2020 was one of the strangest and most disruptive years on record. As the saying goes, those who do not learn from history are bound to repeat it, and most would say they never want to experience 2020 again. But in addition to reviewing lessons learned from 2020’s challenges, we should also…

With all the disruptions facing supply chains this year, procurement professionals are in the spotlight as crucial business partners driving agility and flexibility in the face of risk and volatility. These increased demands require professionals skilled in data, risk, and supplier relationship…

Digital transformation is no longer a competitive edge in supply chain, with more than three-fourths of organizations in the midst of such a change. With the vital role supply chain plays in organizational success, leaders are responsible for enabling digital transformation. One question I get…

To survive and thrive, organizations must balance efficiency with adaptability, flexibility, and effectiveness. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic downturn have challenged organizations to re-evaluate their ideas about how to optimize the supply chain. Rather than focusing…

Supply chain professionals and their organizations have undergone a significant—perhaps even tectonic—shift when it comes to working from home. It’s quite common now, while on a web call with someone in a supply chain role that can work from home (not in production or warehousing) to see a cat, dog…

I recently re-connected with Steve Wunker, managing director of New Market Advisors, about innovation. Steve and I have collaborated many times over the years, starting in 2007 when APQC, IBM, and Innosight developed innovation archetypes (like personality types) highlighted in our published…

As one-third of 2020 is behind us, what’s next for supply chains? What are the keys to maintaining best practices in supply chains after a crisis? The answers are tied to foundational management practices: sound data management, strong process management, a focus on future-ready skills, and…

COVID-19 has exploded across the world since we first wrote about the impact of the virus on supply chains in early February. What began as a supply-side disruption localized to China has morphed into a set of multiple disruptions with myriad impacts along the entire…

It all started—as so many things do these days—with a tweet. In August of 2019, Popeyes’ Louisiana Kitchen was generating a lot of social media buzz in response to its new fried chicken sandwich. The chicken chain’s biggest competitor, Chick-fil-A, was itching for a fight. Chick-fil-A’s online…

COVID-19 has sickened hundreds of thousands of people and has led to thousands of deaths since China first announced an outbreak of the virus in Wuhan on December 30, 2019. In addition to the rapidly increasing human toll, the virus has significantly disrupted the…