Leadership Archives - Page 5 of 10 - Supply Chain Game Changer™

To Centralize or to Decentralize? That is the Organization Design Question!

Outsourcing Sourcing! 5 Lessons from Around the Globe!

It seems that every time there is a Management change in an organization there is movement to change the existing organization structure.

In some cases your Function or company is decentralized and new management wants to centralize everything. In the opposite case they want to centralize everything. And certainly there are organization structures which are a hybrid of both paradigms.

But in the Supply Chain world what is the best way to organize the function?

Seasoned Leadership in Action™ – An Interview with Tony Giovaniello, President of Shasta EDC

Seasoned Leadership in Action ™ – Our 2018 All Star Leaders!

At Supply Chain Game Changer we believe in sharing experiences and expertise from people in every industry and from across the globe. As such we have introduced our “Seasoned Leadership in Action™” Interview series. This interview is with Tony Giovaniello, President of the Shasta EDC (Economic Development Corporation).

I first met Tony at Celestica. We worked together in the Solutions Development organization, responsible for designing creative, winning proposals for customers, old and new.

Procurement Transformation Delays – The Role of Personality!

Manage Procurement Spend Like It’s Your Own Business!

We’ve all heard of the need for Procurement to embrace the Digital Procurement transformation for many years.

So why are so many organizations still in the beginning of this process?

Why are industry projections failing to materialize despite ample technological advancements in Procurement?

Executive Sponsorship to Enable Change!

The Future of the Chief Procurement Officer … Is Already Here!

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Anyone who is trying to make changes will be met with a variety of reactions and responses. This will happen regardless of how important the change is to your Job, your Department, your Function or your Company. But what if you had Executive Sponsorship?

Certainly there will be people who will happily, and openly, be willing to support you and help in any way they can. While this is critical, it is more important to understand that there are those who will aggressively oppose you. They may put obstacles in your way or they will be passive aggressive in their lack of support.

There may be many good reasons that you will be faced with this kind of opposition. However it is incumbent upon you, as the leader, to take all necessary steps to address these issues head on. One technique that can help you and your Company is to solicit and acquire visible and active Executive Sponsorship!

Innovations in Offline Retail! (Infographic)

Augmented Reality (AR) is Set to Transform Retail and the Supply Chain!

There is no escaping the fact that offline retail has changed over the last number of years. The predominant reason for this is advancement in technology but specifically with the emergence of the Internet and associated devices which allow consumers to literally shop from the comfort of their couch.

Are You Prepared For A Supply Chain Talent Crisis?

The Future of Supply Chain Belongs to Those Who Can Find the Talent!

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The supply chain talent crisis is a significant problem that will cause widespread disruption in the industry. More workers are retiring, and there are just not enough members from the newer generations interested in the industry.

However, demand for more products, faster and at lower costs is increasing, so supply chain executives need to start thinking about how they can prepare for and respond to the current and forthcoming supply chain talent crisis.

7 Essential Attributes of Strategic Supplier Partnerships!

Strategic Supplier Relationship Management – Do’s and Don’ts

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Though the phrase partnership is often used, what really constitutes a strategic supplier partnership?

In a previous article about supplier management, I suggested that the more a supplier tells you that they are strategic, the less they really are. Strategic is a term that is often overused. Whether the phrase refers to sourcing, procurement, relationships, or other matters, its use is prevalent.

The notion of partnerships is equally ubiquitous and similarly both mis- and over-used. This article will identify a taxonomy for a strategic partnership between two parties.

Competing against Amazon? You Need A Blue Ocean Strategy!

The Amazon Effect is the New Walmart Effect!

Amazon is far and away the leader in the E-C0mmerce space. Their growth continues at an exceptional pace. And they continue to expand their products, services, and capabilities. In short they continue to press their advantage and make it difficult for anyone else to compete with them. You need a Blue Ocean strategy!

But if you are in the E-Commerce space that is your reality. Amazon is the biggest shark in the room. So how do you compete in the face of such an overwhelming adversary?

One technique is to consider creating your own Blue Ocean Strategy to create competitive advantage! If you can define dramatically different space in which to do business you may be able to keep this shark, and others, at bay (at least for a period of time).

Tesla Supply Chain Issues and Lessons!

Featuring Our 10 Best Inventory Management Articles!

