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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As a technologist, I’ve always been interested in the behind-the-scenes workings that make our programs do what we want them to. How does Siri know when to listen to us and how to respond? How is Waze able to give us traffic tips on the fly? The answer lays in smart programming, which is often …
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Supply chain network design is all about creating a model of your existing supply chain network and then adding in alternative possibilities to evaluate them analytically. This gives business leaders a relatively easy, fact-based way to look at how effective their current supply chain is and compare alternative configurations. When done effectively, smart supply chain …
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One could argue that everything in the supply chain starts with planning. Even the simplest supply chains require at least some basic assumptions and forecasts around cost, supply and demand. Although this process is more complex than it is at first blush. Just look at the daily news, and you’ll see supply chain planning complications …
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As the global economy seeks to recover post-pandemic, a renewed focus is being put on supply chain optimization. No one wants to relive the days of cleaned out produce aisles at the grocery store or a toilet paper shortage. But more importantly, as the medical community seeks to vaccinate the world, we’re starting to realize …
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Anyone remodeling a home, shopping for a new car or trying to buy pretty much anything with a computer chip in it knows that many industries are currently grappling with significant supply chain disruptions. Companies that just a year ago were plotting a course to survive a total economic shutdown are now scrambling to benefit from …
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Supply chain optimization practices focus on leveraging available data within your ecosystem to make smarter business and operations decisions. Organizations also use this data to make their supply chains more sustainable and eco-friendly. Traditionally, this data has typically been consolidated within enterprise resource planning (ERP) tools. ERP system supply chain integration has been a hot …
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Supply chain sustainability sounds like it should be table stakes for our industry. However, rapidly changing business conditions often cause organizations to suffer from unplanned heavy demand and unrealistic deadlines. This causes upstream suppliers to request overtime from their resources to meet demand surge. Even though downstream organizations follow sustainability guidelines, high demands and local …
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To commemorate International Women’s Month, the women of Profit Point recently held a virtual gathering to share our experiences in the supply chain industry. It was a special time to hear each unique experience and to encourage one another in our professional journeys. What was most exciting …
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Supply chain network models are powerful tools that help organizations make critical decisions. These decisions have a significant impact on growth plans, customer service and overall cost to serve. Therefore, the analytical process to develop and run these models is rigorous and very data intensive. This analytical rigor brings a level of confidence to the …
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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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We recently recorded Karen Bird, our Head of Global Supply Chain Practice and Chief Marketing Officer, on supply chain technology integration best practices. One of our favorite moments during the interview was when we threw her a curve ball, prompting her to answer an unrehearsed question. It paid off – big time. Her answer touched …
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