Supply Chain Archives - Page 5 of 16

December 16, 2015January 30, 2016

News You Can Use: 12/16/2015

6 Ways to Salve Burnout Before It’s Career Terminal

Do more of what you enjoy.
Are you really spending your work time doing what you really enjoy? Or does that get pushed to the side while other, mundane, tasks take priority? Take an inventory of how you spend your day by keeping a journal. Divide a page into two columns, one for the things you don’t enjoy and one column for those you do. Each time you perform a task during the day, record it in one of the two columns along with how much time you spent doing it. Tally the number of tasks and hours spent at the end of the day, or week. If your “don’t like” column towers over the “like” this may be what’s causing your burnout.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/253618
Procurement Study Pays Attention to Younger Generation

“In our experience,” says Rudzki,, CPOs can dramatically improve their internal credibility with the executive staff by relating their proposed agenda (including the need to transform supply management) to the metrics that the senior staff and the Board of Directors already monitor.

“Rather than having Procurement introduce a new metric for itself (which may come across as self-serving), we have generally found it to be more productive — and quicker at achieving credibility — to relate the proposed CPO agenda directly to the particular metrics currently in use by the company’s senior management,” he says.

http://www.scmr.com/article/procurement_study_pays_attention_to_younger_generation
HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR YEAR-END PERFORMANCE REVIEW

Remember, the reason you’re having a review in the first place is to give you feedback that will hopefully help you improve at your job. Avoid going on the defensive or blaming others for your performance failures. In fact, don’t discuss your teammates at all and focus solely on your own performance.

http://www.fastcompany.com/3054456/how-to-make-the-most-of-your-year-end-performance-review
Why There Will Always Be Human Sourcers

Will we, sourcers, become obsolete? I am not sure about that…..As a global sourcer, I pride myself in my creativity. Sometimes I use a gutsy approach and I approach candidates that would not be the first choice for this role – They could be either too senior, he may have just started a new role, he may be of another industry – Hell – when I start being creative? I have no idea on how to anticipate where my search is going to take me… In the mid of one search, I open another window (One? 20!) and perform another search there with another idea that came up to me on a spur of a moment.

http://www.eremedia.com/sourcecon/why-there-will-always-be-human-sourcers/
Your Best Employee Is Your Weakest Link

When I ask business owners and managers to identify their weakest link most of them will start a mental inventory of their team’s attitude and skills. But in almost every case the weakest link isn’t the slacker, or the prima donna or the dim bulb who is costing the business the most. Even without a tragic wake-up call, the weakest link is nearly always the person who knows how to do things no one else in the business can do. If that link breaks, even for a sick day or short vacation, it costs your business in small, but cumulative ways that you might not even notice. If they are able, or unwilling, to return to work those costs will accumulate fast.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/253827
Why I Give Everyone Hugs — Even Clients
[This one is for you Tracy]

As for work, as odd as this may sound, a hug de-personalizes work situations in a flash. I guess nothing can be more personal than body contact, but for me a hug says, “This isn’t about you or me individually; it’s about us as a team.”

After a discussion in which you’ve been given feedback, especially tough feedback, a hug says that those comments weren’t personal. It says that those comments are just business and that it’s my job to give you that feedback.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/253619

Photo: Patrick Fore

December 9, 2015January 30, 2016

News You Can Use: 12/9/2015

Why Supply Chain Is Make-or-Break for Groupe Dynamite and Red Wing Shoes

The reality, as those in the trenches know far too well, is exceedingly more complex, with nuanced real-world variables that make certainty a near impossibility. Apparel and footwear companies including Red Wing Shoes and Groupe Dynamite shared their experiences at Logility’s Connections conference in San Diego, revealing how improving their supply chain operations has been essential to international expansion, catering to Millennial tastes and launching new product lines.

http://apparel.edgl.com/news/Why-Supply-Chain-Is-Make-or-Break-for-Groupe-Dynamite-and-Red-Wing-Shoes103625
7 COMMON PUBLIC SPEAKING TIPS YOU SHOULD IGNORE

