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5 Biggest Benchmark Problems and How To Fix Them
As you may have heard from us a few times, benchmarking is a top tool used by leadership teams to support decision making. So, to dig into that topic, APQC surveyed over 200 professionals—across functional boundaries—to understand their benchmarking challenges. Benchmarking plays a vital…
Omnichannel Strategy Can Drive Supply Chain Responsiveness
When you think about customer expectations, one thing that may come to mind is Amazon’s instant gratification business model. Consumers expect to immediately access information online about a specific product and its availability, and then very quickly obtain that product. Consumers want seamless…
How to Innovate Post-Disruption
One thing is certain in 2021: disruption persists. And another thing that is certain is our organizations must adapt and innovate to handle these challenges. So, while we may feel like we are on a never-ending roller coaster ride, the good news is that organizations are learning to innovate in new…
How Do You Conduct a Process Map?
Process maps are an excellent way to bring clarity to how work gets accomplished in the organization. Maps make processes tangible which helps visualize how a process plays out and interacts with other processes and systems. This visibility helps you coordinate improvement projects, choose measures…
Starting Small with Sustainability – an APQC Story
APQC is small in terms of our physical footprint and number of employees. We deliver services; we have no products that require manufacturing or shipping. So how can we be more sustainable? The go-to idea would be to donate money – and we do donate to charitable causes – but what else could we do…
Holdup at the Suez Canal is Creating Big Problems for Supply Chain Sustainability
Three months into 2021, and we’ve got yet another unprecedented event: a massive ship is stuck in the Suez Canal. It’s the first time that’s happened in the canal’s 150-year history, and it’s already creating huge problems in terms of its: economic impact (goods can’t get to market with this…
What 4 Factors Matter Most For Finished-Product First-Pass Quality?
After a year of severe disruption, manufacturing is on the rise again. For example, the Institute for Supply Management’s February 2021 Manufacturing ISM® Report on Business® noted that 16 of 18 manufacturing sectors saw growth in February, encompassing everything from electrical equipment and…
Turn Supply Chain Chaos into Reusable Knowledge
In my last blog post (Blockchain and RPA Leading Supply Chain Trends in 2021), I mentioned that chaos has made improvement efforts difficult in supply chain; in fact, it’s the number one obstacle to improving processes. Just a few months into 2021, it’s already clear that the changes won’t stop…
How The Pandemic Made People Love Supply Chains Again
The global pandemic exposed both the vulnerability and the importance of supply chains to business and the daily lives of consumers. With shortages from flour to shipping containers and toilet paper to freezers, consumers discovered what business has known all along: supply chains are essential.…
Why is Reddit So Excited About Supply Chain Visualization?
Five thousand upvotes and counting. Dozens of Reddit awards (which, by the way, are purchased with real money). Hundreds of back-and-forth comments full of inside jokes, controversy, and sheer enthusiasm.* No, I’m not talking about the latest viral video or meme—I’m talking about a supply chain…