Supply Chain Management Archives - Page 11 of 14

What is Product (or Master) Data Management?

Product Management KPIs!

I had just inherited a new department into my organization, the Product Data Management (PDM) team.

Shortly thereafter I started getting calls from the CEO. We were missing customer deliveries due to problems in getting the correct, and complete data, into the systems which enabled us to manage bills of material and manufacture products.

While Product Data Management seemed to have been a rather basic function I quickly learned that their role and responsibilities were not understood, were undervalued, and yet were absolutely pivotal and essential to the ability of the entire company to operate.

This was one of many lessons I learned about this critical part of any organization.

What then exactly is Product, or Master, Data Management?

Supply Chain Education and Certification – What’s Missing?

Quantum Leap to the Top 10 Supply Chain Skills of the Future!

The phrase “Supply Chain Management” was originally coined by Keith Oliver in 1982 and subsequently gained increasing popularity as its usage was proliferated in books and language. That was the start of Supply Chain education.

Since that time there has been an ever increasing number of Universities, Colleges, Institutions and Associations offering credits, diplomas, degrees and certifications in all or some aspect of Supply Chain.

But is just taking courses in basic topics like Procurement, Negotiation, Statistics, Operational Research or Planning sufficient?

While the basic courses are truly important we believe that they are insufficient for really preparing people for a Supply Chain career.

What is missing in Supply Chain education and certification?

The Rise of AI and Machine Translation in Cross-Border Collaboration for Supply Chain!

Global Supply Chain Integration: Overcoming Language Barriers for Seamless Operations!

In the dynamic landscape of globalized business, multinational companies face the challenge of efficiently managing supply chains that span multiple countries and linguistic regions. Effective cross-border collaboration is crucial for success, yet language barriers often hinder communication, leading to inefficiencies and delays.

This article explores the role of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine translation in overcoming these challenges, with a focus on how these technologies enhance communication, decision-making, and overall efficiency in supply chain management.

Applied Mathematics in Supply Chain!

A Formula For Achieving Game Changing Results!

Amongst other things a supply chain manager is responsible for ensuring that goods are delivered to the correct destination in a timely manner. This can be a challenging task, as there are many potential problems that can occur along the way.

In this blog post, we will discuss some of the most common mathematics problems that can impact a supply chain. We will also provide tips on how to solve these problems in the next blog post. Let’s get started!

Chinese New Year: Tips to Keep Your Supply Chain Efficient! (Infographic)

Importing From China! The Essential Guide!

Chinese New Year is just around the corner, and more and more freight companies are working on how to sustain productivity and efficiency.

For small businesses that are new to experiencing this holiday, during Chinese New Year, some China-based companies are temporarily shutting down their activities to celebrate and administer different superstitions to have a healthy and prosperous New Year.

And this is also the time of year where freight demands shoot up, prices increase, and containers easily become full making it expensive and difficult to import.

5 Ways Supply Chain Managers Cut Costs!

Cost Cutting! Brute Force or An Intelligent Program?

No matter the industry in which you operate, the supply chain management process is at the heart of company-wide efficiency and profitability. That’s because business leaders who know how to resolve logistics and supply-related issues have healthier bottom lines and rarely have to worry about on-time delivery.

As with so many other aspects of commercial operations, sensible cost-cutting strategies are among the core components of making supply chains function in the most efficient way possible. But how can managers and owners get started on a program to cut costs in a new organization?

Fortunately, there are dozens of handy tools for getting the job done, including the following.

Safety in Your Supply Chain is Crucial!

A Comprehensive Warehouse Safety Guide!

Health and safety in your Supply Chain is a necessary undertaking for businesses of any size and type. Accidents happen, but much less so thanks to robust and comprehensive legislation that keeps businesses in check when it comes to staff safety.

In many cases, health and safety is taken for granted by workers and management alike – especially in administrative businesses, and larger businesses with multiple stages and processes. Your business’ supply chain, from manufacture or training to client or customer, needs to be rendered just as safe as any individual office.

But what are the reasons for such an endeavour?

Supply Chain’s Moment of Truth Poll Results!

Supply Chain’s Moment of Truth Has Arrived!

Time will prove that the global Coronavirus pandemic has marked a major inflection point across the entire history of Supply Chain Management. Largely unknown and not understood before the pandemic, Supply Chain’s visibility and importance has seen an unprecedented level of exposure during the pandemic.

Everyone now understands that when Supply Chains fail, much of what enables our personal and professional lives also stops. The fragility of Supply Chains experienced during the pandemic demands improvements in the robustness and resilience of this core function.

