Retail has changed a lot in just the last few years, never mind the past 10 or 20 years. On the webcast, How to Break Six Bad Habits of Retail Planning, featuring RSR Research co-found Paula Rosenblum and Logility Director or Retail Business Consulting Jim Brown, we explored many of the processes (or habits) implemented a decade or more ago that are still at the heart of …
2017
Imagine 2030: Supply Chain Talent
This year's Supply Chain Insights' annual global conference (Live Stream: https://live.hosted.events/SupplyChain2030/) moves to our hometown of Atlanta, a town deep in supply chain history from the crossroads of the early train routes to the hub of many of today's leading brands, and supply chain services and technology providers. As we welcome the industry thought leaders, …
How Many SKUs Could a Planner Plan if a Planner Could Plan SKUs
As a classical and jazz musician, I understand the need for both structured and artistic abilities when performing. In its basic form, music is a mathematical language. What sets a professional musician apart from an amateur often is the ability to express oneself artistically through the instrument and make that special connection with an audience. Art and science come …
Simplify Supply Chain Forecasting
Is 100% forecast accuracy attainable? Should it be? Wouldn't that be called an order? Anyone that has ever had to forecast demand for products or services knows that obtaining a consistently high forecast accuracy is part science and part magic. Minimizing forecast error requires a background in data analysis and statistics while also having a solid understanding of the …
Constraints, Constraints, Constraints: Building the Optimal Supply Chain
I am constantly amazed that an automotive manufacturer will design and market vehicles with top-end speeds of 180+ MPH and 0-60 speeds in the sub 4 second range. Don’t get me wrong, I own three vehicles with 5.7L Hemi engines so I love powerful vehicles. However, considering the top legal speed in most of the United States is 70 or 75 MPH and most stop and go driving takes …
Tips to Fine-Tune Your Forecast
I am an avid cyclist and recently I was able to secure a great deal on a trike from Taiwan. One of the reasons for that great deal was the line "some assembly required" in the description. Being a mechanical engineer earlier in my career, I figured this would be a snap. Well, let's just say it took a bit longer to assemble than I originally anticipated and I am still …
Supply Chain Metrics – Gaining Visibility in a Data-rich World
The late consultant, educator, and author, Peter Drucker, is often quoted as saying "you can't manage what you can't measure." This holds just as true today as the day it was first said. I would take this a step further and say you can't know whether or not you are successful unless you have also defined what success is and track against that definition. The second part of …