Small to mid-sized companies are better positioned than large corporations to take advantage of cloud-based solutions because they have not made big investments in enterprise systems, says Yogesh Pathak of Technoforte. The supply chain is one of many areas where cloud solutions promise to change the game, Pathak says.
Today's supply chains are so complex and change so rapidly that optimization efforts often are overtaken by events, says Mike Comstock of Grand Canal Solutions. Planning needs to become much more dynamic, with analytics adapted to make optimization a continuous process, he says.
The goal for 3PLs always is to negotiate a win/win contract with existing and new customers, says Mike Bautch of Universal. He offers insights and examples on how to create win/win relationships that keep improving over the years.
Several years ago SanDisk realized that its build-to-forecast model was causing excess inventory and poor on-time delivery. The company decided to transform to a pull supply-chain model based on actual demand and postponement. Kehat Shahar, vice president of operations and supply chain planning at SanDisk, talks about this journey.
Retailers increasingly are using customized packaging to meet the preferences of customers in specific stores, regions or channels, says Jason Tham, CEO of Nulogy. This work often is outsourced by brand manufacturers and Nulogy has developed software to link and streamline the process.
Warehouse operations can be the throttle or the chokehold of a supply chain, a truth that has become more evident with the growth of e-commerce, says Robert Carver Jr., IBS director of sales. Carver discusses how technology is helping companies address challenges and opportunities in today's warehouse.
Consumers' demand for ever faster service and the overall rapid pace of change in today’s markets will force companies to completely rethink their supply chains over the next few years, says Thomas Craig, president of LTD Management.
The science of robotics is impacting logistics and supply-chain management in ways that were unimaginable just a few years ago. Zala Pogorelcnik, vice president of business development with Infinium Robotics, discusses the present and future of the technology.
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.
DIRECTV’s service depends on equipment imported from Asia and forward-positioned in 250 locations to support home installations. Having long used Microsoft Excel to forecast demand, the company had a rocky journey to an automated forecasting system from SAP. Randy Sullivan discusses lessons learned and ultimate benefits.