If you’re a comedian, great. But, says Parker, “telling jokes is an art that few can master. The chances are it will fall flat or lead to an embarrassing silence. This means you have blown the vital opportunity to make a good first impression and will struggle to regain the audience and your confidence. A personal anecdote will be a better opener in most cases.” Bonus: You’ve no doubt been telling your best anecdotes at dinner parties for years, so you’ve got a lot of practice with format and pacing.

http://www.fastcompany.com/3053981/hit-the-ground-running/7-common-public-speaking-tips-you-should-ignore
Black Monday – Supply Chain problems

Both Argos and Tesco Direct have admitted issues in being able to deliver orders on Black Monday on time. Reading through the article there is an important quote from Stuart Higgins, retail partner at LCP Consulting. “Retailers continue to pursue a faster and freer agenda which is simply placing too much pressure on their back end infrastructure and carrier partners to deliver.” Confirms what Temando found about many retailers’ back-end shipping processes not being totally automated.

http://www.it-director.com/blogs/the-holloway-angle/2015/12/black-monday-supply-chain-problems/
OK, So You’re Not Google. You Can Still Compete With It for Top Talent

Working for a startup means that when you have a new idea, you start as small as you can, build smart, prove your concept, then scale it once you have evidence that it works. That continuous feedback loop is part of what draws people to startups in the first place. Engineering talent, for example, usually has a love of problem-solving. It’s why they entered the field in the first place.

Dealing with bureaucracy, paperwork and being required to justify budgets are a lot less interesting, and that’s a built-in advantage for most startups. If you want to test something, you go for it. Once you want it to go live and be in production, or grow on a bigger scale, then you present data and make your case to the team.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/252065
Black Swans and the Risks in Supply Chains

Likewise, the ability to quickly identify a disruptive event and to respond immediately is critical to a company’s efforts to keep global operations running and to recover.

Over the last five years the use of sensors that detect threats ranging from tsunamis to suppliers in financial difficulty has become widespread.

A new crop of software applications are able to take such data, along with other information about worldwide events and translate that into recommended actions for a company. Applications can use tailored knowledge of supplier locations, bills of material, and the role certain products and customers play in supply chains to prioritize responses. Such systems are becoming essential to fast detection and efficient response.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/guest-voices-black-swans-and-the-risks-in-supply-chains-1446056584?cb=logged0.2729217391461134
Why Office Singing May Be the Next Yoga
No…just…Hell No.

Andrew McCrea, account executive at the Los Angeles-based public relations firm, PMBC Group, says office karaoke nights have helped the company’s employees bond more deeply. Karaoke nights were originally done when the company brought on new team members as a way to introduce the team to one another but they soon realized singing together helped develop a sense of unity year round. “You learn to be vulnerable around your colleagues and develop a sense of trust,” he says.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/253470

December 2, 2015January 30, 2016

News You Can Use: 12/2/2015

Would 50% of all procurement professionals really choose a different career?

Once again, a certain level of job dissatisfaction within any sector is nothing new. However, the 50% number should be of concern to those occupying the executive suite both within, and external to the procurement industry. After all, it is hard to operate at maximum capacity when half your team is disenchanted and/or disengaged.

https://procureinsights.wordpress.com/2015/11/23/would-50-of-all-procurement-professionals-really-choose-a-different-career/
Your Company Was Acquired. Now What?

In my transition out of my company and my move into that of a board member, their team was pleased to see how well I had adapted from being the sole decision-maker into a role that was a bit more low-key, yet still highly influential. My philosophy is the same as when I ran my business. I listen more, speak less and let the team fail or succeed on their own merits. I have trust that they have the company’s best interests in mind and will succeed.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/253177
Nestle admits to supply chain problems

The investigation began at the tail end of 2014, according to the source. Around the same time, reports from the AP “tied brutal and largely unregulated working conditions to their shrimp, prawn and Purina-brand pet foods.”

Apparently, many of the laborers come from poorer areas such as Myanmar and Cambodia, upon arrival they are charged a fee to work and then are trapped into working off unreasonable payments, explained the AP.

http://www.strategicsourceror.com/2015/11/nestle-admits-to-supply-chain-problems.html
7 Traits That Define Work Productivity Superstars

5. Builds a reservoir of goodwill without asking for anything in return
Good business and good working relationships must always be seen as unconditional, meaning not motivated by an expectation of future payback. The result will be people and organizations wanting to help you, rather than feeling an obligation to contribute.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/253149
Do You Know the Rules for Ethical Supplier Interaction?

