Against the backdrop of an ever-increasing number of data breaches, with a record-breaking 2.6 billion incidences last year according to the latest research, companies need secure devices that protect sensitive data and guard against online …
Blockchain holds great promise. It is predicted to result in faster, more transparent and more efficient supply chains that are possibly fairer and more sustainable too, so it’s not surprising that everyone is talking about …
DCbrain is a publisher of network optimization software for complex networks (including gas, water, electricity and heat as well as logistics) based on big data and artificial intelligence (AI). The team is headed up by …
International third-party logistics service provider DSV A/S signed and closed a deal to acquired 100% of the shares in multi-channel fulfilment specialist S&H, on 4 September 2018. Based in the Netherlands and employing approximately 120 people …
What is the best way to prepare students of supply chain management for a future career in the industry? The answer: by giving them access to the information in Supply Chain Movement to enrich their up-to-date …
“If the rate of change on the outside exceeds the rate of change on the inside, the end is near.” Jack Welch (born John Francis ‘Jack’ Welch Jr. in Massachusetts on 19 November 1935) is a …
Belgium-based logistics software company Alpega has acquired freight exchange Wtransnet to expand its footprint in southern and western Europe. With the addition of Wtransnet, Alpega is growing its carrier network to significantly more than 70,000 transport …
The adoption of supply chain software accelerated significantly worldwide in 2017, according to research and advisory firm Gartner. The total market grew by 14% last year to reach a total revenue of US$12.2 billion, compared …
“Good artists copy, great artists steal.” A quote from Steve Jobs (1955-2011), an American entrepreneur and business magnate. He was the chairman, CEO and a co-founder of Apple Inc., as well as chairman and majority shareholder …
Everoad wants to revolutionize the road freight industry by utilizing technology and digitalization to connect shippers with carriers, and has been likened to the ‘Uber’ of European trucking. The online platform facilitates the booking process, …
How can companies find out whether – and how – they can use cool new technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in their supply chains? There are already several practical applications …
Jean Marc Lechene of Vestas has been ranked as the most influential supply chain leader in Denmark for 2018. Supply Chain Media arrived at that conclusion by applying its tried-and-tested methodology to produce the second …
Driven by big and global developments and specifically in supply chain management, continuous learning should be seen as a continuous process. Since each individual and organisation is unique, developing and implementing effective learning programs is …
Shypple was founded in the Netherlands by Jarell Habets in 2016, and the workforce grew from two to eleven full-time employees in the space of just one year. The start-up has developed a central and …
According to a recent survey into the use of advanced analytics, 30 percent of supply chain leaders regard the need to respond to customer mandates for faster, more accurate and unique fulfilment as a top …
Swiss food manufacturer Nestlé SA is involved in a project to trial the use of blockchain technology. The key aim is to improve the transparency of the worldwide food-ingredient supply chain, and hence to strengthen …
“Catch the goat when it’s passing” is one of my favourite Chinese sayings, and it is particularly apt when you’re looking to source new products or materials in China. Even after conducting thorough desk research …
Amazon has been busy lately. After entering the grocery delivery market with Amazon Fresh and buying Whole Foods, it is now in the process of launching its own supermarket, Amazon Go. These moves have many wondering if …
“If you can dream it, you can do it” Walt Disney (born in Chicago on 5 December 1901, died in California on 15 December 1966) was an American entrepreneur, animator, voice actor and film producer who …
According to a study into wind turbine supply chains, wind turbine manufacturers do not sufficiently know where the minerals they use have come from and hence are unaware of possible violations of human rights in …
Logistics problems at the Swedish fashion retailer H&M contributed to a 22 percent drop in net profit in the second quarter of this year. H&M’s profit has now fallen for four consecutive quarters. Another factor is …
Everysens is a supply chain optimization platform intended for asset-intensive industries. The start-up harnesses the power of IoT, big data and artificial intelligence (AI) to boost assets’ fleet performance for small businesses and very large …
