The Division I had just joined was enjoying great success in Sales and Development. They had created a modular building block design for their products. Simply there were over two dozen different building block designs which could be configured in innumerable combinations to create the end product.
Each building block was designed to be a low-cost item. Based on the customer requirements and specifications the building blocks could be combined in varying quantities. Then a custom outer case, with the appropriate inputs and outputs, would be created to house all of the building blocks, interconnected on a master mother board.
It sounded great on paper and on Powerpoint slides. But what came next was an absolute nightmare.
As customers continue to shop online the demand on the reverse logistics role—particularly the process of managing returns—will skyrocket.
It’s the same story; customers want more and more. And, it’s time for businesses to really consider the facts. “The global reverse logistics market is forecast to hit US$603.90 billion by 2025, and businesses can save millions of dollars if reverse logistics management is implemented and done properly.
With the expansion of the e-commerce industry emerging in parallel with the closure of many brick-and-mortar stores, retailers can expect to see a hike in return goods once the reopening of the sector begins,”reports Tech HQ.
Clearly, more companies need to go back to basics and ask what is reverse logistics’ role in the top trends of the supply chain?
Hydraulic cylinders are one of the most important components on heavy equipment like bulldozers, excavators and farm machinery. They are responsible for translating hydraulic pressure into linear motion to lift, push and move massive loads.
However, after years of operation in difficult working conditions, hydraulic cylinders can become worn down, corroded and start to fail. When this happens, you have a few options for hydraulic cylinder repair to restore function and extend service life.
Amazon has reigned supreme in e-commerce for years, but Walmart is well on its way to making the e-commerce giant a little nervous. Amazon acquired Whole Foods and dropped the price of Prime Pantry through Prime Perks. Amazon began looking into brick-and-mortar storefronts, hoping to capture a new slice of the omnichannel pie.
Walmart has a different approach, and in several ways, Walmart is positioning itself to best Amazon in e-commerce through an innovative, omnichannel return strategy. To understand the true scope of this accomplishment, supply chain leaders need to understand the precursor steps Walmart has taken.
The Supply Chain touches all of our lives whether it be in business or personally. No matter what industry you are in or are touched by, all involve the movement of goods, services, and information. So the most efficient functioning of the Supply Chain affects us all. And it affects us in every aspect of our lives whether we are consumers, employees, or business leaders.
With a career spent in Supply Chain I’ve seen many ways of performing the processes involved in managing the Supply Chain. Many of these processes are highly efficient. Yet many more are highly inefficient. Regardless, everyone strives to improve the way things are done. And every experience has been an opportunity for growth.
In this blog I’d like to share my experiences, and those of others, in improving, working in, managing in and being managed by the Supply Chain.
There have been some remarkable achievements and there have been some missteps along the way. However there are lessons to be learned and experiences to be shared in every case. And I hope that this learning and shared experience will be of value as you seek to improve the Supply Chain you are a part of.
On top of that we want to share anything and everything related to Leadership, Change Management, Technology, Procurement, Purchasing, Distribution, Logistics, and much, much more.
Overall Supply Chain Game Changer can serve you as a guide as you do your jobs and as you progress through your career. The issues and challenges that you face will be different for everyone on any given day. There is something for everyone in Supply Chain Game Changer.
Additionally I invite you to comment and send me content. By learning, not only from successes but from failures, we will all be better going forward. There is a wonderful world of people and experiences that we can all learn from.
So again I welcome you to the Supply Chain Game Changer™ blog.
If you think to optimize reverse logistics isn’t relevant to your business, think again. The global reverse logistics market is expected to reach $604B in the next 5 years, according to Tech HQ.
The combined growth of eCommerce sales and closure of many retail locations led to a recent massive increase in volume of returns. If managing returns and reverse logistics was difficult before, now it has become a critical operational issue that retailers, logistics providers, distributors and supply chain executives cannot ignore.
Is your business ready for returns and reverse logistics at scale? How can you optimize reverse logistics?
For many companies, reverse logistics has become an integral part of their business plan, offering them the ability to maximize the efficiency of their operations.
Generally, reverse logistics is defined as “the process of moving goods from their typical final destination for the purpose of capturing value, or proper disposal. Remanufacturing and refurbishing activities are also may be included in the definition of reverse logistics.”
The term was coined over 35 years ago but still to this day there are a large number of different definitions of SCM.
To someone who is starting out their career, or who is new to the field of Supply Chain, it is understandable that there may be confusion as to the definition of SCM.
But the reality is that there are many expert individuals and organizations who define Supply Chain differently. Are they really that different or are there just subtle nuances in what some people consider SCM that others do not?
Watch our video to learn more about how people define Supply Chain Management!
Managing a supply chain can be strenuous enough without having to worry about the integrity of refund requests.
Refund fraud is a very real threat to retailers, and it can put a great deal of tension on the customer-to-business relationship.
Taking a preventative approach can help you make sure you do not fall victim to the scam without having to aggravate or disappoint your honest customers.
Even though a refund here and there might not seem like much of a worry in terms of company finances, the logistical and reputational ramifications can be massive.
Here are some tips to help you protect and strengthen your supply chain infrastructure:
One commercial on TV states that by the year 2050 there will actually be more plastic in the ocean than fish!
By 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish!
That’s alarming to say the very least.
We dutifully put any and all recyclable material in our recycling bins every week. While we could certainly do more to reduce the amount of plastic we consume in the first place we have lived with the belief that we were doing our part through recycling.
But everywhere we look on TV and on Social Media we hear about the catastrophic levels of plastic waste floating in our oceans and our waterways, and littering our landscape.
This is a monumental, global environmental crisis caused by a severely broken Supply Chain.
People buy things, take them home and for various reasons, they will then decide to return them to the store they purchased them.
While retailers likely hate dealing with returns, they need to have a policy in place that all staff understand in order to ensure it’s a streamlined process.
The application of advanced forecasting and planning methodologies improve inventory management in a critical, high-volume repair and reverse logistics optimization business, dramatically reducing costs and fulfillment cycles while improving customer satisfaction.
When one of the world’s leading manufacturers of personal computers set new goals for its European operations, ModusLink was there to help.
The OEM turned over management of one of the most critical, high-volume segments of its reverse logistics program—the processor business—saving the manufacturer millions of dollars each year; reducing excess inventory; increasing same-day, on-time ship rates; and improving customer satisfaction.
As 2018 comes to a close we offer a list of the Top 10 most viewed articles that we have published over the last half of the year.
When you look at this list you will see that there is a common theme amongst most of the articles. That theme is one of “Definitions”.
Based upon tremendous viewer interest this year we began our “What Exactly Is … ” article series to describe definitions and commentary on terms which we often see and hear but don’t always truly understand.
When we think of old equipment, we often view it as old and useless, without considering the hidden value it might hold.
If hardware is no longer functional or is technically obsolete, it can still turn a profit for those savvy enough to exploit it as a resalable resource.
That’s achievable thanks to the vast and potentially lucrative scrap metal market. And the more material that’s tied up in the body and components of your outdated equipment, the more you stand to make.
