Welcome To The Supply Chain Game Changer ™ Blog!

The Supply Chain Game Changer ™ Blog!

Welcome to the Supply Chain Game Changer ™ blog.

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.

Supply Chain Management

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.

Let’s go!

What are the Top 7 Trends in Last Mile Logistics?

SC Viral The Pandemic Diaries

Shippers face many challenges in successfully delivering products to end-users, and last mile logistics will be a core focus of change in the coming months. Consumer demands and expectations are rising, and up to 25 percent of consumers are willing to pay extra for same-day delivery.

Also, same-day delivery will reach a 25-percent market share by 2025. By 2018 alone, same-day delivery and last mile logistics will be valued at more than $1.35 billion.

E-commerce is the driving force behind the sudden uptick in last mile logistics, and as explained by Logistics Management, e-commerce is expected to grow to $2.4 trillion by 2018 as well.

To gain a competitive advantage in last mile logistics, shippers need to understand the top seven trends in last mile logistics.

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Are you a Game Changer? Tell us your Story!

Every day there are individuals and teams all around the world who are making a difference.  They are driving transformational change in their jobs, in their Departments, in the Organization and in their Companies.  And they are achieving amazing results that defy what they previously thought possible.

We want to hear your stories and we invite you to share those stories on https://supplychaingamechanger.com so that we can all applaud, and learn from, your tremendous efforts.

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Shipping With Amazon: Cutting out the Middle Man!

In February, 2018 it was reported that Amazon was going to launch its own delivery service:  Shipping With Amazon!

Effectively Amazon has declared that they are officially entering the logistics business.  The “Shipping With Amazon” service, albeit currently on a much smaller scale, competes with the logistics service and delivery capabilities offered by UPS, FedEx, and UPS.

But these are incredibly large, well established logistics companies.  And they are also the major delivery service suppliers to Amazon.

So why would Amazon choose to go into this space?

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The Growing Expectations of Last Mile Delivery!

The latest advancements in technology have had huge impacts on the world we live in, almost overnight transforming industries such as taxi services, food and grocery delivery, and music. Sometimes this change happens so fast it’s hard to even comprehend the growing expectations and what’s happening for businesses and consumers alike.

Although many of these growing expectations have been positive, creating a more efficient and faster-moving world (can you imagine a world without Uber?), there are many that reach too far, not taking into account the realities of the industry they are frantic to establish themselves in.

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What is a 3PL? The Ultimate Guide Including Definitions of 1PL, 2PL, and 4PL!

Most people involved in logistics or supply chain related fields would have heard of the term 3rd Party Logistics or 3PL. But what is a 3PL?

I ‘m not sure however if many would be that familiar with the terms 1st Party Logistics, 2nd Party Logistics or 4th Party Logistics let alone even pondered the meanings of 1PL, 2PL or 4PL .

Given this blog is all about managing 3rd Party Logistics service providers it would be remiss of me if I did not provide an explanation of how the term 3PL is interpreted throughout this site.

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Will Driverless Trucks Ever Gain Traction?

Self-driving vehicles (driverless vehicles) are being tested throughout the world, with technology companies focused on bringing greater efficiency and profitability to the freight business.

Heavy hitters, including Uber with its recent purchase of Otto, and Tesla with its initiatives for autonomous driving platforms, have made waves throughout media outlets and investor groups alike.

However, driverless trucks have yet to gain full traction in the broad market for a variety of reasons.

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Are You on the Supply Chain Naughty List or Nice List this Year?

Supply Chain is a very difficult business area to work in.  It is not for the faint of heart.  But the fact that it is such a challenging area, promising both risk and reward, is one of the things that makes it an exciting career path.  At any point you can be on the Naughty list or the Nice list.

These are hard jobs.  I’ve heard it said many times that just staying afloat in Supply Chain is success because there are so many things that could drown you from one day to the next.

And even though the Supply Chain is absolutely essential for running virtually any business the Supply Chain team doesn’t always get the recognition they deserve for keeping the company afloat.

So we felt that it was time to sit back and reflect on what kind of year you’ve had and think about what you’ve done, what you’ve overcome, and what you’ve accomplished.

