The role of the supply chain planner isn’t going away, no matter the advancements in technology, says Cristina Carvallo, senior director at Gartner. But the position does require adopting new skills.

Suppliers are managing a hard constraint. Plan around it and you get the same factory in September that you got in June.

Despite major investments in AI, real-time visibility, and faster planning tools, many supply chain organizations continue to battle constant firefighting, expediting, and poor plan adherence. Why do these challenges persist? The answer may be that speed alone isn't enough.

Today’s world is more unpredictable than ever. From regulatory upheavals and trade tariffs to sudden shifts in consumer demand, businesses must be ready to respond swiftly and decisively. Traditional planning processes struggle to keep up with the urgent risks and opportunities that arise between meetings, triggering constant re-planning and creating room for misalignment and disorder.

Demand planners now actively participate in supply planning meetings, reviewing level-loaded production plans and monthly buy recommendations.

The future of logistics belongs to those who successfully bridge the human-machine frontier at the physical execution layer, but the window to act is closing.

John Rogelstad, managing consultant at The Logic Factory, explains the concept behind Demand-Driven Material Requirements Planning (DDMRP), and how it’s impacting North American manufacturing.

Supply chains are under increasing pressure to handle higher volumes, tighter delivery expectations, and more complex flows with fewer resources and less tolerance for error. This article explores five key trends shaping the shift from basic operational visibility to measurable business value.

When e-commerce demand surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, cold chain logistics provider eGourmet Solutions faced a defining test of its operational scalability.

Maintaining exceptional service levels to ensure quality patient care is critical to AstraZeneca, a biopharmaceutical company.  But for years, its exceptional service levels came at a cost for the company in the form of elevated inventory levels and planning decisions made with limited end-to-end visibility into its supply chain, which impacted agility and growth.