“Technology frightens me to death. It’s designed by engineers to impress other engineers. And they always come with instruction booklets that are written by engineers for other engineers – which is why almost no technology …
Founded in Paris, France, in 2014, Shippeo is a real-time transport visibility platform providing shippers, carriers and logistics providers with instant access to predictive and real-time information about all deliveries. Based on a self-learning, proprietary …
A key characteristic of integrated business planning (IBP) is the involvement of the financial director in the monthly planning cycle. Sometimes, the financial director may even be the initiator of an integrated planning approach – …
With a score of 75 out of 100 points, Intel currently leads the way in tackling forced labour in its supply chain, according to the 2018 Information & Communications Technology Benchmark study by KnowTheChain. HP and …
JDA Software Inc., a leading provider of end-to-end retail and supply chain solutions, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Blue Yonder, the market leader in artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for retail. This acquisition reflects the increasing …
Scania recently won the Greener Supply Chain Award for its environmentally friendly transport operations in Germany and the Benelux countries. The prize was presented at the first-ever Automotive Logistics Awards ceremony, which was held on …
In late June 2018, Magnitude Software, Inc., a leader in delivering unified application data management to global organizations across industries, announced the acquisition of Every Angle Software Solutions, a business analytics and reporting specialist that …
Logistyx Technologies, a US-based leader in parcel transportation management execution (TME) systems and multi-carrier parcel shipping software solutions, has acquired Transparix, a TME Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company headquartered in the Netherlands. The acquisition supports Logistyx’s strategy to …
Alpega, a logistics software supplier and the owner of companies including Teleroute, recently acquired the Swedish firm TenderEasy to further improve its ability to meet the transport management needs of carriers, freight forwarders, logistics service …
Who is the most influential supply chain leader in Germany, Austria and Switzerland (the ‘DACH’ region)? To answer this question, Supply Chain Media applied its methodology to produce the Top 27 Supply Chain Executives in …
Founded in August 2017 in Winterthur, Switzerland, LuckaBox’s vision is to become the largest on-demand supply platform for deliveries and warehousing in Europe. Its mission is to enable retailers and e-tailers, particularly in the Fashion, …
Givaudan, the global leader in flavours and fragrances, began its long journey of innovation and acquisition 250 years ago. From its beginnings in Grasse, France, in 1768 to the recent Naturex acquisition, the company works …
A growing number of companies that have implemented Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) are now taking the next step towards Integrated Business Planning (IBP). This means that the likes of the Finance and Strategy departments …
In May 2018, the Material Stock Logistic Command of the Dutch Army signed a letter of intent to cooperate with Dimanex – a provider of a cloud-based, end-to-end service for distributed 3D manufacturing through a …
“Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.” Warren Buffett (born 30 August 1930) is an American businessman and investor. He is the long-serving chairman (since 1970) and CEO of the company Berkshire Hathaway …
There is a strong chance that Volkswagen’s production activities will face interruptions this autumn as a result of tighter European standards for passenger cars. According to the car manufacturer, the inspection bodies lack sufficient staff …
Joost Donkers has become the new ambassador for the Dutch supply chain management discipline. The Director of End2End Supply Chain in FrieslandCampina’s Ingredients Business Group was named as winner of the Supply Chain Professional of …
The supply chain digitalization trend is spreading further into the warehouse. During the World of Material Handling event, forklift manufacturer Linde presented various digital applications aimed at improving the efficiency and convenience of working with …
Companies are increasingly facing new threats from the depletion of natural resources or ‘natural capital’, according to Allianz’s analysis of over 2,500 companies. In a report titled ‘Measuring and managing environmental exposure: A business sector …
It is amazing how fast things are developing and how quickly the number of options is expanding: Apple’s Siri, Google’s Assistant, Amazon’s Alexa, Alibaba’s Genie, etc. Who would have believed ten years ago that a …
Germany-based start-up Cargonexx is a European pioneer in the use of artificial intelligence in road transport and is the first digital freight forwarder to operate an intelligent transport network. Founded in Hamburg in 2016 and …