Donations for charitable organizations are less obvious because everyone just wants to help a good cause, and what does it hurt if a supplier makes a decision to support your favourite charity? Well, it depends. How much? Does the supplier expect favouritism for the donation? Will the donation unconsciously bias you toward the supplier? Will there be a perception of bias? It’s tough.

http://sourcinginnovation.com/wordpress/2015/11/27/do-you-know-the-rules-for-ethical-supplier-interaction/
Big Data: The Latest Rage in Supply Chain Management

We’ve found with our clients, again and again, that big data can have a measurable impact on driving greater accuracy in planning, ensuring that companies make the right amount of the right product. Advanced algorithms and machine learning can facilitate increased forecast accuracy across a company’s SKUs, which drives greater turns, less waste, less inventory, and fewer stock-outs, which leads to higher EBITDA, lower working capital, and greater competitiveness.

http://ww2.cfo.com/supply-chain/2015/11/big-data-latest-rage-supply-chain-management/

Photo: Adrianna Calvo

November 25, 2015January 30, 2016

News You Can Use: 11/25/2015

Why Your First Generation Sourcing Platform Is Not Ready For Modern Sourcing

Many organizations that acquired these suites and applied them successfully saw year-after-year returns of 10%+ on the spend brought under management. And a few are even seeing some savings today, but just like the second auction saw little savings and the third auction saw a price increase, the year-over-year return is dropping. Why? Because while these first generation platforms were infinitely more powerful than anything that had come before, they weren’t designed to capture the full extent of complexity in an average category — complexity that has been considerably increased since the early days of sourcing due to increased outsourcing, increased globalization, increased regulation, and a constantly evolving global marketplace.

http://sourcinginnovation.com/wordpress/2015/11/20/why-your-first-generation-sourcing-platform-is-not-ready-for-modern-sourcing/
How to Be Promotable

Anybody (well, almost anybody) can do what they’re told. To get promoted, you have to go above and beyond. Taking on additional responsibilities without being asked is not only a great way to demonstrate your work ethic, energy, and skills, but it also lets your boss know that you’re ready (and able) to expand your scope. When you take on more than the norm, your boss can’t help but think that you’re capable of a bigger role. This includes showing that you’re willing to take risks by making innovative suggestions.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/252879
Third of supply chain processes ‘inadequate’

The findings also revealed that Europe and North America appeared to lag behind the developing world in terms of “process maturity” when comparing weighted averages, with fewer companies reaching the basic competency level. Some 32 per cent of firms’ processes in Europe and North America were found to be inadequate compared to 22 per in developing countries. This “surprising result” could reflect the tendency of processes to get worse over time and may also be a result of the move of manufacturing out of the old markets and the removal of good process discipline from those markets, the research suggested.

http://www.supplymanagement.com/news/2015/third-of-supply-chain-processes-inadequate
Paris attacks demand ‘wake-up call’ on smartphone encryption

“A lot of people in these terror groups have developed encryption techniques, and France has one of the most sophisticated systems for monitoring communications. If France didn’t pick up this attack in advance, it’s a wake-up call for all of us,” said Darren Hayes, assistant professor and director of cybersecurity at Pace University.

Encrypted messages reportedly helped ISIS hide communications prior to the attacks, keeping security agencies from any advance warning of what was being planned. Some experts have blamed the attacks on the growth of cheap or free smartphone apps like WhatsApp or Chatsource that encrypt messages.

http://www.cio.com/article/3005655/mobile-security/paris-attacks-demand-wake-up-call-on-smartphone-encryption.html#tk.rss_all
How to Power Through the Day Without Any Sleep

Hanging around the coffee machine all day isn’t going to do much to give you sustained energy to make it through the day. While you may think gulping down caffeine will help you feel more alert, too much caffeine can cause you to feel jittery and anxious rather than focused. Dr. Lichten says 50mg to 100mg of caffeine is the optimal dose for alertness and focus. Opt for a short cup of coffee every four hours during the day, stopping at 4pm to prevent another poor night of sleep.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/252892
A Race To The Bottom Or To Strategic Business Partner?

