Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

New consortium to address supply chain volatility

The X-treme Supply Chain Consortium seeks to develop metrics and identify effective responses to supply chain volatility.

A newly formed organization, the X-treme Supply Chain Consortium, will bring together manufacturers, distributors, and logistics service providers to develop a framework for measuring risk factors and analyzing companies' responses to supply chain volatility. The group is an offshoot of the new book X-SCM: The New Science of X-treme Supply Chain Management, a project supported by the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business, Sterling Commerce, and CSCMP.

The consortium's aim is "to get people to think about the right set of issues" when assessing and responding to supply chain risk, said Richard Douglass, a manufacturing and logistics executive with IBM/Sterling Commerce, in an interview at CSCMP's 2010 Annual Global Conference in San Diego. Because no single metric can capture the broad array of risk factors, the consortium plans to organize working groups to develop metrics for different risk categories, such as those causing volatility in transportation, sourcing, compliance, and demand, he said. It also plans to eventually examine successes and failures, and identify effective responses to supply chain volatility.


The X-treme Supply Chain Consortium currently has about a dozen members and is seeking more participants. Members are supply chain executives in senior strategic positions, such as vice presidents and directors. For more information about the group, contact Richard Douglass at rdouglass@us.ibm.com.

The Latest

More Stories

Nick Saban_2.jpg

Lessons from the gridiron: Former Alabama football coach preaches the importance of process, culture

If former Alabama University football career Nick Saban could point to a foundational moment in his career that helped shape his philosophy to coaching it would be this: In 1998, his Michigan State University football team with a 4-5 record was headed to Columbus, Ohio, to play an undefeated Ohio State University team. Speaking at a keynote session for MHI’s Modex tradeshow, Saban admitted he did not think his team had any chance of winning. So, he asked his friend who was a sports psychiatrist what he should say to his team. 

“He said you need to teach the team to focus on one play at a time, like [the play] has a history and life of its own, and to be totally process-oriented,” Saban recounted. “Do not be worried about the outcome, be worried about all the things you can do to get the outcome. There’s no external factors. There’s no scoreboard. You focus 100% in front of you and what you need to do for that play.”

Keep ReadingShow less

Featured

MHI report.jpg

MHI Industry Report shows AI interest, adoption on the rise

MHI CEO John Paxton put it succinctly when summing up the MHI 2024 Annual Industry Report on Wednesday at the industry association’s Modex trade show in Atlanta: “AI is the word of the year.” While you could quibble that artificial intelligence (AI) is actually two words, the general sentiment behind Paxton’s assessment is correct; every recent discussion about supply chain technology eventually wends its way around to the promise and challenges of implementing AI. 

The 1,700 manufacturing and supply chain leaders who took part in the survey that formed the basis for the report certainly agreed: 84% of survey respondents said they plan to adopt artificial intelligence technologies within the next five years.

Keep ReadingShow less
MODEX24_EnerSys_600x400.jpg

EnerSys debuts latest NexSys charger innovations

Stored energy solutions provider EnerSys is showcasing its newest NexSys charging innovations at MODEX 2024 in Atlanta this week.

Keep ReadingShow less
MODEX24_zebra_1200x800.jpg

Zebra introduces automation solutions for the connected workforce

Zebra Technologies introduced a range of new enterprise mobile computing and intelligent automation solutions at this year’s MODEX 2024, taking place this week in Atlanta.

The expanded portfolio is designed to help businesses “build an agile supply chain through better accuracy, visibility, and efficiency.”

Keep ReadingShow less
MODEX24_Rite-Hite_1200x675.jpg

Rite-Hite debuts ONE Digital platform

Rite-Hite, maker of loading dock solutions, industrial products, and software, is launching its Rite-Hite ONE Digital platform during MODEX 2024 in Atlanta this week. Rite-Hite ONE is a comprehensive digital platform that empowers customers to optimize facility throughput, prioritize maintenance, mitigate safety incidents, reduce demurrage, and act on meaningful data analytics from Rite-Hite’s line of smart, connected equipment.

The software platform helps unify material handling operations in warehouses, distribution centers, and other industrial facilities. In addition to connecting Rite-Hite’s smart-enabled high-speed doors and loading dock equipment (such as levelers, barriers, vehicle restraints and controls), it also collects and analyzes data from that equipment, helping facility managers and teams to see trends and make data-based decisions.

Keep ReadingShow less