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  Spend per buyer is reaching critical levels: time to sound the alarm?

  It's easy to empathize with overloaded buyers in this new, ultra-lean procurement era. But procurement professionals must adapt or risk going the way of the dodo bird, writes Rich Ham, CEO of Fine Tune. 

  Rich Ham • Feb. 20, 2020

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  A break from trade uncertainty is a good time to future-proof your supply chain

  Beijing and Washington have agreed to play nice for a while and the USMCA is almost complete, but firms shouldn’t sit back and relax, writes Lou Longo, an international consulting practice leader at Plante Moran.

  Lou Longo • Feb. 18, 2020

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  Supply chain managers can leverage Lunar New Year experience in coronavirus disruption

  This is a time when agility in the supply chain, specifically having multiple suppliers in varying geographies, will be extraordinarily valuable, writes Nate Evans, co-founder and CXO at Fictiv.

  Nate Evans • Feb. 10, 2020

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  Learning from Adidas' Speedfactory blunder

  Adidas will end its revolutionary manufacturing program this year, but that doesn't mean the principles of distributed operations should be abandoned by other players.

  Adrián Hernández • Feb. 4, 2020

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  AI is reshaping transportation. Railroads can get on board or miss out

  Can freight rail deploy technologies that boost safety performance and productivity while growing market share? Ian Jefferies, president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads, grapples with the question.

  Ian Jefferies • Jan. 28, 2020

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  How to leverage digitization and reduce freight volatility

  The end goal should not be just surviving a potential market downturn — it should envision a broader path toward long-term growth and resilience.

  Ahmad El-Dardiry • Jan. 23, 2020

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  4 e-commerce trends to watch in 2020

  When competing with Amazon or Alibaba, it’s important to use trends as inspiration for innovation, writes Bernard Schreiner, co-founder of Paazl.

  Bernard Schreiner • Jan. 16, 2020

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  How artificial intelligence is disrupting manufacturing

  For traditional manufacturers, integrating AI across day-to-day processes and equipment is no small task. Firms can keep up or risk becoming obsolete, writes 3D Hubs Co-founder and CCO Filemon Schoffer.

  Filemon Schöffer • Jan. 7, 2020

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  Planning for IMO 2020: The cost of non-compliance

  It's paramount that shippers, refiners, marketers and traders prepare now so fines don't mount and trade flows aren't further disrupted, writes Patrick Long, a director at Opportune LLP.

  Patrick Long • Dec. 16, 2019

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  How to assess risks in a globalized supply chain

  While it can expand reach and profitability, globalization can be a stumbling block for businesses, exposing firms to interruptions in supply, stock-outs, quality problems and supplier management issues.

  Jon Kirchoff, PhD • Dec. 12, 2019

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  What does the future hold for ELDs?

  The widespread use of ELDs marks the first time shippers and brokers have a line of sight into the supply side of their business — that’s nothing short of powerful, writes Oren Zaslansky, CEO of Flock Freight.

  Oren Zaslansky • Dec. 11, 2019

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  Climate and change: Decarbonizing procurement contracts

  215 of the world's biggest companies see climate change as a threat to their bottom line within the next five years.

  Ashley Norton • Dec. 5, 2019

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  Amazon vs. Ikea and the battle for inner-city warehouse space

  With space at a premium, how are online giants making the most of urban warehouses — and how can traditional big-box retailers compete?

  James Beale • Dec. 3, 2019

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  Why the vaping crisis is a supply chain failure

  Numerous websites sell cheap, unauthorized pods designed to fit vaping devices from major manufacturers.

  Ron Volpe • Dec. 2, 2019

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  Embracing change during supply chain transformation

  Adam Runsdorf, president of WDSrx, writes that while his company is committed to reducing costs and increasing productivity for clients, achieving those goals internally became a challenge as the business grew.

  Adam Runsdorf • Nov. 22, 2019

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  Breaking procurement's glass ceiling is not just about gender diversity

  Removing gender bias is not just an HR initiative. It needs to become part of an organization’s culture.

  Allison Ford-Langstaff • Nov. 21, 2019

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  From Santa's workshop to omnichannel sales: Preparing for holiday fulfillment

  Santa’s workshop isn’t located at the North Pole — it’s the online boutique, the cozy shop around the corner, the big-box retailer and the e-commerce giant.

  Jan Arendtsz • Nov. 19, 2019

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  Supply chains must take the lead in origin stories

  As consumer interest grows in products' sources and production, supply chains have a responsibility to plan and execute company-wide initiatives on origin stories, Gartner's Pam Fitzpatrick writes in an op-ed.

  Pam Fitzpatrick, Senior Director Analyst, Gartner Supply Chain Practice • Nov. 8, 2019

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  5 KPIs make or break supply chain strategy

  Investing in supply chain integration and optimization helps firms reap the benefits of improved quality of service and a competitive edge. Optimizing that supply chain, however, means hitting five key performance indicators.

  Dylan Lee • Nov. 1, 2019

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  Conquering peak season: 5 tips to optimize holiday order fulfillment

  For retailers, the ability to efficiently get products into the hands of consumers after they click "Buy Now" has become a competitive advantage. 

  Johannes Panzer • Oct. 29, 2019

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  4 signs you might have a master data problem

  If you have observed these general signs across your operations, it is probably time to mull over putting a master data management strategy in place.

  Shashin Shah, CEO of Pimcore • Oct. 22, 2019

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  An uncertain economy muddies the waters for IMO 2020 planning

  The unknowns then remain the unknowns today: Will there be sufficient low-sulfur bunker produced to meet demand, and/or will the price of existing high-sulfur bunker drop sufficiently to make installing expensive scrubbers cost-effective?

  Patrik Berglund, CEO and Co-founder at Xeneta • Oct. 21, 2019

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  3 ways to fight the 21st century procurement paradox

  While analytics improvements have helped organize data, they haven't always done much for the people buying, selling and managing inventory every day.

  Richard Lebovitz, CEO of LeanDNA • Oct. 17, 2019

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  Customers are demanding more personalization and lower prices. How can supply chains deliver?

  Today, customers everywhere want personalized products and services, and most critically, they want them at affordable prices. For companies to meet this demand, they need a sustainable, flexible supply chain model.

  Suman Sarkar • Oct. 3, 2019

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  How resilient buildings drive resilient supply chains

  Supply chain operations can only be assured to the extent that individual nodes in the network are prepared to weather both literal and proverbial storms.

  Kate Sherwood, VP and Head of Sales North America at Centrica Business Solutions • Sept. 24, 2019

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