Seven years ago, Mark Andreessen wrote his now-famous essay called ‘Software is eating the world’. He predicted that all companies will become software companies and that organizations that fail to adapt rapidly enough will go …
“Outsourcing is inevitable, and I don’t think it’s necessarily treating people like things.” Stephen Covey (24 October 1932 – 16 July 2012) was an American educator, author, businessman and keynote speaker, born in Salt Lake City, …
Intel’s 2017-2018 Corporate Responsibility Report shows that the firm’s continued focus on supply chain responsibility is paying off. In concrete terms, supplier violations related to forced and bonded labour decreased by 60 percent last year, …
The results of an inaugural survey published by Apics, an American association for supply chain management, in May 2018 reveal a substantial wage gap between men and women within the field. The 2018 Supply Chain …
Talented and ambitious, Sabine Simeon-Aissaoui was in full flight when an unsuccessful project, which she initiated in China, knocked her confidence. It gave her time to regroup, think, and come back with renewed energy and determination. …
The topic of sales & operations planning (S&OP) continues to receive plenty of attention from supply chain professionals. As far back as 2010, I reported on it as a ‘hot topic’ and noted that conference …
Few companies nowadays would deny that innovation is crucial to their long-term survival, but innovation doesn’t just happen by itself – as Lego knows from its own bitter experience. Fons Trompenaars, keynote speaker at inNOWvate: …
Contents Supply Chain Movement 29 – 2018 Q2 Date of appearance: May 25th, 2018 6 | News & Background 8 | Snapshots 10 | IT Subway Map 2018 12 | Profile Sabine Simeon-Aissaoui, Schindler Group: “Avoid making a transformation sound too …
Why is sales & operations planning (S&OP) such a difficult decision-making process? How hard can it be to hold a product review, then a demand review, a supply review and a business review in the …
Sustainabill GmbH was founded in Cologne, Germany, in 2017. The strong, multi-disciplinary founder team includes a sustainability expert, a data and requirements analyst, a full stack developer and machine learning expert and a former global …
At BYD Europe’s first-ever supplier conference, held at the BYD bus and truck plant in Komarom, Hungary, the focus was on helping to integrate increased local sourcing into the bus production activities and building a …
Unilever has once again held on to its number-1 position in this year’s edition of the Gartner Supply Chain Top 25. With a composite score of 6.36, Unilever was significantly ahead of the rest of …
Stimulated by the ongoing rise in the number and range of the customer requests it was receiving, especially about the manufacturing of its products, Dell Technologies decided to improve its transparency as part of demonstrating …
“It is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning.” Henry Ford (30 July 1863 …
In an announcement on 23 May, UK grocery giant Tesco has partly blamed high fulfilment costs for its decision to close down its non-food website Tesco Direct. After conducting a detail review of Tesco Direct, …
The Swiss start-up Luckabox was chosen as winner of the first-ever European Supply Chain Start-up Contest on 24 May 2018. The competition for European start-ups is organized by Supply Chain Media, publisher of the Dutch …
Founded in 2017 by Coen de Lange and Remko Been, Stockspots connects organizations that need warehousing space and services with organizations that have surplus space and labour availability. From a single platform, users can manage …
“Trade has been a cornerstone of our growth and global development. But we will not be able to sustain this growth if it favours the few and not the many.” Barack Obama (born 4 August 1961) …
Design thinking can help SMEs to improve their attractiveness to Chinese business partners. And innovation and co-creation can save companies up to €200,000 and ten weeks of product development work. How? Heidi Larsen reveals all …
Earlier this month, two publicly listed companies saw the price of their shares fall sharply following reports of inventory issues: Cardinal Health Inc., a US-based wholesaler of drugs and medical supplies, and Under Armour, an American sportswear manufacturer. Cardinal …
The digitalization of supply chains is posing new challenges for companies. What possibilities does digitalization offer? Which technologies should they implement? How can they utilize the data they gather to add value? For the answers …
Burberry has pushed the boundaries on innovation and design since Thomas Burberry invented gabardine in 1879. This waterproof, breathable material formed the basis for the iconic trench coat that was first worn by military officers …
People are mostly creatures of habit, so changing behaviour can be a challenge. Stefano Picasso, head of global operations and supply chain management (SCM) for Siegwerk, one of the world’s leading suppliers of printing inks …
