Dec 16, 2016

Guest Post from Tim Barnes: Navigating Trump’s 35% import tax, and how US companies can utilize “Parallel Manufacturing” to grow globally

Given our latest discussions on the impact of the Trump presidency on the supply chain, Tim Barnes’ excellent article shown below is exceptionally timely!  Tim has deep experience in navigating…

Dec 1, 2016

Reflections on the LIVING Supply Chain SCRC Meeting

The SCRC meeting was a huge success yesterday. I led off the discussion and took this opportunity to share some of the highlights of my new book, The LIVING Supply…

Oct 12, 2016

A "Swiss Army Knife" of Supply Chain Talent Requirements: Views from a Former Wolfpack Student

Stuart William was in one of my former MBA classes at NC State in 2008, and graduated into one of the worst economies ever in May of 2009. Upon graduation,…

Sep 9, 2016

Hanjin Bankruptcy Demonstrates Fragility of Ocean Freight Market Prior to "Black November"

The recent bankruptcy announcement of Hanjin, a major shipping line, on the Friday before the last Labor Day long weekend, was a shock to everyone working in the global logistics…

Aug 25, 2016

Nike’s Global E-Commerce Distribution Center in Leuven Belgium

I had the opportunity to accompany a group of executives from Anheuser Busch Inbev on a tour of Nike’s global distribution facility in Leuven Belgium this week.  Shipments arrive from Nike’s…

Jul 13, 2016

SCRC Project Planning Webinar

Jan 26, 2016

"Collaboration" is becoming a bad word…in some circles

The concept of “Collaboration” has been getting a lot of grief lately. For instance, recent articles in the Harvard Business Review and the Economist emphasize that collaboration has reached the…

Jan 21, 2016

Nike partnership with Flex producing innovation coupled with digitization

I spent the last two days meeting with members of the Global Supply Chain and Manufacturing team at Nike, in Beaverton, Oregon.  Nike has developed a partnership with NC State’s…

Nov 26, 2015

Black Friday isn't What it Used to Be…E-Commerce has Changed the Landscape

As retailers prepare for “Black Friday”, what used to be the “biggest shopping day of the year” (the day after Thanksgiving), expectations are actually rather low.  A reporter on CNN…

Apr 22, 2015

EMC runs a lean operation: Playing hockey with doughnut holes

I had the opportunity to visit EMC’s manufacturing facility in Apex, NC this afternoon.  Brent Taylor, who I met the week before at Procurement Leader’s, took me on a tour…