Supply Chain: An update on Challenges and Opportunities
Supply chain disruptions continue to plague manufactures, distributors, and all organizations with products and inventory.
Should We Pay Attention to Metaverse in the Supply Chain?
In manufacturing and supply chain, AR (augmented reality), VR (virtual reality) and digital twins (digital representation of an intended or real-world physical product, system or process) are a few exciting opportunities with a multitude of uses.
What’s Up in the Economy, Business, Manufacturing & Supply Chain?
It is a whirlwind and confusing. Here is a quote that sums it up perfectly: From a salesperson at a client recapping the conversations at a recent industry conference - Everyone is skeptical, but we are all seeing orders and backlog remain pretty robust.
The Road Ahead: Business, Supply Chain & The World Order is Available GalleryThe Road Ahead: Business, Supply Chain & The World Order is Available
Business & the Economy, Business Processes / Best Practices, ERP, Technologies, Digitization & Automation, Global, Import & Export, Inflation Strategies, Manufacturing, Recession-Proofing Strategies, Reshoring/ Nearshoring, SIOP / S&OP, Supply Chain, Supply Chain Briefing, Supply Chain Disruption, Talent / Skills Gap, Trends/ Future Proofing, VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity)
The Road Ahead: Business, Supply Chain & The World Order is Available
Special Report: How Companies Should Reshape to Succeed in 2023 & Take Advantage of Huge Opportunities Coming Down the Pike
ChatGPT & AI: Good or Bad?
What is All the Hoopla Over ChatGPT? If you haven't been living under a rock, you've heard about ChatGPT and other AI (artificial intelligence) competitors such as Google's Bard and Elon Musk's AI platform. Everyone has gotten into the conversation, from marketing professionals to tech experts to people like [...]
The Economy & Manufacturing: What Do the Statistics Say?
According to this week's GDP report, the real growth rate was minimal (around 1.1%) during the first quarter. On the other hand, inflation remains high, around 5.3%. This seems to reflect stagflation. Unfortunately, business equipment spending was around -7.3%, and inventories are down. PMI (Purchasing Managers' Index), an [...]
West Coast Ports are Losing Volume: What Are the Successful Doing
According to PMSA (Pacific Merchant Shipping Association), the five big West Coast ports have lost volume - 702,083 fewer loads and empties were handled in January and February 2023 than in the same period pre-pandemic in 2019. This equates to close to a 16% reduction. Specifically, the Port of Long Beach was off by 18.7% from January 2019 [...]
Take Control of Your Manufacturing to Wrestle Volatility to the Ground
What is clear is that VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity) is continuing in the forefront and will continue to be our "new normal". As I recently debated with the Wall Street Journal, we are in an era of non-stop disruptions. Look no further than the escalating war of Russia [...]
SIOP (Sales Inventory Operations Planning) Book Published
I am thrilled to announce that I have published a book on SIOP (Sales Inventory Operations Planning), also known as S&OP and IBP (Integrated Business Planning). Why is SIOP VITAL to Success? I think our introduction says it well, and so I'm going to give you a preview. As [...]
West Coast Ports Diminishing Volume
According to the The Journal of Commerce, the West Coast ports are losing volume. The West Coast share of imports coming from Asia is down from 61.1% in 2021 to 58.8% in 2022 while the East Coast and Gulf Coast ports rose. According to the JOC, the ILWU contract negotiations are causing this change although there are concerns about drayage and rail as well.