La-Z-Boy manufacturing comeback stunted by raw materials shortage

An essential chemical component in the foam used to make upholstered furniture was in very low supply, which affected the entire furniture industry and led to stockouts.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 19, 2020

The emerging wave of procurement and spend-management technology

Historically paperbound processes are advancing from automation to intelligence. But first, procurement departments must address data and culture change.

By Gary Wollenhaupt • Nov. 12, 2020

Explore the Trendline➔

Inventory Management

Read how retailers and brand manufactures are rethinking inventory management.

By Supply Chain Dive staff

Schneider Electric invests $40M in supply chain upgrades to prepare for post-pandemic demand

Schneider is introducing new capabilities and production lines that will allow it to work with fewer suppliers by finishing some of its own inputs — with added capacity to construct some components entirely in-house when necessary.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 12, 2020

What we know about Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine distribution plan

The pharmaceutical company plans to ship vials directly from manufacturing plant to point of vaccination in a supply chain model it described as flexible and just in time.

By Matt Leonard • Nov. 11, 2020

Beyond Meat acquires co-packer to tackle unit costs

The $14.5 million deal will provide the company opportunities to test new processes and more quickly scale up products, CEO Ethan Brown said.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 11, 2020

Take a dynamic approach to supply chain, US government.

Federal lawmakers proposed a task force to fund a more "resilient" supply chain. But resiliency is not the answer for the future, the author writes.

By Nader Mikhail • Nov. 10, 2020

EU levies tariffs on $4B in US goods following Boeing tax dispute

U.S. aircraft face a 15% tariff, and some industrial and agricultural products face a 25% tariff, including cheese, chocolate, spirits, cotton and tractors.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 10, 2020

Vendor negotiations cut IT spend without slashing company initiatives

"There's always negotiation leverage available to you, even with a very deeply-embedded vendor where maybe there's even no competitive swap out option," a Forrester analyst said.

By Katie Malone • Nov. 9, 2020

Ball fragments aluminum can supply to meet North American demand

While new manufacturing capacity is in the works, Ball Corporation will focus on using data to fine-tune existing operations and squeeze every can possible out of its supply chain. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 6, 2020

Virtual procurement is here to stay. And that's not a bad thing.

Most of our vendor relationships have always been remote, and the use of virtual tools creates deeper relationships that improve the negotiation process.

By Rich Weissman • Nov. 5, 2020

Coupa buys Llamasoft in $1.5B deal

The deal puts procurement and supply chain technology under one umbrella at a time when businesses are prioritizing a close alignment of supply with demand.

By Shefali Kapadia • Nov. 5, 2020

So you want to reduce your supply chain emissions

Walmart’s journey to a robust scope 3 emissions program reveals a shift in the way sustainability advocates see the supply chain and the urgency with which companies need to address it.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 5, 2020

Sealed Air, packaging suppliers shift to serve e-commerce 'mega trend'

Businesses said they've seen increased e-commerce traffic as a result of the pandemic, and they expect some of that volume to stick.

By Matt Leonard • Nov. 4, 2020

Supplier deliveries slow as manufacturers await election results: ISM

Companies indicated their inventories were finally growing, though customer inventories are still too low.

By Matt Leonard • Nov. 3, 2020

Kraft Heinz boosts supply-chain-stressed SKU production 20%

The company adapted its product mix to the raw materials available in Q3, which U.S. Zone President Carlos Abrams-Rivera offered as evidence of Kraft Heinz's increased agility as it adopts a new operating model.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 2, 2020

Demand volatility is the supply chain disruptor of 2020

The pandemic is still the dominant force on global economies, but leaders say supply is no longer the top problem.

By Emma Cosgrove • Oct. 30, 2020

Supply chains can use purchasing power to fight inequity

Spending more on local sourcing mitigates socioeconomic and health disparities, strengthens supply chain resilience and reduces carbon emissions, writes Kaiser Permanente's supply chain and procurement chief.

By Mary Beth Lang • Oct. 29, 2020

Roche Bros. partners with local supplier platform Forager

Forager’s technology streamlines the process of local suppliers linking up with grocers to create a smoother supply chain.

By Rosie Bradbury • Oct. 27, 2020

Mattel, Hasbro play catch-up after demand for board games, toys surges

Executives from the toy giants say retailers are keeping inventories tight for Q4, putting the onus to meet demand on suppliers.

By Emma Cosgrove • Oct. 27, 2020

Chipotle lets diners track environmental impact of burritos as restaurants prioritize sustainability

The chain partnered with an independent researcher on a digital tool that analyzes five key metrics around sourcing, including carbon waste, gallons of water, soil health, use of organic land and antibiotics.

By Peter Adams • Oct. 26, 2020

Coupa initiative focuses on business spend to increase supplier diversity

There is nearly $2 trillion transacted over the Coupa platform, and the software company aims to redirect spend toward diverse suppliers.

By A.B. Brown • Oct. 22, 2020

Is supply chain swallowing up procurement?

The pandemic thrust supply chain management and risk mitigation into the limelight. What happens to the procurement folks?

By Rich Weissman • Oct. 22, 2020

Child labor in cocoa production rises despite industry promises, report says

A large part of the difficulty of eliminating this form of forced labor is the complexity of integrating transparency into supply chains.

By Jessi Devenyns • Oct. 22, 2020

CBP issues forced labor finding for stevia imports from manufacturer in China

The enforcement finding follows a civil penalty of $575,000 imposed on Pure Circle U.S.A. for importing stevia extracts and derivatives from the company identified in the report.

By A.B. Brown • Oct. 21, 2020

Alibaba to offer B2B e-commerce training for manufacturing suppliers

A recent survey by the company found substantial growth in the adoption of B2B e-commerce in the first nine months of 2020.

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 20, 2020