What do you think?  Are you on the Naughty list or the Nice list?

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The Baby Supply Chain!

We have a newborn Grandson!  A beautiful baby boy!

Aside from being a parent there is no better feeling than being a Grandparent!

A whole new world of joy and responsibility has begun for my son and his girlfriend.  It is such an exciting time but their routine will be completely turned upside down as new parents.

They will have to figure out so many things that they never had to deal with before.  Parents immediately  have to care for their child in every way.

They have also just entered the world of the Baby Supply Chain!

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Crowdfunding Fulfillment Solutions: Things You Should Know About

Crowdfunding has given entrepreneurs and inventors greater access to startup capital. You might not be able to get seed money or Series A funding from a venture capital firm for your idea, but backers on Kickstarter or Indiegogo could give you just the leg up that you need.

Crowdfunding marketing is a strategy to raise funds for a project by asking a large number of people to donate money, usually in small amounts to fulfill the financial goals of the project. Crowdfunding, on the other hand, gives you a quick place to showcase and share your pitch with a bigger audience.

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Last Mile Delivery Explained! (Infographic)

Every stage of the logistics process of delivering goods is crucial from the time a parcel leaves the hands of the Sender up to the moment it arrives at its destination. This is called last mile delivery.

While each step of the way should be taken seriously, there is no point more high-priority than that of the last mile delivery stage, where the goods from a transportation hub move to their final delivery destination.

The goal of last mile delivery is to transport an item to its recipient in the quickest way possible. This has been driven by the continuously evolving market and demand for convenient customer experience across industries such as e-commerce, food, retail and many more.

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Amazon and Uber Impact on Logistics!

The logistics industry is worth over $8.1 trillion. Not only it is an incomprehensibly big market, there are countless factors shaping it.

Globalization introduced a new level of complexity. International shipping has become a norm and customer expectations are higher than ever: we want our shipments on time, delivered as soon as possible and for this complex service we are willing to pay less and less.

In order to meet these high expectations and keep their customers satisfied, logistics service providers have to reach a never-before-seen level of efficiency.

Logistics is only seldom mentioned when we talk about innovation: industries like IT, telecommunications and automotive are the ones that first come to mind. Yet logistics, which represents an enormous opportunity given its size and its potential growth, has undergone a major transformation as well and the process is not close to an end.

The following infographic shows us how two multi-billion dollar companies, Uber and Amazon are revolutionizing the industry. Will a taxi app and an online retailer be the ones setting the new standards?

Amazon and Uber are the two giants in the industry.  And the E-Commerce marketplace requires companies to provide a fast, free (or inexpensive to the customer), and reliable last mile delivery solution.  This tremendous article provides a great characterization of Amazon and Uber in the Last Mile marketplace.

Amazon and Uber article and permission to publish here provided by Sam White at Argentus. Created by trademachines.com. Originally published on Supply Chain Game Changer on December 6, 2017.

3 Key Trends in E-Commerce Logistics!

With the increase in the popularity of e-shops and delivery companies, the e-commerce logistics business keeps growing. It faces more and more challenges, as customers need companies to be quick and increase their logistics performance more than ever before.

What does it mean for your business? This article explains why understanding and following the key trends in logistics e-commerce are crucial for organizations that want to save their place in the supply chain and get better results with less effort. 

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Self-Storage Has Become Big Business! (Infographic)

While immensely popular in the United States, self-storage solutions have remained pretty uncommon throughout Europe… that is, until now.

More and more entrepreneurs are recognising the untapped opportunity presented by the storage industry and as a result we are seeing a major increase in the availability of facilities in Europe.

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Supply Chain Innovation: The Path to Success!

Supply Chain innovation is a team effort requiring collaboration and buy-in from all levels within an organization, and it’s especially true when it comes to bringing innovation to the supply chain.

While new and buzzworthy technologies like drones and robotics are consistently being introduced, innovation for the supply chain is truly a continuum of small improvements that make a greater impact – whether it’s improving processes or the overarching business model.

Continue reading “Supply Chain Innovation: The Path to Success!”