Kamala Raman, vice president and team manager at Gartner, outlines factors driving companies as they struggle to balance operating models in challenging times.

Recognizing the challenges supply chains have faced in recent years, Sumit Dutta, leader for the Americas Supply Chain Consulting Group of EY, outlines priorities for the next five years for supply chain leaders.

Artificial intelligence-based prescriptive analytics enable a network approach to planning in volatile times, says Joe Bellini, executive vice president of product management at OneNetwork.

Don’t hold your breath waiting for global supply chains to return to some state of “normal” anytime soon.

Having dealt with any number of supply chain threats in recent years, supply chain managers need technology solutions that will help them identify which challenges are in their future, says Pawan Joshi, executive vice president for products and strategy at e2open.

The pandemic and resulting congestion in the supply chain have retailers reconsidering their traditional approach to sourcing and inventory management, says Larry Parker, department chair of transportation and logistics management, supply chain management, reverse logistics and government contracting at the Dr. Wallace E. Boston School of Business in the American Public University System.

Maureen Sullivan, head of supply chain finance with MUFG, explains how current product shortages are driving a shift in inventory management away from “just in time” to “just in case.”

The adoption of tactical “firefighting” rather than a strategic approach should sound alarm bells, not least because of the missed opportunity to revolutionize supply chain planning. 

Sweetwater Sound, LLC didn’t waste any time preparing for this year’s fourth quarter. By the end of May, the nation’s largest online seller of musical instruments and professional audio gear was already finalizing orders and distribution plans for the coming peak sales season.