2025: Do You Know The Future of Procurement?

Just as supply chain is becoming more of a global practice, so is procurement. And according to KPMG’s “25 in 25” study, procurement executives are seeking new models and new ways of working. For the study, 25 senior chief procurement officers and executives were asked to answer these three questions: What will procurement look like…

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New Standards Call for Socially Responsible Supply Chains. What Does This Mean?

The supply chain industry is facing an ethical challenge head on. Recent years have brought ups and downs for the supply chain industry and how it is perceived globally as a result of events such as the collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory in Bangladesh last year. To address these concerns, more American supply…

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Supply Chain and Its Tech Weakness

So, who’s running the IT show in your supply chain? And are they helping you achieve a balance between meeting demand and minimizing stock levels? A recent supply chain management study among three hundred stakeholders from the logistics and manufacturing sectors revealed that 45-53% of surveyed companies say that achieving that IT balance is their…

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Why a Degree Can’t Shrink the Supply Chain Talent Gap

Many universities have created supply chain management degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels in response to supply chain’s growing popularity as a discipline. But there is no evidence so far that graduates with these degrees are adequately prepared for supply chain jobs, or whether organizations are actively seeking employees with these degrees. Even…

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Can Onboarding be Automated? The Pros and Cons

The whole purpose of supply chain is to make sure that goods get to where they need to be, when they need to be there, as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible. And obviously automation of processes has played a big role in the increasing efficiency of the supply chain function. So, what if you could…

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Mitigating the Impact of Last-Minute Recruiting

Sometimes, despite your best-laid plans, you’ll need to do some last minute recruiting in the supply chain. You might have a special project, or your top employee may resign, or you may find yourself understaffed as a new client comes on board. So how can you quickly and effectively find supply chain professionals who can…

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Want Sustainable Growth? Then You Need Sustainable Collaboration

Because modern supply chains are becoming larger and more complicated, and going global, many companies are realizing that collaboration with outside vendors is crucial to sustain performance and growth. To some companies, collaboration means that partners frequently exchange ideas and information, usually directed toward a specific opportunity or problem. Members of the collaborating companies get…

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The Hard Hitting Numbers Behind Your Poor Hiring Decisions

One of the most costly, time-consuming mistakes you can make in the supply chain industry is hiring the wrong person for a job. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that the average cost of a bad hire equals about 30 percent of the individual’s yearly salary. One bad hire with an annual income of $50,000…

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How Much is Supply Chain Talent Worth?

Did you ever stop to consider how much an employee really costs you? It’s far more than a base salary, of course. There’s the initial cost of recruiting and the possibility of travel and relocation costs. When you hire someone, you pay at least three different taxes (Social Security, Medicare and unemployment), benefits. You’re also…

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Are You Managing the Labor Cost in Your Warehouse?

Controlling costs in your warehouse can be a difficult balancing act, especially when one cost far outweighs the rest. Labor comprises the largest part of a warehouse’s operating expenses, and it’s an ongoing challenge to manage those costs without sacrificing customer service and damaging productivity. 1. Examine and evaluate your facility. Put a team together…

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