From new regulations to the growth in large-molecule temperature-sensitive products to the frequency of disruptions, healthcare companies are operating in a risk-inherent environment that is at the same time rich with new opportunities. There are favorable demographics on the horizon as populations age, become more affluent and expand in a diverse set of geographies. Meanwhile, the supply chain must stretch to accommodate new distribution channels, product specialization and innovation.
There are sound economic and environmental reasons for commercial truck fleets to consider natural gas as an alternative to diesel fuel, says Patti Murdock, president and founder of Clean Logistics Consulting. Higher equipment costs and a still developing infrastructure, however, mean that it is not right for all situations.
UPS has launched UPS Temperature True Cryo, a service that includes real-time tracking and intervention services for healthcare customers with temperature-sensitive shipments.
A state-of-IT-risk survey being conducted by APQC seeks to examine supply chain organizations' experience with IT risks and the steps organizations are taking to identify, quantify and manage these challenges.
In recent years, a growing number of retail RFID use cases have clearly demonstrated the benefits of being able to track inventory at the item level, leading to better shelf replenishment and fewer out of stocks. Many retailers quantify the benefits of reducing out of stocks not just at the item level (potential lost sales) but at the transaction level, since retailers closely track the number of items that comprise the average transaction (e.g. 3.6 items/sale). Using that example, an out-of-stock item (especially in a core category such as denim) could result in lost sales of an additional 2.6 items that were to be purchased with it.
Forty-six percent of leading companies report achieving more than four percent post-contract financial benefits from better supplier relationship management, according to research conducted by State of Flux. The research is in its sixth year and includes responses from more than 500 global companies across more than 20 industry sectors.
The road to creating user-friendly, science-backed, technology-enabled supply chains is paved with good sustainability intentions that get foiled by today's dynamic, global complexities. Achieving sustainability of scale requires involvement of the entire supply chain. To meet the needs of customers and markets, manufacturers need up-to-date and accurate information about their suppliers' materials and components.
Industrial machinery production - which represents $1.6tr of the $3.8tr global industrial capital expenditure spending in 2013 - is the area to be most dramatically affected by advancing 3D printing technology, says Alex Chausovksy, senior principal analyst, industrial automation, at IHS.
The latest supply-chain news, analysis, trends and tools for executives in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. Learn how pharmaceutical and biotech companies and their suppliers around the world are managing the flow of products across all channels of the enterprise. Experts sound off on forecasting and demand planning, supply-chain visibility, logistics outsourcing, inventory optimization, transportation management, warehouse management, supply-chain security, corporate social responsibility and more.
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