It only makes sense that The 3M Company, with a business model resting almost entirely upon technology, would eventually get around to applying it to the supply chain.

Analyst Insight: It's surprising yet true that not many professionals in supply chain or S&OP are aware of Cash Conversion Cycle (CCC), a critical success factor metric. Many in finance are well aware of the metric. The elements are simple - Inventory Days of Supply + Accounts Receivable Days of Supply - Payables Days of Supply. Why is the metric so foreign and why doesn't everyone in SCM and S&OP use it to measure success? - Gregory Schlegel, executive-in-residence, Center for Supply Chain Research, Lehigh University

Analyst Insight: There are a few risk-mitigation methods that can improve the bottom line, and they have been around for some time. They are Product Portfolio Management (PPM), Customer Value Management (CVM), Total-Cost-to-Serve (TCS) and Gross Margin Return on Inventory Investment (GMROII). - Gregory Schlegel, executive-in-residence, Center for Supply Chain Research, Lehigh University

Analyst Insight: We have come a long way from the days where gut feel and years of industry knowledge ruled the day and drove critical decision-making. "Water Cooler Talk" seems a thing of the past, but to effectively work together, businesses must replace it with a new process. Face to face cross-functional team discussions are critical in helping teams learn to work together and communicate effectively. Welcome to sales and operations planning (S&OP). – M. Scott Moon, principal, Tompkins International