Supply Chain View from the Field

Category Archives: Commodities forecasting

1. College grads – trouble finding a job? Think welding….

   March 5, 2013
   by: handfield
   categories: Commodities forecasting, Strategic Cost Management, Strategic Sourcing, Supplier Relationship Management, Supply Chain Management, Supply Chain Talent

   We recently worked on a study examining the market for pipeline construction services.  Across North America, projects like Keystone are only the beginning of growth for pipelines in oil and gas.  The market for pipeline construction is growing, and there will continue to be competition for capable suppliers in the marketplace.  In areas such as [...]

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2. Bio-based Feedstock Supply Chains: Subject Matter Experts Speak in Washington

   November 29, 2012
   by: handfield
   categories: Commodities forecasting, Procurement Sustainability, Supply Chain Management, Supply Chain Risk, Supply Chain Strategy, Sustainability

   I attended a conference today in Washington DC hosted by Duke University and Yale University on Biobased Feedstocks. The discussion led to some interesting observations about the tradeoffs and opportunities between biobased and fossil based feedstocks. The bioeconomy is a large and rapidly growing segment that allows everyone to live longer, healthier lives, reduce dependence [...]

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3. A Sustainable Energy Platform for the EU and the World

   October 25, 2012
   by: handfield
   categories: BRIC Supply Chain, Commodities forecasting, Forecasting, Global Supply Chain, Supply Chain Management, Supply Chain Strategy, Supply Chain Systems

   At the BVL conference, I had the opportunity to speak to the group, and provide them with an overview of the insights and trends from the global logistics study that is currently underway. I also had the opportunity to introduce Dr. Michael Seuss, CEO of the Energy Sector for Siemens AG, and Member of their [...]

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4. The Global Phosphate Supply Market: Risky and Getting Riskier

   April 24, 2012
   by: handfield
   categories: Category Management, China Supply Chain, Commodities forecasting, Global Supply Chain, Supply Chain Management, Supply Chain Risk

   An MBA student team in my supply market intelligence class  this week presented their supply market intelligence study on phosphate production.  One of the key points was the volatility of Morocco as the major supplier of phosphate.  Based on current reserves and production trends, Morocco will play a very important role in the world of [...]

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5. How to Read the Inventory Tea Leaves…

   April 10, 2012
   by: handfield
   categories: Commodities forecasting, Forecasting, Inventory Management, Supply Chain Management, Supply Chain Strategy

   An article in the WSJ provides an interesting set of perspectives on what increasing or shrinking inventory numbers might mean in terms of an organization’s supply chain performance.  As I noted in an earlier blog, inventory is often an indicator used to measure how efficient supply chains are, as is considered a key component in [...]

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6. Prediction: More volatility in oil and commodities

   March 22, 2012
   by: handfield
   categories: Commodities forecasting, Global Supply Chain

   There appears to be more unrest in the world this week, which of course brings with it the increased nervousness of analysts and speculators.  One of the real questions arising is whether India will abide by the US call for sanctions to buying Iranian oil.  According to a Bloomberg report, Oil Minister S. Jaipal Reddy, [...]

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7. Applying Life Cycle Analysis to the Keystone Problem

   February 19, 2012
   by: handfield
   categories: Commodities forecasting, Logistics, Sustainability

   Environmentalists have been up in arms about the Keystone pipeline over the last few months. As a result, the Obama Administration first delayed the decision, and then rendered a decision to NOT approve the pipeline. The greens crowed in delight – this would show those Canadians that the US will not buy their dirty, filthy [...]

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8. Reacting to Disruptions: The real test for belonging to the “world class supply chain” club?

   January 20, 2012
   by: handfield
   categories: Commodities forecasting, Contract Management, Global Supply Chain, Supply Chain Risk, Supply Market Intelligence

   Many people are quick to point to the AMR Top 25 supply chains as the benchmark for supply chain excellence. In my mind, the real test of how “world-class” a supply chain is, is how they react under duress and severe supply chain disruptions. There is no doubt that as we go into 2012, there [...]

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9. Planning for Uncertainty in 2012

   December 14, 2011
   by: handfield
   categories: Category Management, Commodities forecasting, Contract Management, Supply Chain Management, Supply chain Relationships, Supply Chain Risk, Supply Market Intelligence

   As I look back on 2011, I’m reminded of the success stories and disruptions that occurred, but am also thinking about who is going to win in the year ahead. On the economic front, 2011 was really about another year of uncertainty. A global economic recovery remains underway, although it is alarmingly long and slower [...]

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10. Jason Schenker’s Economic Forecasts for the Year: “Dude, Where’s My Gas?”

    May 3, 2011
    by: handfield
    categories: Commodities forecasting, Forecasting, Supply Chain Risk

    Jason Schenker of Prestige Economics had some great insights into some of the challenges that lie ahead for the US economy, which are listed below. 1. Growth is going up. Markets responded with decreases as US growth rates are lower but rates for 2012 are raised for US and Japan. The things to keep in [...]

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