Out of the 26 entries from across the continent for the first-ever edition of the European Supply Chain Start-up Contest, ten companies have now been selected to progress through to the second round. This means …
“In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.” This quote is attributed to Sun Wu or, as he is best known in the Western world, Sun Tzu (an honorific which means ‘Master Sun’). He was …
Quicargo is focused on road freight matching through an online transport platform that identifies unused empty space in trucks from different carriers. The smart technology matches real-time shipment requests with directly available carriers, enabling customers …
Iiyama has entered in a long-term strategic partnership with logistics service provider Geodis, who will provide the Japanese manufacturer of computer monitors with an end-to-end solution in the Netherlands. From now on, Geodis is taking care …
In the first quarter of this year Segro, a UK real estate investment trust and owner, manager and developer of more than six million square metres of logistics real estate for light industrial distribution activities …
Iterative network design and planning is essential for companies to be successful in serving costumers efficiently, consolidating new assets, or expanding into new markets or products. Fact-based analysis helps them to increase market share, reduce …
The traditional boundaries between sectors and industries are blurring, or even vanishing, due to the increasing digitalization of business globally. It's now much easier for new digital players to enter - and completely transform - …
It’s 2018; in mature companies, the board of directors includes a Chief Supply Chain Officer (CSCO). He – in spite of gender diversity efforts, the CSCO is still a man in most cases – reports …
In view of the rapid advances in technology, the world seems to be on the brink of a new age and a new generation. This inevitably leads to changes and uncertainty. When looking for clarity, …
What impact could blockchain have on supply chains? In my opinion, a very big one. In principle, this encryption technology that enables data to be shared securely has the power to finally solve two major, …
Rimi Baltic replenishes 263 stores in three countries, seven days a week. As the Baltic food retailer gradually outgrew its central distribution center (DC) in Riga, the efficiency and effectiveness of this logistics operation came …
Nowadays, big data is a ubiquitous topic in the business media; everywhere you look, the financial newspapers and magazines are filled with articles telling you how big data can be transformed into valuable insights. Over …
When it comes to freight, audit, and pay (FA&P) in the transportation business, many shippers still resort to manual processes when managing their freight costs across transportation flows and all the parties involved with them. Unfortunately, …
Peak pressure (like Christmas, seasonality in fashion and Black Friday) is quite a challenge for companies who are active in the fashion ecommerce sector or even in e-commerce in general. The increasing demands of the …
Are you passionate about supply chain management? And are you keen to stay up to date on the very latest European developments? Supply Chain Movement puts the perfect mix of supply chain-related facts & figures, trends …
Camelot ITLab, a consulting firm based in Pennsylvania, USA, has developed the first SAP-certified solution for demand-driven material requirements planning (DDMRP). Called Camelot Lean Suite 4.0, the solution for integrated lean supply chain planning balances …
BSI's Global Supply Chain Intelligence Report provides an overview of the top supply chain threats and trends by region to help organizations increase their visibility and understanding of potential exposures within the supply chain. In 2016 …
The automotive supply chain is a large, complex operation that requires sophisticated management techniques, substantial information technology expertise, and close coordination. logistics service provider dsv and supply chain movement have created a mind map for …
Most companies with a Transport Management System (TMS) in place have a wide range of transport data available to use in transport optimization efforts or as the basis for transport tenders. Without access to external …
Many companies face the same dilemma: should they do e-commerce themselves or outsource it? And should they outsource only their logistics activities, or also customer service and marketing? So when is outsourcing the right solution? …
Understanding the characteristics of a best-in-class Demand Orchestration process is important to determine how to improve your company’s demand planning capabilities. A forecast is a projection of future business: a request for product and resources that …
After years of oscillating between shortfalls and surpluses and the necessary chaos and frustration that entailed, calm has recently returned for one of my clients and his supplier. How come? They simply turned off their …
