APICS Column

Feb 1, 2003

Ten Reasons Why You Can’t Automate Human Relationships – A Guide for Supply Chain Managers, Part 1

I recently received the following email from Tom Linton, Chief Procurement Officer of Agere Systems, stationed in Singapore. “Bob, I bought your book [Supply Chain Redesign] this weekend and started…

Jan 1, 2003

Want to Improve Your Supply Chain Performance? Start with Your Suppliers!

Companies now know that suppliers of critical goods and services can provide major competitive benefits, in the form of lower costs, improved quality, on-time delivery, technological innovation, and customer service.…

Nov 1, 2002

Skills for the New Era of Supply Chain Management – A Look to the Future

As we approach the end of the year, many of us are wondering what the new year will bring for us, as well as what it will take to keep…

Oct 2, 2002

The Hidden Impact of Inventory

Many managers complain that senior executives do not understand the importance of supply chain management (SCM). At supply chain conferences and educational seminars, the phrase “I wish my boss were…

Aug 1, 2002

Finding the “Sweet Spot” in the Supply Chain

A critical process in creating a high performing supply chain is developing an in-depth understanding of your organization’s position relative to customers and suppliers in the supply chain. By employing…

Jun 1, 2002

Data Reliability – A Critical Requirement for Integration

During the 1980s and 1990s, almost every major company went through some form of re-engineering and restructuring, as thousands of workers and managers were shed in a variety of efforts…

May 2, 2002

Emerging Market Channels – Reverse Auctions

One of the few survivors of the dot-com implosion was Freemarkets, a company that executes revers auctions. The goal of reverse auctions is to bring buyers and sellers together to…

Apr 1, 2002

Designing Fresh Products – A Collaborative Activity

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, many Western organizations began re-evaluating and re-engineering their new product development processes. The reality in many markets today is that 40 percent or…

Mar 1, 2002

Creating Information Visibility in the Chain

In the summer of 2000, with its order book overflowing but its assembly lines sputtering from lack of parts, Cisco Systems decided to crank up its supply line. It committed…

Feb 1, 2002

Managing Relationships in the Supply Chain

As we begin the new year, many companies are standing back and re-evaluating the health of their supply chains. In this column, we continue with the eight-part series on transforming…