In 2022, the annual inflation rate for the U.S. was 6.5%: a bit lower than the previous year, but still hovering around 40-year highs. And if you’ve talked with anyone about the cost of a dozen eggs lately, it’s clear that single-digit inflation number doesn’t really reflect the higher cost of many basic commodities. Egg …
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All posts by Deanna Wenstrup
Times are changing – and so are supply chains and the manufacturing scheduling software that helps keep them humming. Manufacturers, warehouses, retailers, distribution centers, and transportation providers are re-examining the way they approach business. The challenge is clear: to combat supply chain disruptions, implement new omnichannel fulfillment strategies, and help expand new markets and emerging …
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What is Seasonal Demand? During the holidays, when we’re continuously flooded with the next themed decor, or Starbucks Coffee drink, or seasonal dinner dish, I’m constantly reminded that these goods are purposefully designed to be consumed at a particular time of year. To get these goods to consumers, including myself, supply chain professionals have worked …
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2021 has been a difficult year for supply chains around the world. A continuing global pandemic, labor shortages, skyrocketing commodity costs, unprecedented raw material shortages and supply chain delays continue to plague companies that need to transport goods. Ports around the world are now struggling with congestion, and there is no relief in sight. Why …
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A few years ago, I wrote about the pros and cons of data sharding and data partitioning based on real-world examples. But it recently occurred to me that many may still be unsure when to use database sharding techniques and the expected benefits. The below article addresses three key questions to ask before you begin …
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Retail demand planning is a key aspect of supply chain optimization. Understanding and predicting how much stock to have on-hand to appease consumer demand at any given time helps dictate the retailer’s manufacturing and shipping needs. Not surprisingly, consumer demand can change rapidly based on environmental, economic and geo-political influences. A couple years ago, I …
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In just a short time, the year 2020 has introduced the average person to phrases unheard only three months ago – social distancing, N95 masks, PPE, and Global Supply Chain. As the COVID-19 virus spread around the world, countries went under lockdown as they tried to “bend the curve” on the spread of the virus. …
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The other day I stopped at a Chinese restaurant I had not visited in a while, and the owner asked where I had been. Trying to provide her usable consumer feedback, I informed her that I stopped visiting her establishment when they discontinued the buffet, and I had been frequenting a competitor. The owner informed …
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Tardigrades, which are often called water bears, are nearly microscopic. Although they are usually water dwelling creatures, they can be found in Antarctic ice, ocean depths of 14,000 feet and in the Himalayas at a height of 20,000 ft. They can survive just about anywhere, including outer space. Fossils of tardigrades have been found in …
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Last weekend I met up with some DBA friends for lunch. Try as you might, the conversation always seems to return to talking shop and soon we were discussing the differences between data partitioning and sharding. There seems to always be a lot of conflicting opinions on this topic, so I felt it was worthy …
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Last summer we were having dinner with some friends. One of the people at the table worked for DineEquity, the parent company of Applebee’s. He proceeded to tell us about the current initiative to redo the cooking equipment in all Applebee restaurants with wood-fired grills. They were going to introduce wood fired steak, chicken, pork …
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At Profit Point, our consulting team has over a century of combined experience implementing Aspen Supply Chain Management (MIMI) solutions. Although the concepts for developing a model are similar from plant to plant, there is nothing quite like getting boots on the ground to truly understand the client needs. With that philosophy in mind, a …
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