… 12 integrations (It’s officially the last Day of Christmas – Jan 5)   I started as a manufacturing engineer designing assembly lines, inventory flows, and machinery to make or test product, automating the factory to increase global competitiveness, and working with amazing people producing quality product. Manufacturing was the supply chain (although the phrase… Read More

… 11 Planners planning (BTW: the 12th Day of Christmas is Jan 5)   With all the change going on, you might think taking the time to plan makes your supply chains too slow. That would be an incorrect thought. Without planning, everyone gets to set their own path – not an easy or effective… Read More

… 10 loads of data (The 12 Days of Christmas officially end on Jan 5 every year)   You’re swimming in data from your supply chain. But can you trust it to not be a trojan horse sneaking in bad actors without your or the sender’s knowledge? These 10 data points should help you immensely… Read More

… geese a laying Not just any geese; the geese that lay the golden eggs. Unfortunately, too often we squash the eggs in our handling of our supply chains. Maybe not intentionally, but let’s take a quick look at 6 areas where some of your golden geese can be found that may be getting squashed:… Read More

…a port closure by air, land, and sea As the speed of business continues to increase, strategic risk management is more critical than ever. When it comes to ports, your risk management must include the ability to enable visibility during transport, including: on the sea, so you have an early warning signal if your containers… Read More

Your productivity software may be launching an inside attack New productivity software doesn’t measure business elements that count – yet it does force white collar workers, like supply chain management professionals, to create a false corporate ROI. Are you falling for it? BTW: Blue collar workers have also been stressed for a while from productivity… Read More

It hurts a lot.  2 actions to stop the hurt. As I discuss improving strategic procurement performance with companies, I’m hearing distressing supply chain news… …because of spikes in demand, buyers are panicked about being able to bring in materials on time in full… …because buyers are panicked, and want something to land on their… Read More

Yes, if you want to be competitive. 3 critical steps lead to succes. According to research, industry leaders have been working diligently throughout the Covid crisis to develop supply chains of the future. And the future is now. Supply chain transformation is being performed at a rapid pace. These supply chain transformations are aligning operations… Read More

A warning & 3 major must make changes to attract qualified talent in today’s digital world Those of you in the U.S. may have listened to the public radio show “A Prairie Home Companion”. One of the show’s stories involved a town in Minnesota called Lake Wobegon, where the children are all above average. Interestingly… Read More

…eliminating doubt You have supply chains that deliver. Continuous improvement is a constant. Customer service levels are always watched and usually optimized. Yet customers want more. Some want more speed. Others want more agility. Yet others want more reliability. Which way to turn? While tech is part of the answer, which part? And how do… Read More