Companies worldwide are experiencing unprecedented volatility in customer demand and supply of raw materials from suppliers. This volatility heats a company’s demand and supply strategies, often boiling over and causing chaos. As customer demand shifts more frequently, many suppliers struggle…
Recent events have spotlighted the critical importance of supply chains across the globe. Massive disruption, climate change, regional conflict, and more have introduced unprecedented uncertainty into supply chains. For many years, companies had become accustomed to ever-stabilizing supply lines where…
KPIs are critical to understanding and managing complex systems. They allow managers and other decision-makers to make informed and cost-effective business decisions. These decisions involve which materials to purchase, quantities, timing, and logistics costs. Having the right KPIs is one…
As a vital part of overall business planning and strategy, supply chain planning can lower costs and improve growth opportunities. Resilient and agile supply chain planning also enhances customer satisfaction and brand loyalty. But an inefficient supply chain can place…
In manufacturing, it’s essential to have the right tool for the right job. Imagine a plumber without a pipe wrench during a critical break. Or think of an electrician without a voltage meter trying to assess a malfunctioning motor. And…
With increased global demand, shortages, significant disruption, and other challenges, businesses have never valued time more. But like other disciplines, traditional supply chain management has relied on disconnected supply chain components, manual processes, spreadsheets, and verbal agreements that take valuable…
Many years ago, as in-house IT platforms and infrastructure gave way to cloud-based SaaS systems, security was a more substantial concern than the efficacy of the software itself. While cloud-based systems offer a host of advantages in cost, updates, reduction…
It would be an understatement to say the last few years have been challenging for supply chain management professionals. Trade wars and tariffs, the COVID-19 pandemic, stuck cargo ships, and port backups have stretched many supply chains and those who…
Modern manufacturing operates successfully using software applications across a wide range of functions. These include Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Material Requirements Planning (MRP), Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), and more. Today, many of these platforms are designed to work with automation…
The road away from spreadsheets, human intuition, and handshakes for supply chain management has been a long one. And a collection of best practices and standards for the SCM field has grown alongside amazing technological innovation. As technology has advanced…