NEWS

This fall a huge supply-chain story dropped as quietly as a tree in the middle of the woods: Singapore launched a new port in Tuas that officials say will eventually be able to handle more cargo every year than all U.S. ports combined. The secret to its prolificacy? Automation. This might scare some workers out there, but the reality is that the global supply chain has been deeply disrupted by the pandemic and the “Great Resignation” of employees across the globe. The country is suffering. At one point this summer there were 5.5 million vacancies in the U.S. job market alone, with particularly pronounced impacts for air travel, manufacturing, warehousing and logistics. In trucking, for example, a 2021 analysis of 26 economically-advanced countries reported 2.6 million open positions, a number that’s expected to grow further in 2022. Given how vital these sectors are to......

When Toyota initially created the just-in-time (JIT) approach to inventories, its factories and those of its suppliers were located near each other. Their proximity eliminated “wastes” like transit time and excessive inventory and enhanced collaboration at all levels. Over the decades, companies extended the JIT concept to global supply chains. Still, the system continued to work, thanks to stable trade conditions and logistics capabilities worldwide, which made the delivery of items highly dependable and predictable. Now, turbulence and uncertainty resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, climate-related disruptions, geopolitical tensions between the United States and China, and the war between Russia and Ukraine have called into question the wisdom of continuing to operate factories on a just-in-time basis that are dependent on global supply chains. These disruptions are tempting companies to throw out JIT and revert to “just-in-case” systems......

The Basics The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted issues with the fragility of our supply chains. Many healthcare organizations found that international logistics tie-ups strained availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other vital medical supplies.  Today, these organizations are looking for innovative strategies to build long-term supply chain resiliency. Enter direct sourcing — an integrated approach that provides solutions to many of the supply chain challenges experienced by healthcare organizations. Major opportunity areas in direct sourcing, and accelerated by the pandemic, are three-fold: Greater diversity of manufacturing and suppliers More dynamic and demand-driven strategies Technology enablement and automation: both for greater end-to-end visibility and within the production process Healthcare organizations are leveraging direct sourcing to access PPE and other supplies while also ensuring these products live up to superior clinical standards. The Future  Direct sourcing is vital for a future-forward......

  El Supply Chain Management (SCM) está relacionado con la gestión de la cadena de suministro. Existe SCM cuando hay un conjunto de sistemas que abarcan el proceso completo del producto o servicio. Fases del Supply Chain Management Suministro > Fabricación > Distribución Suministro. En esta fase, el SCM actúa indicando qué prendas/accesorios/material bruto (unidades) se necesitan en las instalaciones en un determinado plazo, para abastecer el centro de fabricación/distribución. Fabricación. En esta fase, el SCM actúa indicando las prendas/accesorios terminados (unidades) que se necesitan en un determinado plazo, para abastecer al centro de distribución. Distribución. En esta fase, el SCM actúa indicando las prendas/accesorios terminados (unidades) que se necesitan en un determinado plazo, para abastecer a las tiendas/clientes. Supply Chain Management versus Logística La Logística comprende todas las actividades relacionadas con el suministro, la fabricación, la distribución… pero Supply Chain Management......

The one-two punch of the pandemic and the Great Resignation put shipping companies and ports at a severe disadvantage that both are still working to overcome. Consumers, meanwhile, who largely never gave the shipping industry a second thought before 2020, are learning a lot more about the ins and outs of getting products to manufacturers and stores. ADVERTISEMENT Right now, much of the focus is on the upcoming holiday season, with major retailers like Amazon strongly encouraging users to begin shopping early (through programs like the recently completed Prime Early Access Sale). But how do things look a little further down the line? Here’s what the experts have to say. GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION REMAINS A POSSIBILITY While governments have tried to clear a path as much as possible for shipping companies, they’ve resisted a direct hands-on approach through......