Hot Topics

Jan 13, 2003

Minority-Owned Supplier Contracts: The Right Smart Thing to Do!

Programs to stimulate growth of minority-owned businesses have existed in the United States since the late 1960s. The term minority-owned suppliers is used by the U.S. federal government to describe… 

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 12, 2002

Reverse Auctions: How Do Suppliers Really Feel About Them?

In September I attended a meeting of over 130 executives at a joint meeting of the members of the Drug, Chemical, and Allied Trades (DCAT) group and the Institute for… 

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 17, 2002

Supply Chain Redesign Requires Open Communication! – Lessons from GM’s OTD Supplier Council

I attended a meeting of the General Motors Order-to-Delivery Supplier Council, led by Dick Alagna, Director of OTD-Purchasing on September 10, 2002. The meeting was held at General Motors University… 

Oct 3, 2002

Key Themes Facing Supply Chain Executives

As a member of the Editorial Board for the periodical “Inside Supply Management”, I recently sat in on a teleconference involving multiple executives from different industries, including Boeing, Sealy, Raytheon,… 

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… 

Sep 12, 2002

Supplier Development Strategies and Outcomes

I was recently asked by Jon Stegner from Delphi Automotive to put together some research materials we completed on Supplier Development strategies. Delphi is currently attempting to initiate this strategy… 

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…