Supply chain management

Supply chain management is all about software and systems, right? Put in the best technology, sit back, and watch as your processes run smoothly and the...

Beyond the devastating and saddening human costs, the earthquake in Japan is another reminder of the complexity of the world’s supply chains and the great interdependencies in global production systems. The world’s supply chains are complex and highly optimized to deliver products efficiently at the lowest cost. They are characterized by a sequential mode of […]

A global shortage is impacting companies across every industry.

In an era when businesses increasingly have to depend on their suppliers to lower costs, improve quality, and drive innovation, traditional contracts...

The U.S. may be the world’s leading innovator, but it won’t be for long if investors, regulators, and the legal establishment continue to penalize companies for risk taking, says Deborah Wince-Smith, president of the Council on Competitiveness. Recently, the council’s National Innovation Initiative, a leadership network of CEOs and university presidents, released a report in […]

When the author launched what would become Marico as a division within his family's business, Bombay Oil, it was with product innovation: Instead of selling...

For two decades progressive thinkers have argued that a more sustainable form of capitalism would arise if companies regularly measured and reported on...

Three capabilities the consumer health company invested in after demand surged during the pandemic.

Building resilience means questioning the most fundamental assumptions.

Today, most multinationals have a conspicuous social conscience. They publicize their internal codes of conduct, monitor labor conditions in their global supply chains, and require suppliers to meet basic labor practice standards. But despite efforts to be better global citizens, companies by themselves are unable to eliminate abuses in their supply chains. In fact, so […]

Fifteen minutes south of Chicago’s Loop, the inner-city neighborhood of South Shore has an old-fashioned bank with a radical twist. For those of us at South Shore Bank, banking means knowing the borrower, the neighborhood, property values, and the economic environment. It means tough credit standards, cautious qualification of borrowers, and close monitoring of the […]

The CEO of Tots & Teens, an apparel company headquartered in New Jersey, learns at a company party that one of the factories in Bangladesh where T&T's...

Changes in tools, teams, regulations, and markets are putting sustainability in the hands of the finance department.

Manufacturers in developed countries can no longer rely on lean management practices to stay profitable. They face increasing competition from plants...

Companies need to do more than simply invest in building effective supply chains — they need to place an equal priority on maintaining them.

It’s no longer just about manufacturing.

When the biotech pioneer had to get a blockbuster drug to market fast, it didn’t lock itself into a rigid supply chain. It joined with partners to become a virtual manufacturer.

Blockchain can enhance trust, efficiency, and speed.

Make or buy decisions can be a catalyst for industrial renewal.

Strategies for reducing excess inventory, stemming the rate of inventory change, and preventing the situation from happening in the future.