Steve Lovejoy, senior vice president for the Starbucks global supply chain, discusses initiatives that the company has under way to meet the "whenever, wherever" demands of today's consumers as well as projects aimed at understanding the consumer of tomorrow.
A supplier review process at Chick-Fil-A has grown from a simple, manual exercise to a robust collaborative initiative involving numerous internal departments and high-level sit-down meetings with suppliers. Mike Walpole, senior manager of distribution and logistics, explains how the process has evolved and where it is going.
Today's workforce consists of Baby Boomers hanging on to their jobs, Gen Xers growing impatient to move up, and Millennials expecting to leapfrog their way to the top. Generations expert Hannah Ubl of BridgeWorks offers tips for leaders who must manage this potentially combustible mix.
Redbox has an unusual supply chain, with 10 new product introductions a week and no replenishments. An algorithm effectively allocates new DVD's among 43,000 kiosks, but this allocation is quickly skewed when customers use different kiosks to rent and return. Matt James, vice president, explains how the company solves this problem.
MBM Corp. is a customized food products distributor to 28 restaurant chains in the U.S. and abroad. Because truck drivers are a critical part of MBM's operations and its primary customer contact, driver recruitment and retention are crucial strategies, says Mark Luttrell, vice president.
Stage Stores' vision is to have no compliance violations on orders from suppliers and zero chargebacks, says Ken Lettre, vice president of compliance and supplier relations. Barring that, it wants any violation to occur only once. Lettre explains how Stage Stores is working to achieve those goals.
The use of aero-robots, or drones, in the supply chain may be nearer than you think, and potential applications extend far beyond delivery of small packages, says Jonathan Evans, CEO of Skyward. Evans discusses the technology behind commercial drones and Skyward's role in helping build a digital airspace infrastructure.
Stage Stores operates 850 small-footprint department stores across the country, including the Peebles, Bealls and Goodys chains. Gough Grubbs, senior vice president for distribution and logistics, explains why the company adopted a centralized distribution strategy and how that strategy is supporting corporate growth.
Industrial giant Tyco has embraced a philosophy of "zero harm" in terms of its impact on the environment and the safety of employees. David Haley, director of distribution, explains how this commitment is being implemented at the company’s fulfillment centers.
Same-day and next-day delivery are not services normally associated with furniture stores, but City Furniture is changing that in South Florida. City's fast delivery program, which began 12 years ago, has become a key competitive advantage and is changing customer expectations for the industry.