Risk of over-reliance on current business models Where can we find the new technologies and business models that are going to dominate our market? That’s the question many companies are asking themselves now that new disruptions …
Incidents are forcing companies to rethink more regularly The result of the Brexit vote, the bankruptcy of Hanjin, the attacks on foreign firms in Ethiopia – numerous recent incidents illustrate that supply chains are under pressure. …
Machine manufacturers suffering from high costs and long unreliable lead times can make huge gains in terms of competitive edge if they manage to resolve the so-called ‘service paradox’: from relatively slow, unreliable and inefficient to reliable, fast and efficient. By …
In today’s rapidly digitalizing world, companies can be divided into two categories based on their speed and agility. On the one hand we have the traditional firms and large multinationals that, just like oil tankers, …
More than 380,000 people have signed up for the CrossFit Open 2017, a challenge to find the fittest person on Earth based on 5 painful workouts for 5 weeks. That’s a whole lot of effort …
In my work to optimize supply chains, I get to visit a lot of different companies in many different industries. Since I have a huge curiosity for leaning new things, I tend to ask a …
In an edition of the Dutch newspaper Het Parool dated 17 February 1967 I came across a full-page advertisement in which the high-end Amsterdam department store De Bijenkorf proudly announced its 26 (!) collections per …
“Implementing a major change only makes sense when the company is ready for it,” says Perry Buenen, of Canon europe. He joined the company nine years ago and soon recognised the need to transform the …
Key lessons from the second IMD Global Supply Chain Survey The second edition of the IMD Global Supply Chain Survey examines how organizations rate themselves on 20 important trends in supply chain management. It shows that …
Global competition is forcing companies to optimally manage the orders they have scored. Supply chain execution software can coordinate the necessary alignment process between the various systems within the network. Together with MPO, supplier of …
There was a high level of interest in the ‘Feminization of the Supply Chain’ event among female supply chain leaders. On 7 and 8 March, around 35 women from various corners of Europe gathered together …
Gartner is currently researching the representation of women in supply chain roles at different levels in the organization, for the second consecutive year. The analists are trying to answer questions such as: How many women are …
Over recent years the Internet of Things (IoT) has caused some major changes to the world of consumer goods, but it’s how the IoT is evolving the supply chain that’s really grabbing attention today. By Ian …
On 16 February, I attended the Ready for Growth event in The Hague, The Netherlands, organized by World Startup Factory. The morning programme was ‘looking east’, which is what many start-ups do when searching for …
Trucks waiting cause frustration, safety risks, additional costs and disruptions in the supply chain. Dock scheduling is the solution for these problems and much more: Increase visibility and predictability Create a lean and agile supply …
4th SCM Consulting Subway Map Europe The market of supply chain consulting is growing in Europe. Niche consulting firms are becoming more international and are opening new offices across Europe and in the USA. Following on …
Just as the ongoing digitalization is dramatically altering the face of business life around the world, so too is the need for strategic advice changing. I recently heard from a supply chain director at a …
Contents Supply Chain Movement 24 – 2017 Q1 Date of appearance: March 3rd, 2017 6 | News & Background IFS World Conference in Gothenburg Winner of last quarter: VDL Nedcar Loser of last quarter: Peugeot International SAP …
In an amazing twist, technology is rendering the old fundamentals of supply chain management obsolete. In Russia, Adidas increased sales in Moscow by double digits in 24 hours, thanks to a supply chain initiative. At …
For the fourth year running McDonald’s occupied the No 2 spot in the Gartner Supply Chain Top 25 of global companies. Its secret to long-term success is based on a ‘System’ that is attributed to …
Recently, one of my customers stated that ‘the total supply chain inventory says as much about the health of a company as weight says about the health of a person’. If you look at it …
“Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress; working hard for something we love is called passion,” is one of the many pertinent quotes by Simon Sinek, the renowned author and popular …
‘Pee contract’ (plascontract in Dutch) just missed out on being crowned Dutch ‘Word of the Year’ in 2016. Pee contract. Maybe you heard about it? The Dutch called it a disgrace. There was a written …
