Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

CSCMP EDGE 2023

Supply chain visibility key to tackling resource scarcity

A panel of industry experts shared strategies and best practices to enhance supply chain visibility and safeguard business operations.

Maintaining a seamless flow of supply in the face of bottlenecks and resource scarcity is crucial for sustaining service levels. According to panelists at a recent CSCMP EDGE 2023 Conference session, the key to responding effectively to resource scarcity is supply chain visibility. 

For Chris Papadopoulou, professor of supply chain and director of the Masters of Supply Chain program at Rotterdam Business School (RUAS), the first step to enhancing your supply chain's visibility is understanding the five megatrends impacting supply chains. Once you understand how these trends—demographic changes, economic power shifts, climate change, rapid urbanization, and technological changes—are impacting your supply chain, organizations can better tackle and mitigate resource scarcity.


However, it can often be difficult first to distinguish between resource scarcity and inventory depletion and then to accurately predict whether either of these scenarios will disrupt the flow of supply. To address these challenges, retailer Abercrombie & Fitch Co. is reshaping its talent and culture to become more proactive when responding to disruptions rather than reactive, according to Kristen Kravitz, Abercrombie's vice president of supply chain

Abercrombie's vision, according to Kravitz, is to build a "self-healing" supply chain. The company's goals center on connecting cross-functional data, automating routine processes and decisions, creating faster cross-functional decision-making actions, and improving sales while optimizing margins. 

In the end, the companies that can establish end-to-end visibility of their supply chains will be better able to handle future resource shortages and supply disruptions.

The Latest

More Stories

person using AI at a laptop

Gartner: GenAI set to impact procurement processes

Progress in generative AI (GenAI) is poised to impact business procurement processes through advancements in three areas—agentic reasoning, multimodality, and AI agents—according to Gartner Inc.

Those functions will redefine how procurement operates and significantly impact the agendas of chief procurement officers (CPOs). And 72% of procurement leaders are already prioritizing the integration of GenAI into their strategies, thus highlighting the recognition of its potential to drive significant improvements in efficiency and effectiveness, Gartner found in a survey conducted in July, 2024, with 258 global respondents.

Keep ReadingShow less

Featured

Report: SMEs hopeful ahead of holiday peak

Report: SMEs hopeful ahead of holiday peak

Businesses are cautiously optimistic as peak holiday shipping season draws near, with many anticipating year-over-year sales increases as they continue to battle challenging supply chain conditions.

That’s according to the DHL 2024 Peak Season Shipping Survey, released today by express shipping service provider DHL Express U.S. The company surveyed small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to gauge their holiday business outlook compared to last year and found that a mix of optimism and “strategic caution” prevail ahead of this year’s peak.

Keep ReadingShow less
retail store tech AI zebra

Retailers plan tech investments to stop theft and loss

Eight in 10 retail associates are concerned about the lack of technology deployed to spot safety threats or criminal activity on the job, according to a report from Zebra Technologies Corp.

That challenge is one of the reasons that fewer shoppers overall are satisfied with their shopping experiences lately, Lincolnshire, Illinois-based Zebra said in its “17th Annual Global Shopper Study.”th Annual Global Shopper Study.” While 85% of shoppers last year were satisfied with both the in-store and online experiences, only 81% in 2024 are satisfied with the in-store experience and just 79% with online shopping.

Keep ReadingShow less
warehouse automation systems

Cimcorp's new CEO sees growth in grocery and tire segments

Logistics automation systems integrator Cimcorp today named company insider Veli-Matti Hakala as its new CEO, saying he will cultivate growth in both the company and its clientele, specifically in the grocery retail and tire plant logistics sectors.

An eight-year veteran of the Georgia company, Hakala will begin his new role on January 1, when the current CEO, Tero Peltomäki, will retire after a long and noteworthy career, continuing as a member of the board of directors, Cimcorp said.

Keep ReadingShow less

Securing the last mile

Although many shoppers will return to physical stores this holiday season, online shopping remains a driving force behind peak-season shipping challenges, especially when it comes to the last mile. Consumers still want fast, free shipping if they can get it—without any delays or disruptions to their holiday deliveries.

One disruptor that gets a lot of headlines this time of year is package theft—committed by so-called “porch pirates.” These are thieves who snatch parcels from front stairs, side porches, and driveways in neighborhoods across the country. The problem adds up to billions of dollars in stolen merchandise each year—not to mention headaches for shippers, parcel delivery companies, and, of course, consumers.

Keep ReadingShow less