Supply Chain Planning Blog

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Five Tips for How to Run a Successful Software Proof of Concept (POC)

6 July 2021

Selecting and implementing a new supply chain solution is a risky career move for any supply chain manager. The wrong solution can cost the company millions and cost the manager their job. In my last post, I talked about why...
Supply Chain Talent Shortage Demystified 23 June 2021

Supply Chain Talent Shortage Demystified

In this episode of 3 Minutes in the Loop, ToolsGroup’s General Manager for North America David Barton breaks down the reasons why there is a supply chain talent shortage, and the role of automation in the shift from tactical activities...
For Distributors, Mitigating Supply Uncertainty Begins with a Better Forecast 17 June 2021

For Distributors, Mitigating Supply Uncertainty Begins with a Better Forecast

Distribution industry supply chains have always been squeezed between manufacturers and their customers; facing increased competitive threats, escalating SKU counts, and expanding ecommerce. Today distributors are navigating increasingly unpredictable supplier lead times and availability. In a recent digital transformation in...
Why a Software Proof of Concept (POC) Is Better than an RFI 8 June 2021

Why a Software Proof of Concept (POC) Is Better than an RFI

A proof of concept (POC) is an increasingly common method to select the best supply chain software vendor for your company, yet many supply chain practitioners still lean on the traditional RFI (request for information) tool. Software selection is risky....
2 June 2021

How to Select Supply Chain Planning Software

How to Select Supply Chain Planning Software

Selecting the right supply chain planning technology isn’t simply about solving a current challenge. The implications are much broader--if you implement the wrong software, you...
25 May 2021

Smarter, Low-Risk Commodity Buying

Smarter, Low-Risk Commodity Buying

By FinStock South Africa The importance of having the right inventory at the right price to service customer demand is crucial. Nowhere is this truer...
19 May 2021

Forecasting Over the Product Life Cycle

Forecasting Over the Product Life Cycle

Demand forecasting is tough, and getting it right over the entire product lifecycle during the course of launch, maturation, and end-of-life is tougher still. This...
18 May 2021

Survey Reveals an Inflection Point in Supply Chain Digital Transformation

Survey Reveals an Inflection Point in Supply...

The Council for Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) and ToolsGroup surveyed more than 200 supply chain professionals around the world on the state of supply...
14 May 2021

Don’t Forecast Demand, Model Your Demand

Don’t Forecast Demand, Model Your Demand

Demand modeling is different from demand forecasting. Simply put, it doesn’t forecast demand, it models demand. Forecasting typically starts with a time series of data—usually...
11 May 2021

How Supply Chain Optimization Enhances Your Strategic Business Plan

How Supply Chain Optimization Enhances Your Strategic...

Most successful companies complete annual strategic business plans in order to identify and execute upon growth opportunities. Likewise, many growth-oriented companies employ supply chain planning...
4 May 2021

Simplifying Probabilistic Forecasting

Simplifying Probabilistic Forecasting

In episode nine of Be Ready for Anything, supply chain expert Stefan de Kok breaks down the basics of probabilistic forecasting. Employing analogies, clarifying concepts,...
20 April 2021

How Optimizing Trucks at Planning Time Reduces Cost

How Optimizing Trucks at Planning Time Reduces...

How far can you go on $500 worth of diesel fuel? Sounds like a trick question, doesn’t it? The answer is it depends. As fuel...
7 April 2021

Avoiding Stagnation: How Ratioform Stays Agile with Supply Chain Automation

Avoiding Stagnation: How Ratioform Stays Agile with...

In episode eight of Be Ready for Anything, we hear from Mathias Kempe, the Director of Operations at Ratioform. Mathias takes us through Ratioform’s journey...
24 March 2021

A Tale of Two Industries: Surprising Demand Spikes amid Supply Chain Disruption

A Tale of Two Industries: Surprising Demand...

Levent Ozsahin, Managing Partner at Advancetics B.V. It’s human nature to miscalculate how best to respond to supply chain disruptions--either over- or under-steering in anticipation...