This reaches far beyond top level competitor intelligence. This is the granular level information that can directly impact the financials of your organization. A good example of this would be working with sales teams. They will generally know the strengths and weaknesses of key competitors and their products. They may even know recent wins/losses of the key competitors. However, when you can work with them and let them know which individuals have recently left or are looking to leave the competitor and how this could impact the competitors delivery, this could have a genuine impact on the business. For example, if a Program Director has recently left a competitor, what was their succession plan? How will this impact the competitor’s delivery on future programs?

http://www.eremedia.com/sourcecon/sourcings-tipping-point-a-race-to-the-bottom-or-to-strategic-business-partner/

November 18, 2015January 30, 2016

News You Can Use: 11/18/2015

Provider Damnation 66: Tier 1 Suppliers

A contract locks you in until an exit clause is hit, which, in an average contract in an average organization, typically is only invokeable when a supplier fails to deliver a significant portion of the contracted goods after a significant amount of time has passed (and your organization has been stocked out for weeks and lost millions of dollars), the quality gets abysmal and the warranty return rate hits the double digits, they violate a federal safety or import regulation, or they commit a crime — assuming you have a well drafted contract.

http://sourcinginnovation.com/wordpress/2015/11/05/provider-damnation-66-tier-1-suppliers/
Technology is Harming Our Relationships, and We Can Stop It (the paradox of choice)
This is how millennials will change management

Emotional intelligence is the new buzzword among millennial managers. Concepts of self-awareness, self-regulation, and relationship building will be key to millennial-managed workplaces. “Millennials are highly relational,” says Espinoza. While you may hear the old generation of managers say, “I don’t want to be friends with anyone who works for me because one day I might have to fire them,” Espinoza says millennial managers would never take that attitude. This generation of managers will put people and relationships first.

The blend of work and life for these relationship-oriented millennial managers also means that the relationships they have at work won’t just be considered work relationships, but are likely to extend beyond working hours.

http://www.fastcompany.com/3052617/the-future-of-work/this-how-millennials-will-change-management
If Coupa goes public, will it ruin the company? – YES

In what many consider to be a controversial article titled The Myth of Ariba, a former executive for the company said the following; “Ariba was a real company with a real product that got swept up in its own hype, with unfortunate consequences,” and that “Ariba was basically a fraud . . . creating [the impression that Ariba was constructing a global marketplace]. . . even though this was seen as being “a rather impossible task.”

According to the article and related book, they “went through the motions” of building this marketplace because “the stock was the only thing that mattered. A valuable stock gave Ariba currency it could use to buy other companies.” In the end, “Ariba started out very much as a real company, but was actually blindsided by the Internet boom.”

https://procureinsights.wordpress.com/2015/11/11/if-coupa-goes-public-will-it-ruin-the-company-by-jon-hansen/
Is It time to re-evaluate your BYOD policy?

That said, it may surprise you to find out that a growing number of security experts believe companies should follow the second option. Too many employees are skirting the policies to begin with, so you may be better off forbidding personal devices to connect to the network all together, especially if your industry is highly regulated.

http://www.cio.com/article/3002687/mobile-security/is-it-time-to-re-evaluate-your-byod-policy.html#tk.rss_all
Is the IT offshore industry’s business model illegal?

There is a “widespread practice in high skilled workplaces,” wrote Morrison, “by which jobs of United States citizens and lawful permanent residents are terminated, often in large groups, and whose work is transferred to contract workers who are present in or brought to the U.S. as employees of firms providing these contract services.” These workers are predominantly on H-1B visas.

The use of contract workers on temporary visas “is not incidental to the process,” wrote Morrison. “Rather, it is the explicit business model of the contracting companies to staff their contracts with such temporary workers.”

http://www.cio.com/article/3005260/outsourcing/is-the-it-offshore-industrys-business-model-illegal.html#tk.rss_all