Tesla’s mission to produce sufficient electric vehicles to force change in the automobile industry is accentuating its focus on lithium ion battery production. With planned production of at least 500,000 cars by the end of …
Companies in Europe will invest more in supply chain technology in the coming years, with no less than 71 percent of the companies surveyed expecting to increase their spending for 2018. They feel compelled to …
On September 1 Henkel purchased the laundry and home care company, The Sun Products Corporation, in the USA, an acquisition that took it to second position in the North American laundry care market. With a …
Even if companies have a clear corporate strategy, they rarely translate it into a clear supply chain strategy. The standard strategy and supply chain models fall short in this respect. New models are emerging based …
You’d imagine having few worries working for the world’s largest media company which regularly brings out box office hits that boost its entire business. Last year Star Wars: The Force Awakens become the highest grossing …
Fifth edition of the european SCM Map Europe Whereas other regions in the world are struggling, Europe is delivering sustained – albeit modest – economic growth. According to the World Economic Forum, no less than six …
Get more out of your production Effective production management contributes to achieving the company goals. However, manufacturing companies regularly face challenges such as disappointing customer experiences and excessive costs. All too often it becomes apparent that …
Research by McKinsey in 2011 revealed that just 35 percent of companies have a successful strategy which enables them to beat the competition. And only 20 percent of companies explicitly interconnect their strategy, product portfolio …
Who are the most influential supply chain executives in Europe? Which leaders are truly shaping their organisations and can be seen as a poster child of the supply chain universe? For the second consecutive year, …
According to independent studies, the average out-of-stock (OOS) percentage ranges from between four and eight percent worldwide. This is resulting in billions’ worth of lost sales plus dissatisfied shoppers and trading partners. The costs of …
Supply chain management professionals have been searching for how their discipline adds strategic value for years. It’s similar to the quest for the ‘holy grail’ that will give the supply chain director a position on …
Contents Supply Chain Movement 23 – 2016 Q4 Publishing date: 25 November 2016 6 | News & Background Peri wins Supply Chain Management award 2016 Winner of last quarter: PepsiCo Loser of last quarter: Caterpillar Gartner Supply …
Peri Group, the German formwork and scaffolding specialist with operations around the world, has won the Supply Chain Management Award 2016 in Germany. The multinational sells, rents and refurbishes formwork and scaffolding systems for construction …
In order to be successful nowadays, companies must combine an efficient mode with an agile mode. That was the overarching message from research and advisory company Gartner during its supply chain conference in London in …
Preparing for potential effects is more effective than predicting future events, according to Chris Caplice from the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics. He was speaking on 19 October 2016, when European supply chain leaders …
“I’d do more online shopping if only I had a working doorbell,” quipped comedian David Mitchell recently. Indeed, it is laughable that trivial issues like this can scupper what should be a straightforward process of …
Digital technology is disrupting traditional business and their supply chains. The Internet of Things, big data analysis, Augmented/Virtual Reality, 3D printing, and robotization will have a huge impact on the supply chain strategy. The main …
Coca-Cola is buying the British-owned Costa Coffee chain from Whitbread, the UK’s leading hotel, restaurant and coffee shop operator, for a sum of GBP3.9 billion (approx. €4.4 billion). The acquisition will be a significant extension …
Contents Supply Chain Movement 30 - 2018 Q3 Date of appearance: September 21st, 2018 6 | News & background Innovation is crucial to long-term survival. Few companies nowadays would deny that, but innovation doesn’t just happen by itself …
Long payment terms are an ongoing issue in the supply chain and third-party logistics world according to Meinderdjan Botman, Chief Commercial Officer of DSV Solutions. Until supply chain finance is fully embraced and rolled out, credit periods will continue to be …
A leading global player in the chemical industry wanted to achieve full supply chain visibility as well as automating the workflow. Besides that, the company was keen to improve the performance of the entire transport chain. Fabrice Maquignon, CEO of Transwide …
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