Global Supply Chain Management

Global Supply Chain Forum Looks Back Over 20 Years

March 16, 2012

Initiatives such as the Global Supply Chain Forum, which resides at Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business, give the business world access to academic expertise and valuable research, says forum director Douglas M. Lambert. Such efforts are becoming more common, he says, adding that "the business community ought to be our laboratory."

In Wake of Japanese Earthquake, Companies Ask if Supply Chains Can Be Too Lean, Study Finds

March 15, 2012

Business Continuity Institute

A year after the Japanese earthquake and resulting tsunami, supply chain managers are reconsidering just-in-time strategies, according to a survey released by the Business Continuity Institute.

Report Focuses on Food Safety, Traceability and Government Legislation

March 15, 2012

Aberdeen

Although the Food Safety and Modernization Act of 2010 was passed nearly a year ago, and food and beverage companies have had a significant period of time to calculate and understand its impact, and implement traceability solutions, there are still many issues and processes to be resolved or implemented before food and beverage enterprises can be considered 100-percent compliant.

The Retail Industry's Supply Chain Continues Its Transformation

March 15, 2012

SupplyChainBrain

Analyst Insight: Over the last three years the retail industry has seen a great many changes, helping to streamline retail supply chains and create more cost savings for retailers. This efficiency-driven approach was in large part a response to the "great recession," and it has sustained the industry through these challenging times, putting them in a greater position for success as we look ahead to the future. So where do we go from here? - Casey Chroust, executive vice president, Retail Industry Leaders Association

Juggling Priorities for CIOs in Retail

March 15, 2012

SupplyChainBrain

Analyst Insight: Retailers in 2012 will continue to implement analytic engines. The last two years have seen retailers and CPG companies streamline and rethink their multichannel and merchandising strategies. Improved performance is a reflection of this analytics focus. In 2012, retailers will learn through direct customer engagement through mobile, social and web (omni-channel information) to create products, and market to customers based on shopper insights. - Ann Grackin, CEO, ChainLink Research

Sustainability Execs Fear Shortages of Natural Resources Will Affect Their Supply Chains in Near Future

March 14, 2012

Ernst & Young

Ernst & Young reports that 83 percent of respondents to a recent survey say they are engaging their supply chain in sustainability. In addition to this, 76 percent anticipate natural resource shortages, including water, will affect their core business objectives over the next three to five years, according to the canvass of "corporate sustainability leaders."

Three New Free-Trade Agreements Highlight Benefits, Complexities of FTA Management

March 14, 2012

SupplyChainBrain

Analyst Insight: The Congressional bills to implement the U.S. free-trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama and to renew the Generalized System of Preferences and Andean Trade Preferences Act have gained congressional approval and President Obama's signature, thus paving the way for the long awaited realization of the agreements and their inherent trade benefits and opportunities. Simultaneous approval highlights the challenges of managing global supply chains to take advantage of the benefits provided. - William M. Methenitis, partner, global director, and Kristine L. Price, partner, both of Ernst & Young LLP, Customs and International Trade

A New Generation of Measurements in Ocean Transportation

March 14, 2012

SupplyChainBrain

Analyst Insight: While on one hand the container shipping industry has become ever more commoditized, a new range of service measurements could increase the potential for market differentiation. The key to any differentiation is the ability to make it clear to the customer what the difference is. Such transparency would certainly be a novelty in the industry. - Lars Jensen, CEO, SeaIntel Maritime Analysis

Next-Generation Rail Fleet Management

March 14, 2012

SupplyChainBrain

Analyst Insight: As the global economy slowly begins to improve, large-scale manufacturers who ship bulk product by rail are again experiencing the issues of service reliability, asset turnover, capacity constraints, working capital optimization and risk. With that said, after the dismal 2008-2009 economy, we're right back into the bane of a one-hundred-year rail dilemma: enhancing service reliability while improving fleet utilization to sustain a lean rail fleet. Current rail management tools are effective at tracking historical transit times and identifying the position of each car at a certain point in time. However, an important disconnect exists between seeing the future demand for rail shipments and predicting the usage and location of the cars over the entire enterprise planning horizon. - Alfred Sherk, CEO, SherTrack LLC

Horizontal Collaboration - Sharing Supply Chain Assets with Your Competitors

March 13, 2012

Inside Supply Management

With ever-changing business challenges such as transportation costs, volatile demand and an evolving customer base, supply management organizations are exploring new and unique ways to use collaboration in their supply chains. One such effort is turning traditional vertical collaboration strategies on their side and may change the way organizations view their supply chain - and their competitors.