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Tesla’s relentless research and development produce innovative solutions powered by cutting-edge technology. Tesla is a perfect role model for using advanced automotive technologies that further enhance modern vehicles’ efficiency and safety.

Automobile makers, including Tesla, utilize automation, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and other technologies when designing vehicles, including innovative accessory feature comparisons such as flow formed wheels vs forged.

While Tesla’s milestones in automotive manufacturing are impressive, the company also faces a fair share of issues, including supply chain management.

The Amazon Effect is the New Walmart Effect!

Has Walmart Beat Amazon Using an Omnichannel Returns Strategy?

In 1994, Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos read a statistic that the Internet had been growing at 2300 percent annually. He fashioned that changing tide into a business plan that has been breaking barriers across supply chain and e-commerce that has left an indelible mark with the Amazon effect.

Beginning with booksellers, the e-commerce giant has expedited the closure of many retailers and threatens to redefine the standards of shopping in a digital world. Retailers are forced to lower prices, optimize their systems and processes, and reduce profit margins in favor of competition; meanwhile, Amazon continues its trek toward dominance.

Unleash Your Employees’ Ideas to Truly Change the Game!

Ground Rules for Creating a Game Changing High Performance Organization (HPO)!

Organizations that are either considered high performing or who aspire to become high performing understand that their employees are their greatest asset. A company can only achieve its overall objectives if their employees are aligned, on board and driving toward those goals, and if their ideas are heard.

At its core your employees understand how well or how poorly the day-to-day processes in your company run better than anyone else. They also have tremendous ideas on how to improve those processes, how to improve your metrics, and how to achieve your objectives.

So how do you tap in to that intellect, unleash those ideas, and empower your employees in an organized and efficient manner? How do you get your finger on the pulse of what is on your employee’s minds?

Trust! The “X” Factor!

6 Reasons Supply Chain Employees Look For New Jobs!

What’s the difference between a productive, healthy, high performing organization and a toxic, destructive, and volatile organization?

Trust! Or rather, the lack thereof!

I have, as have others, joined companies and have taken new jobs based on trust.

I have, as have others, left companies and have left jobs based on distrust.

Trust, and distrust, are more than just “motherhood and apple pie” words.

They are the “X Factor” in determining whether you enjoy or despise going to work every day.

Preparing Business for the Digital Supply Chain! Oracle Interviews Mike Mortson!

Imagining the Supply Chain of the Future!

Mike Mortson was recently interviewed by Oracle as a part of the Oracle Global Supply Chain Influencer program. This article was posted on the Oracle Supply Chain Management blog.

Supply chain professionals are hiking their spending on supply chain innovation—substantially. Ninety-five percent said they plan to spend more this year than last, and 60 percent will spend more than $1 million over the next two years on disruptive technologies such as robotics, automation, predictive analytics, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things (IoT).

As digital transformation confronts supply chain leaders, Oracle caught up with Mike Mortson of Supply Chain Game Changer to discuss the current state of the supply chain technology landscape—including how the easiest path forward, in many cases, may involve embracing a supply chain-as-a-service model to benefit from cutting-edge technologies and first-rate digital supply chain management skill sets.

Here is the Oracle interview with Mike Mortson.

Augmented Reality (AR) is the Future of Supply Chain!

Augmented Reality (AR) is Set to Transform Retail and the Supply Chain!

Augmented Reality (AR) enables transformational change!

When I started in the distribution space, I was told “…business is simple…cases in, cases out.” Reports were on green bar paper and forklifts were everywhere. As the distribution space evolved, the reports became spreadsheets and forklifts remained very important as they are coupled with the latest and greatest automation.

Supply chain improvements over the last 15 years have been incremental at best. The advances we are making in the supply chain powered by Augmented Reality (AR) are going to be wildly disruptive. The supply chain community that leans into AR and gets it right will come out the clear winners for every perspective: simplicity, safety, quality and productivity.

Struggling with Process Ownership? Is it a Failure to Communicate?

Never Automate a Bad Process!

Does your business struggle with process ownership? Are your process improvements not “sticking”? The failure of an organization to have in place well-functioning process owners is a common occurrence these days.

The root causes (if anyone cares to do a full postmortem) are numerous. We’ve heard it all before; “the organizational structure won’t allow for it”, “incentives are misaligned”, “leaders don’t understand what it takes to be a process owner” etc. I’m sure we can all relate to some or all of these statements.