How a spirits company reduced stranded inventory with rolling forecasts

The company lost sales when its popular products were out of stock, so it stopped using static forecasts to anticipate demand.

By Robert Freedman • Dec. 15, 2019

Trump to sign phase 1 of China trade deal Jan. 15

The president said he would travel to Beijing "at a later date" to begin discussions on the second phase of the deal. No new details were released by Trump nor the U.S. Trade Representative on what was in the first phase of the deal.

By Shefali Kapadia • Dec. 13, 2019

Explore the Trendline➔

Inventory Management

Read how retailers and brand manufactures are rethinking inventory management as an effective strategy against tariffs.

By Supply Chain Dive staff

Supply challenges could delay McDonald's chicken sandwich launch, analysts predict

McDonald's supply chain offers a bit of insulation. A research firm noted McDonald's uses chickens that are between 5 and 7 pounds, while Chick-fil-A and Popeyes use 5-pound birds.

By Alicia Kelso • Dec. 12, 2019

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.

By Jon Kirchoff, PhD • Dec. 12, 2019

Walgreens, Kroger form group purchasing organization

Despite sparse precedent, it's not too difficult to imagine that either Kroger or Walgreens would want more buying power since their combined revenue is still dwarfed by giants like Walmart and CVS Health. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Dec. 12, 2019

US House votes 'yes' on revised USMCA

The business community supports USMCA, touting the potential for smoother customs processing and streamlined shipments, while economists estimate the overall impact on the economy will be middling.

By Morgan Forde • Updated Dec. 20, 2019

Ahold Delhaize to invest $480M in US supply chain integration

The move toward self-distribution will encompass warehousing, transportation and procurement, resulting in $100 million in annual savings and better product availability for customers, Ahold Delhaize USA CEO Kevin Holt said.

By Emma Cosgrove • Dec. 11, 2019

Sustainability Plan of the Year: Target's full-scope emissions goals

This year, Target set ambitious carbon emissions reduction goals and committed to bringing suppliers along for the ride, increasing the impact of its work toward a more sustainable supply chain.

By Emma Cosgrove • Dec. 9, 2019

Resilience Plan of the Year: Williams-Sonoma's trade war strategy

At the beginning of 2019, retailers either waited to see what would happen with the increasingly sunny U.S.-China trade negotiations, or they prepared for the worst. Williams-Sonoma prepared and it paid off. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Dec. 9, 2019

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.

By Ashley Norton • Dec. 5, 2019

When it comes to demand forecasts, sharing is caring

Procurement professionals who do not share their forecasts with key suppliers are creating a layer of risk in the supply chain that could result in supply interruptions and even higher prices.

By Rich Weissman • Dec. 5, 2019

To reduce risk and boost ROI, procurement needs to be at the executive table: A.T. Kearney

Firms that embrace strategic alignment with their procurement functions see two to three times greater supply chain ROI than average companies.

By Morgan Forde • Dec. 5, 2019

Ikea, Carrefour, Ahold Delhaize urge Brazil to maintain soy deforestation ban

Deforestation in Brazil has nuances that make it more difficult to identify in supply chains — potentially protecting the practice from the usual pressures raw materials buyers can exert to prevent it. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Dec. 5, 2019

Survey says one third of businesses taking no action to mitigate tariffs

With 68% of survey respondents reporting businesses affected by tariffs, but 33.5% taking no action to mitigate them, it's clear a small percentage of the business community is choosing the ostrich's strategy on tariff mitigation. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Dec. 3, 2019

Seasonal hiring is the most stressful recruiting period, survey says

Experts say the onboarding process should start before a new hire's first day​ to guarantee success and efficiency.

By Valerie Bolden-Barrett • Dec. 2, 2019

Why the vaping crisis is a supply chain failure

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

By Ron Volpe • Dec. 2, 2019

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.

By Allison Ford-Langstaff • Nov. 21, 2019

How to coach a supplier

When one-size-fits-all supplier development activities fall short, it may be time to take a more personal approach. 

By Rich Weissman • Nov. 21, 2019

Amazon publishes list of more than 1K private label suppliers

The list provides the address and name of each supplier and a map published by the company shows China accounts for roughly 500 of the e-tailer's supplier locations.

By Matt Leonard • Nov. 21, 2019

Sugar rush: As supply runs low, USDA will guarantee a backup

Adverse weather conditions mean there is less of the sweetener available to manufacturers this year, potentially setting the stage for experiments with alternatives.

By Cathy Siegner • Nov. 21, 2019

Home Depot assesses tariff impact SKU-by-SKU

Home Depot's tariff mitigation strategy is a data-driven effort analyzing the impact of tariffs at the SKU level.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 20, 2019

Kraft Heinz, Tyson among lowest for anti-deforestation efforts as industry falls short of 2020 goal

In the 10 years since The Consumer Goods Forum set its 2020 environmental goals, experts agree more immersive, on-the-ground work is needed to achieve reductions in deforestation. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 19, 2019

Hospitals waste $27.5B on bad supply chain management, Navigant says

Between 2017 and 2018, wasteful spending on supplies rose 11.8%, or $2.7 billion according to the study of 2,127 hospitals.

By Ron Shinkman • Nov. 15, 2019

Should procurement break up with Excel?

Half of procurement organizations use spreadsheets for data analysis, but exclusive reliance on these tools, however familiar, can create inaccurate forecasting.

By Craig Guillot • Nov. 14, 2019

Less than 8% of forestry suppliers have a plan for keeping forced labor out of supply chains

Though 59% of the 39 companies Know the Chain surveyed had a supplier code of conduct in place, only 5% had a process in place to deal with violations.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 14, 2019