Productivity tools are wonderful inventions used for their intended purpose, making writing, calculating, and presenting information much easier and faster. But things can get ugly quickly when people and organizations attempt to turn these tools into something they weren’t intended…
There’s more to a much-anticipated release of a new fashion line than the stroll down the catwalk. Thousands of details, a tremendous amount of market research, materials sourcing, production, and more, must all come together before the models make their…
In the last three years, the food and beverage industry has witnessed enormous growth. COVID-19-related trends and changes such as tech-driven services and mass customization are driving demand. It’s estimated that between 2021 and 2022, the food and beverage market…
Traditional supply chain planning consisted of many verbal agreements, handshakes, and implied agreements with suppliers. Because supply chain management was manual and intuition-driven, extending the same type of oversight to supplier relationships made sense. As supply chain management moves from…
Supply chain planning varies across industries. Differences in inputs, supplier distance, perishability, and other variables mean that each industry has its own needs and challenges in managing its supply chain. These issues are the impacts of several significant disruptions over…
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…
In manufacturing, a finished product may sometimes be out of spec. Perhaps it’s the wrong color or size, or perhaps the cuts and grinds are over or under tolerance. When this happens, additional labor may be required to rework it,…
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…