It has created a Moment of Truth for Supply Chain. Will companies revert back to their old ways of doing things after the pandemic or will they make the improvements needed for the future?

We conducted our Supply Chain’s Moment of Truth Poll to find out.

Post-Pandemic Impermanence Actions!

10 Vital Supply Chain Lessons from the Coronavirus Pandemic!

Several months into the COVID-19 pandemic the talk of a settled “new normal” gives us hope for stability and a return to what was before. But for whatever sense of past normalcy we aspire to this experience equally conjures up our sense of post-pandemic impermanence – or that our lives are constantly in a state of flux to which we must sense and adapt.

For supply chain professionals, supply chains and our underlying assumptions will certainly need to adapt. In many critical supply areas, such as biopharma, the now famous PPE, and high technology medical devices, not just calls, but screams for re-examining supply lines and explicitly, our reliance on China.

This reliance began decades before for reasons that made sense then, but those assumptions and rationale have come into question now. The topic is high on the agenda of supply chain professionals as they plot the course forward.

Custom Stair Railings Can Beat Supply Chain Issues!

Why Choose Robot Vacuum Cleaners for House Cleaning?

As most people are aware, home builders and contractors are still dealing with supply chain issues that began during the pandemic in 2020. At first, there were few problems getting the materials to construct the houses themselves as well as components like staircases and railings.

However, eventually these existing materials ran out and getting them back in stock has been a challenge. The professionals at Royal Oak Railing & Stair Ltd explain why custom stair railings and staircase designs can beat supply chain issues.

Is Blockchain Revolutionizing Supply Chain Logistics?

7 Ways Crypto Can Enhance Your Supply Chain!

Blockchain technology has been one of the most important developments in modern times. The technology powers the best cryptocurrency to buy today, but also has a wide range of other uses and applications.

Supply chain logistics and management in particular are benefitting from blockchain technology. Let’s take a closer look in more detail at how this works and why blockchain has proved so revolutionary for supply chains across industries.

The Mask Supply Chain!

Strategic National Stockpiles and Sourcing for the National Interest!

I went into an ice cream store the other day to get a treat for my Granddaughter. As per the norm these days I put on a mask and noticed the signage on the door requiring everyone to wear a mask inside.

The person who entered the store behind me did not have a mask and was soon told by store personnel that she would not be served without a mask. Needless to say a “Karen” incident ensued followed by that person storming out of the store. Why do some people have an issue with wearing a mask?

It got me thinking about where the masks were manufactured and was there a problem with that Supply Chain. I get emails several times a week with people trying to sell me masks.

What exactly is the Mask Supply Chain?

7 Ways Crypto Can Enhance Your Supply Chain!

Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Predictions!

The transformative power of blockchain, the foundational technology behind cryptocurrencies, can enhance supply chain management. By integrating this decentralized ledger system into supply chains, organizations have an exhaustive list of benefits.

Now, its applications in the supply chain sector are not just revolutionary but also vital in an increasingly globalized and interconnected world. Companies, non-profits, and even governmental bodies are quickly recognizing how blockchain can transform traditional supply chain frameworks, paving the way for a future where goods, data, and value flow seamlessly and trustfully across global networks.

The Supply Chain Detective™ and the Distribution Centre Disaster!

The Supply Chain Detective™: The Case of the Unpaid Invoices!

It was early September and I was sitting in my office preparing for a meeting. I was in the Retail Industry which meant that in Supply Chain this was the beginning of the frantic Holiday season. The last thing we needed was a Distribution Centre disaster.

Products were arriving at our Distribution Centres from all over the world at an unprecedented rate so that we could in turn send them out to the Retail stores over the next few months.

We were anticipating receiving more goods than ever but as it was my first year in Retail I had been assured by my team that we could handle the load.

As I sat there my Distribution Centre leader called me.

“Mike, We are out of space already. We have no more room to receive anything else.”

My heart sank. This was catastrophic. The goods we had received so far were just the tip of the iceberg. We had a real Distribution Centre disaster on our hands.

This was a case for the Supply Chain Detective™.

Top Supply Chain Management Courses!

Supply Chain Education and Certification – What’s Missing?

If you’re looking to start or improve your career in the field of supply chain management courses, you might be wondering where to start. Luckily, Business School offers one of the most comprehensive supply chain management programs in the world.

With four core courses and an MBA-level capstone, the Supply Chain Management program provides students with both foundational knowledge and business acumen necessary to succeed in the logistics and operations industry.

Here are some highlights from Business School’s supply chain management program.