Emerging Issues in Supply Chain
Third Annual State of Supply Chain Data Quality and Governance Report Released
This morning, the SCRC and Ivalua released the latest report on the state of data governance in supply chains, which provides insights into some of the key trends in this rapidly shifting area. This year’s study was conducted with the […]
Supply Chain Predictions for 2020 (Who knew I’d still be writing this blog 18 years later!)
Although I didn’t come out with any new years’ predictions last year at this time, it’s the start of a new decade, so predictions are definitely in order. However, I also came to realize that I’ve been writing this blog […]
Perspectives on the Global Trade Environment: A Panel Discussion
On December 5, 2019, we held a panel discussion that focused on different perspectives related to global trade. As the global environment is shifting based on political debates, EU/British negotiations, tariffs driven by the Trump administration, as well as the […]
The WSJ Drucker Management 250 List: NC State’s Input into the Ratings
Every year about this time, the Wall Street Journal reveals its list of the Management Top 250 firms, which lists America’s Best-Run Companies. The announcement, which appeared in today’s WSJ, identifies some of the top companies, with Amazon ranked at […]
Decoding the Signals of the Global Tariff and Trade Wars
What will global trade and commerce look like in the coming years, and how will it influence the business landscape? This question has moved to the forefront of executives’ minds as the US administration seeks to renegotiate relationships with key […]
Counterfeit products are exploding on Amazon
A recent WSJ article highlighted a fact that confirms much of what we found in our study of counterfeit products in the supply chain a year ago: if you’re buying on Amazon, beware of counterfeits. Too cheap means too good […]
Global Sourcing and Human Rights Go Hand in Hand
Low-cost country (LCC) sourcing is now a commonplace strategy for shrinking bottom line labor and material costs in most consumer products industries, including apparel, footwear, toys, and other manufactured products. Organizations continue to scour global markets for even lower labor […]
The Strange Relationship Between Oil Prices, Tariffs and Biobased Innovation
Oil prices have been rather volatile as of late, and are hovering around $58/bbl, down from an average of $65/bbl in 2018. Oil prices impact a lot of things, one of which is the drive to innovate new biobased products […]
First NCSU Procurement Leadership Program a Great Success!
We held our first ever Procurement Leadership workshop this week, hosting a group of executives from Altria, American Red Cross, Cheniere Energy, Smith & Nephew, RSCS (YUM! Brands) and the US Air Force. The mix of executives from both the […]
Is Blockchain Living up to Its Promise? Thoughts on How Companies Need to Begin Exploring Blockchain
A recent Gartner survey predicted that by 2023, 90% of blockchain-based supply chain initiatives will slow down. These results may sound like the thud of falling bricks in terms of the expectations and hype that has been surrounding blockchain in […]