Forecasting
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 […]
Leveraging Technology in the Retail Supply Chain
Companies in the retail sector are looking to automation, artificial intelligence, and other technological advancements to augment various sectors of their business. Savvy businesses are deploying new technology solutions everywhere from their supply chains to their storefronts. Technology is assisting […]
Fake News, Trusting Data, and the President’s Tweets: Around the World with Reuters
As noted in my previous blog, I had the pleasure of attending the Thomson Reuters Government Conference, and sat on a panel with Andy Russell, Lead Director, Department of Defense Programs. Prior to our panel session, a panel of Reuters […]
Excess and Obsolete Inventory: An Outcome of a Series of Unfortunate Events!
Inventory continues to be a problem for many companies. In particular, inventory that is considered “Excess and Obsolete” often accumulates and has to be dealt with – often at the end of the fiscal year. During tax season, this is also […]
Get Ready for the Electronification of Everything …and More Global Component Shortages!
I had an opportunity to speak with some executives this week that are frequently in Asia, negotiating with suppliers of everything from memory, semiconductors, and multiple other types of electronic components. Anyone who is working in this industry knows that […]
Thoughts on Supply Chain Impacts (After Listening to Trump’s State of the Union)
I listened to all one and a half hours of Trump’s State of the Union address last night, and while it was certainly very positive in terms of the economy, it also left me with some unanswered questions about the […]
Sorting out Risk in FinTech Source Chains
Most big banks (MUFG, Citi, Deutschbank, HSBC, JP Morgan, and others) have been forced to re-examine their external supplier relationships in a highly regulated environment. This is old news. But emerging technology is now beginning to create new ways to […]
Excess and Obsolete Inventory: You’re All Responsible for It!
The Supply Chain Resource Cooperative held its first ever “Executive Roundtable on Excess and Obsolete Inventory” on the NC State campus on October 25, 2017. The event was attended by 25 executives from a variety of different industries and backgrounds. […]
Missy Cummings from Duke on Logistics Automation: We’re Going in Reverse!
I had the opportunity to listen to Missy Cummings, a Professor in the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University. Missy shared some insights on automation in the logistics sector, at a conference that was awash with discussions on block […]
Procurement Must Contribute to Competitiveness to Become Relevant!
Procurement is always thinking about cost savings, year over year. But is this really a true measure of competitiveness? So procurement will have a budgeted amount for, say 4.5 cents per unit for a product, when the current price is […]