ivalua
AUGUST 26, 2015
In my last blog post , I talked about how the need for better supplier information was a dominant theme across the automotive industry, as well as for many other discrete manufacturers. The impact suppliers have on the products you make and sell, good and bad, is just too significant to be ignored. That post also detailed the fact that there are many potholes along the road to better supplier information.
The Network Effect
AUGUST 28, 2015
Chris Martin/Flickr. These days, it is not unusual when reading about Amazon, to have the subject of drones mentioned. When we first heard about Amazon using drones, the mental image presented was millions of flying machines delivering online-purchased goodies directly to our door within an hour. Of course we know that this won’t be happening, at least, not in the near future.
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Supply Chain Collaborator
AUGUST 13, 2015
191 qualified global logistics practitioners were surveyed in 2015 by American Shipper magazine for their seventh annual benchmark study of transportation management. The report examines the trends impacting how shippers and logistics service providers manage freight transportation processes and the technologies used in support of these processes. The 31 page report was full of valuable insights and is worth reading in its entirety.
Supply Chain Action Blog
AUGUST 3, 2015
If you can’t answer these 3 sets of questions in less than 10 minute s (and I suspect that you can’t) , then your supply chain is not the lever it could be to drive more revenue with better margin and less working capital: 1) What are inventory turns by product category (e.g. finished goods, WIP, raw materials, ABC category, etc.)? How are they trending?
Advertiser: GEP
“What should we do about the tariffs?” There’s no straightforward answer — every leader has a different expectation. CFOs want numbers. COOs want action. CEOs want strategy. And supply chain and procurement leaders need to be ready with the right response — fast. That’s why GEP has created a simple three-part framework that will help CPOs and CSCOs brief the board and C-suite with clarity and confidence.
ivalua
AUGUST 18, 2015
The term “supplier collaboration” can mean many things to many people depending on your functional perspective. Let’s examine three ways that better collaboration with supply partners creates value for a manufacturer from product design through demand planning. 1. Innovating. If you work in product design or engineering, supplier collaboration is focused on integrating strategic suppliers into your product innovation efforts.
ivalua
AUGUST 10, 2015
Recently, I had the pleasure of hanging out with 16 different Tier 1 automotive manufacturers in the same evening. Quite a few of our customers are located in the Detroit area where we recently hosted a networking event featuring Nexteer Automotive. Nexteer talked about how they have adopted technology to automate and standardize the sourcing function, while eliminating inefficient processes and empowering their employees.
Purchasing & Procurement Zone brings together the best content for professionals in the purchasing and procurement field from the widest variety of thought leaders.
ivalua
AUGUST 26, 2015
In my last blog post , I talked about how the need for better supplier information was a dominant theme across the automotive industry, as well as for many other discrete manufacturers. The impact suppliers have on the products you make and sell, good and bad, is just too significant to be ignored. That post also detailed the fact that there are many potholes along the road to better supplier information.
ivalua
AUGUST 18, 2015
The term “supplier collaboration” can mean many things to many people depending on your functional perspective. Let’s examine three ways that better collaboration with supply partners creates value for a manufacturer from product design through demand planning. 1. Innovating. If you work in product design or engineering, supplier collaboration is focused on integrating strategic suppliers into your product innovation efforts.
ivalua
AUGUST 10, 2015
Recently, I had the pleasure of hanging out with 16 different Tier 1 automotive manufacturers in the same evening. Quite a few of our customers are located in the Detroit area where we recently hosted a networking event featuring Nexteer Automotive. Nexteer talked about how they have adopted technology to automate and standardize the sourcing function, while eliminating inefficient processes and empowering their employees.
ivalua
AUGUST 5, 2015
Recently, I asked the leaders at Spend Matters to address how they have seen the cost structure of the supply base change over the past decade. Both Lisa Reisman and Pierre Mitchell had some interesting insights. To read their response, click here. This content was originally published on Spend Matters. It has been reprinted with permission. The post How has a Supplier’s Cost Structure Changed?
