We live in a supply chain disrupted world, and there is no end in sight. It started with the pandemic as the global supply chain got out of alignment. The 'right' inventory wasn't in the 'right' place at the 'right' time to support basic needs let alone nice-to-have items. [...]
Sustainability has become popular with consumers, employees and an imperative of large companies. After all, who wouldn't want to participate in saving the planet? In fact, I was interviewed for an Earth Day special "Our Changing Climate" (you'll see me featured in a few segments around 20 minutes in). From a corporate perspective, according to IBM Institute for Business Value, 51% of CEOs now rank sustainability as their greatest organizational challenge.
During times of volatility including inflation and recession, forecasting future sales becomes even more vital than it is during regular business cycles. Emerging from the pandemic, the global markets have experienced rising costs and significant demand. In the U.S. [...]
Manufacturing has struggled to produce what customers want on-time without spending a fortune and tying up excess cash unnecessarily in the wrong, "just-in-case" inventory. It is a tough environment spiraling out of control with supply chain chaos.
As executives continue to navigate these volatile economic conditions, the focus on inventory management increases. It is especially tough to determine what to do if you don't know if sales opportunities will dramatically increase as the competition falters and consumers drive demand or if sales will tank as recession fears increase and business optimism falters.
Manufacturers are experiencing continued inflationary pressures threatening customer service and profit margins with record-breaking price increases and lack of material availability. To add fuel to the fire, they are also starting to worry about preparing for a potential recession.
Lisa Anderson, a supply-chain management expert and the president of LMA Consulting Group, says if you’ve got the cash on hand now,"it’s not a bad idea to start your holiday shopping early this year."
As clients become interested in S&OP (Sales & Operations Planning), also known as SIOP (Sales, Inventory, and Operations Planning) to get in front of customer requirements while simultaneously increasing margins and profits, executives want to know if software is required to support S&OP success.
Since the pandemic, it has been a constant battle to ensure material availability, let alone to proactively manage cost and service. Even the most proactive and successful clients have experienced brief shortages of key materials and extended lead-times. The rest have been plagued with these issues.
Because we live in a global, supply chain disrupted world amidst record-breaking prices for food, commodities and oil (and all products dependent on these industries), not only are businesses looking to navigate inflationary pressures, but also deflationary pressures. Inflation can lead to deflation as consumers panic and demand softens.
