25. The focus on functional costs without a focus on total cost trade-offs is deadly to margin management.

Gartner 243

Gartner Supply Chain Software Procurement Analytics Manufacturing Procurement 243

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. Based in Paris, L’Oréal is a global personal care manufacturing company.

Case Study 270

Case Study Inventory Reduction Agile and Lean Supply Chain Study 270

Supply Chain Shaman

DECEMBER 7, 2023

Today, I speak at the North American Manufacturing Association, Manufacturing Leadership Conference, in Nashville on the use of data to improve supply chain resilience. Interestingly, in Q3 2023, 38% of manufacturers, distributors and retailers missed their target for revenue guidance for the quarter. The result was restatement.

Supply Chain Design Software 333

Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Modeling Supply Chain Software 333

Supply Chain Shaman

JULY 23, 2023

I never republished the report, because not enough has changed to warrant it.) The report centers on the concept of moving from inside-out to outside-in technologies. The order latency is the time from purchase by the end consumer to the visibility of the order. This is a natural fit for narrow AI and new forms of analytics.

Supply Chain Planning Software 351

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Planning Scenario Planning Modeling 351

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. Sourcing and supply chains working in a siloed manner can cause significant delays, resulting in lost revenue upside while escalating costs.

Manufacturing Procurement 282

Manufacturing Procurement Sourcing Strategies Pharmaceutical Procurement Solutions 282

Supply Chain Shaman

FEBRUARY 14, 2022

I wrote my first report on Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) while sitting on the floor in the Atlanta airport in 2005 when I was an AMR Research analyst. I wrote many reports on airport floors in those days–electrical plugs were just too scarce.) Sales and Operations Maturity Model from 2005-2008. Mistake #3.

S&OP 195

S&OP Supply and Demand Procurement Analytics Manufacturing Procurement 195

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 21, 2023

Almost two decades of reporting. One of my insights from doing the industry analysis for the Supply Chains to Admire each year is that smaller and less well-known companies outperform larger and better-known manufacturers. The analysis is biased toward large process-based manufacturers in the Gartner network. Is this success?

Gartner 379

Gartner Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning 379

Precoro

FEBRUARY 26, 2025

Within this setup, an ERP procurement module helps companies make purchases and manage suppliers. Numbers speak louder: According to Procurement Tactics’ top procurement trends in 2025 , 83% of CPOs prioritize digitization.   Keep reading to learn: What Is ERP in Procurement?

Procurement Solutions 45

Procurement Solutions Optimal Sourcing Procurement Analytics Manufacturing Procurement 45

Logistics Viewpoints

AUGUST 1, 2024

In this scenario, by adopting an adaptive supply chain, the retailer uses real-time data analytics to identify emerging trends and collaborate closely with suppliers to quickly adjust production and inventory levels to meet customer demand. This collaboration enables faster response times and cost savings.

Modeling 313

Modeling Network Optimization Supply Chain Design Software Material Savings 313

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). Note the balanced results of Rockwell Automation against their peer group.

Supply Chain Software 34

Supply Chain Software Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Manufacturing Procurement 34

Supply Chain Shaman

SEPTEMBER 30, 2012

It is one of the reasons that I went from working at AMR Research to being a partner at the Altimeter Group. I had to learn a new language, a new set of vendors and connect with a new group of users. The digital marketing group is often siloed. It is also why I launched the Rise of Social Commerce Event at Altimeter. Absolutely!

Supply Chain Design Software 288

Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Software Supply Chain Network Software 288

Enterra Insights

MAY 26, 2022

Although retailers still talk about the digital path to purchase as an alternative to the traditional shopping journey, the lines between paths to purchase have blurred. With all generations getting more comfortable on the digital path to purchase, most retailers have adapted to this new reality and are pursuing omnichannel strategies.

Procurement Solutions 130

Procurement Solutions Procurement Analytics Manufacturing Procurement Predictive Analytics Software 130

Supply Chain Shaman

JULY 30, 2022

However, two decades later, there is still no technology solution to enable demand visibility or help companies use channel data to translate demand into an inventory, replenishment, or manufacturing strategy. End-to-End Definition Implementation of enterprise data architectures to improve order-to-cash and procure-to-pay. Background.

Supply Chain Design Software 195

Supply Chain Design Software Supply and Demand Supply Chain Planning Software Data 195

QAD

DECEMBER 5, 2019

Manufacturing isn’t exempt from this pressure. Regardless of what laws politicians enact, customers want their purchasing dollars to go to those who behave responsibly. The manufacturing industry has adopted “Lean” techniques enthusiastically. Lean is about driving out waste from every aspect of manufacturing.

Manufacturing Procurement 132

Manufacturing Procurement Waste Reduction Innovation Expense Reduction 132