Speaker: Andrew Skoog, Founder of MachinistX & President of Hexis Representatives
Manufacturing is evolving, and the right technology can empower—not replace—your workforce. Smart automation and AI-driven software are revolutionizing decision-making, optimizing processes, and improving efficiency. But how do you implement these tools with confidence and ensure they complement human expertise rather than override it? Join industry expert Andrew Skoog as he explores how manufacturers can leverage automation to enhance operations, streamline workflows, and make smarter, data-dri
The Network Effect
AUGUST 7, 2015
David Steel/Flickr. As customers demand shorter lead times and more precise delivery windows, LSP’s are can be offered to provide JIT and/or tightly scheduled deliveries leveraging advanced routing and dispatch systems as well as telematics enabled vehicles to provide real time location and ETA information. These capabilities can be combined with cloud platform-based inventory visibility and order promising services to provide very differentiated fulfillment services that directly link customer
The Network Effect
AUGUST 14, 2015
Carlos Garcia Torrado/Flickr. A common question we get is which measures are the best KPI’s/decision drivers to be used at different levels within the organization structure? The best executive level dashboards (leveraging an underlying cloud network) will typically focus on measures related to both customers as well as enterprise financial performance.
The Network Effect
AUGUST 14, 2015
Dave Lawler/Flickr. Do any of these questions sound familiar? “What are our customers buying across various channels, geographies, and lines of business?”. “Can we react to variation across our promotions and new product launches?”. “Am I able to allocate supply in real time across my entire network to maximize revenues?”. “Are we able to reduce our freight costs and maintain on time deliveries?”.
The Network Effect
AUGUST 21, 2015
jkr1812/Flickr. In our first post , we explained that the purpose of a distributed order management (DOM) system is to intelligently broker orders across the various systems and processes utilized by the multiple parties involved in replenishing an order. Then we explored the benefits for retailers. Today I want to discuss DOM in the context of the communications sector.
Speaker: Jason Cottrell and Gireesh Sahukar
Retailers know the clock is ticking–legacy SAP Commerce support ends in 2026. Legacy platforms are becoming a liability burdened by complexity, rigidity, and mounting operational costs. But modernization isn’t just about swapping out systems, it’s about preparing for a future shaped by real-time interactions, AI powered buying assistants, and flexible commerce architecture.
Supply Chain Collaborator
AUGUST 5, 2015
More than a year ago, the Supply Chain Collaborator blog examined the trend toward crowd sourcing and wondered aloud whether an “Uber for commercial shipping” was imminent. In that post which you can re-read here , we took the position that it was highly unlikely to occur given the myriad impediments to effectively developing such a solution. Sixteen months later, a virtual lifetime in the technology realm, the crowd sourcing economy shows no signs of slowing with numerous solutions emerging acr
Supply Chain Collaborator
AUGUST 20, 2015
The Collaborator has been reviewing respected sources of industry analysis to gain perspective on the trends being predicted to materialize in supply chain logistics for 2016. What follows are highlights from the trends reports we’ve read and some analysis of what the trends portend for mid-sized to large-volume shippers in the US. Trend 1) Supply Chain Convergence – According to Gartner, “ By 2016, 20 percent of SCM organizations will adopt a supply chain execution convergence application strat
The Network Effect
AUGUST 7, 2015
U.S. Department of Agriculture/Flickr. Note: This is the next installment in an ongoing series that explores shelf-connected supply networks. In the first post, we asked whether a shelf-connected system was possible with traditional ERP systems. In our second post, we discussed how new approaches to forecasting processes are required in a shelf-connected world.
The Network Effect
AUGUST 21, 2015
SMMT/Ltd Flickr. Note: This is an ongoing series of posts on new developments within the automobile supply chain, with examples of best practices. In my last four posts, I talked about order aggregation , new inventory replenishment policies , why a network model makes so much sense , and the all important ASN. Today I want to discuss inbound logistics requirements.
Advertiser: ZoomInfo
AI adoption is reshaping sales and marketing. But is it delivering real results? We surveyed 1,000+ GTM professionals to find out. The data is clear: AI users report 47% higher productivity and an average of 12 hours saved per week. But leaders say mainstream AI tools still fall short on accuracy and business impact. Download the full report today to see how AI is being used — and where go-to-market professionals think there are gaps and opportunities.
Supply Chain Action Blog
AUGUST 3, 2015
If you can’t answer these 3 questions in less than 5 minute s , then your supply chain is not the lever it could be to drive more revenue with better margin and less working capital: 1) What are inventory turns by product category (e.g. finished goods, WIP, raw materials, ABC category, etc.)? How are they trending? Why? 2) From order capture through receipt of payment, which steps in your order-to-cash process need attention and why?
The Network Effect
AUGUST 28, 2015
dusk-photography/Flickr. You must learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t possibly make them all yourself. – Sam Levenson. ‘How does it work today?’. It’s the first question any self respecting project leader or consultant asks on day 1 of a new initiative. It’s critically important to know the ‘state of the nation’ before you embark on any sort of effort to make the changes needed to improve results.
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