Forbes | SupplyChainBrain

Retailers Know Some of Their Collected Data Is Useless - But Which Part Is That?

November 3, 2015

Retailers are in the midst of a data land grab. They are trying to collect all of the consumer data they can possibly get their hands on. Why? Because they're hoping that some of it will prove to be valuable.

Are You Overlooking or Underestimating the Value of Chief Supply Chain Officer?

September 11, 2015

Forbes

The presence of a chief supply chain officer indicates a certain amount of intelligence around the boardroom.

Big Data Analytics Energizes Supply Chain Management

July 17, 2015

Forbes

Big data is providing supplier networks with greater data accuracy, clarity and insights, leading to more contextual intelligence shared across supply chains.

Betting Big on Natural Gas, Dow to Invest $6Bn in Expanding Its U.S. Manufacturing Plants

March 5, 2015

Forbes

Dow Chemical is investing $6bn to enlarge its manufacturing facilities in the United States by 40 percent, based on a wager that low natural gas prices here will persist into the middle of the next decade, a Dow executive said recently.

Mobile Commerce More Likely to Help Than Harm In-store Sales - if Harnessed Properly

February 18, 2015

Forbes

The buzz about the threat of mobile/e-commerce to physical stores has at times echoed "All About Eve," with "thumb shopping" playing the role of the ingénue poised to outshine those brick-and-mortar has-beens. But mobile shopping will actually have the opposite effect, according to Matt Moog, CEO of PowerReviews, which bills itself as a "Consumer Engagement Engine" that helps companies connect shoppers at the moment of purchase to drive sales.

The Cloud Really Helps Get All Trading Partners' Systems Aligned. Right?

November 5, 2014

Forbes

In the world of supply chains, signing on a new partner or trading partner has typically marked the beginning of a marathon. Whether by electronic data interchange, EDIFACT, cXML, ebXML, value added networks, portals or the rest of the alphabet soup of connectivity approaches, a great deal of time and effort is required to get trading partners’ systems aligned - even if trading hubs are involved. Every company has a different system, and different processes for getting things done. For a company with thousands of trading partners, imagine how much in resources it gobbles up just to manage and keep every partnership aligned. Of course, cloud changes all that right?

Supermarkets Could Soon Manipulate Where You Walk in Store, Send Coupons to Smartphones

July 14, 2014

Forbes

You walk into the local supermarket, list in hand. Eggs, milk, bread, some pork chops and steaks, cereal, potatoes, fruit, and what the heck, maybe a bag of chips. You know the routine: with basic meat, bread and dairy necessities strategically set up around the perimeter, you'll have to pass by a host of other items on the way there and back.

Banning Big-Box Stores Can Hurt Local Retailers, Study Says

July 11, 2014

Forbes

Sometimes city governments issue zoning requirements prohibiting the construction of giant retail stores. The latest: Swansboro, North Carolina, where town residents are hotly debating an ordinance that, in effect, would ban construction of a Walmart.

Managing Supply Chain Risk - That's for Somebody Else to Worry About, Right?

April 14, 2014

Forbes

The recent occurrence of faulty ignition switches in General Motors cars should serve as a wakeup call to companies that lack good visibility into their global supply chains. But most have failed to implement adequate supply-chain risk-management programs that could head off such problems.

'Smart' Trains Impact Conversion from Truck to Rail

April 7, 2014

Forbes

Think hybrids that go 60 miles on a gallon are efficient? Trains can go eight times as far with 2,000 pounds in their backseat. And they're only getting smarter.