Rob Handfield

Advancing Supply Chain Operations through Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion I found the perspectives shared by three supply chain professionals on the benefits of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs quite compelling. They highlighted how these initiatives positively impact supplier relationships and efforts to promote economic diversity. By integrating diversity into decision-making and collaborating with suppliers, organizations can drive innovation, enhance outcomes, and better meet the needs of their communities. Prioritizing diversity in the supply chain fosters deeper innovation, sparks fresh ideas, and ultimately increases employee retention and recruitment. Moreover, it allows organizations to identify new opportunities and strengthen ties with the communities they serve.

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The U.S. Department of Commerce announced Tuesday the launch of Scale, a new advanced analytics data tool 📊 that aims to analyze hundreds of industries and identify supply chain risks down to the component level.   The tool uses over 40 indicators across three categories - geopolitical 🌍, logistical 🚚, and technological 💻 - to provide in-depth diagnostic assessments of what's driving risk across various industries.   It's important to note that Scale focuses on structural and systemic risks 🔍 at the industry and cross-industry level, and it doesn't provide real-time information on disruptions or their immediate impacts.   It is evident that Supply Chain Risk Management and Resilience have become pivotal concerns for the federal U.S. government. In today's interdependent global economy 🌐, the smooth functioning of supply chains is crucial for economic stability 💼 and national security 🛡️. This is particularly true for supply chains that are deemed of strategic importance.   What is the EU doing for the structural and systemic supply chain risks of its strategic supply chains? 🤔   #SupplyChain #RiskManagement #Analytics #GlobalEconomy #NationalSecurity #Geopolitics #Technology #Logistics

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Ready to rethink supply chains? Join Scott Luton as he chats with Dr. Dinesh Dave` from Appalachian State University and Evan Junker, MBA, PCM from SPARQ360 about key findings from the 2024 Supply Chain Trends and Attitudes Report. Discover how AI and sustainability are reshaping the future. Don’t miss out! 🔍: https://bit.ly/3AIjwft 📊 Get the 2024 Supply Chain Trends Summary: https://lnkd.in/gQ_Vp6rF #SupplyChain #Innovation #AI #Sustainability #Logistics #SupplyChainManagement #DataDriven #FutureOfWork #TechTrends #DigitalTransformation #Procurement #SupplyChainTrends

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Great read from Tim Payne on his “aha moments” about #antifragility. For a supply chain to respond with the right level of agility and responsiveness, it must deeply understand the impact of uncertainty. The challenge is that most supply chains lack this knowledge, causing them to struggle when faced with major uncertainties. Highly encourage you to read in full! https://lnkd.in/gUYqxpEd #gartnersupplychain #supplychainleaders #supplychain

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We're hearing lots about the effects of tariffs today but how do tariffs really affect supply chains? Especially with so many global nodes on supply chains that support the US marketplace. Listen here for some interesting information and context.

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Resilient Supply Chains: The Power of Collaboration and Flexibility Reflecting on my recent presentation on supply chain resiliency, and the discussion following it, it all comes down to a solid procurement strategy which leverages a multi-region, dual sourcing strategy, and a flexible manufacturing approach. After 37 years in the field, I still believe pull beats push, information beats inventory, and collaboration beats command. The key? Building strong, adaptable partnerships across the supply chain ensures long-term resilience and success. #SupplyChain #Procurement #Resilience #Collaboration #Throughput #ThroughputThursday Buffalo Niagara Manufacturing Alliance

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88% of supply chain executives feel that their C-suite sees #supplychain as a cost center rather than a strategic asset. Our newest EY 2024 Supply Chain Survey breaks down five key questions supply chain executives should think about when establishing strategic transformations for their #operations.

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The pandemic exposed major challenges for #SupplyChainManagement, but there are strategies for business leaders and policymakers to secure our supply chain for the future. Larry Parker Jr. PhD, Department Chair within the Dr. Wallace Boston School of Business at APUS, shared with Authority Magazine, via Medium, his expert insight on: ⭐ Strengthening #Cybersecurity ⭐ Diversifying Sourcing ⭐ Building Resilience 🔗 https://ow.ly/1VOS50TopGp #APUSinsight #NationalSecurity #SupplyChainSecurity American Military University American Public University

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St. Onge leverages our data and analytical approach to assist in navigating difficult decisions amidst a limited labor force and the changing distribution and supply chain landscape. Check out this insightful podcast delving into the transition from manual labor to technology-driven roles within warehouse and supply chain operations. #distributioncenter #supplychain #technology

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The pandemic exposed major challenges for #SupplyChainManagement, but there are strategies for business leaders and policymakers to secure our supply chain for the future. Larry Parker Jr. PhD, Department Chair within the Dr. Wallace Boston School of Business at APUS, shared with Authority Magazine, via Medium, his expert insight on: ⭐ Strengthening #Cybersecurity ⭐ Diversifying Sourcing ⭐ Building Resilience 🔗 https://ow.ly/1VOS50TopGp #APUinsight #NationalSecurity #SupplyChainSecurity #NationalTruckersDay

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🎉 Embrace the future of #SupplyChainManagement with the Alabama School for Supply Chain and Manufacturing Organization. Together, let's champion #Collaboration, #Innovation, and #Adaptability for business success. 🚀 Let's build partnerships, exchange insights, and harness emerging technologies to create robust, efficient, and sustainable supply chains. 💪🌍 For more details and how you can contribute, please refer to the first comment. #AlabamaSchool #Manufacturing #SupplyChain

This article highlights the shift to regionally diversified #manufacturing #supplychains, backed by data from Gartner. A key point is that supply networks must be designed to align with organizational and business goals. https://lnkd.in/eCSyPRGQ

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Supply Chain Disruptions: Never-Ending Story! Supply chain disruptions have become the norm rather than the exception. Being proactive will continue to be mission critical - especially for fast-growing #CPGBrands. Like all things disruptive, they seem to just show up out of the blue and completely alter the landscape. And the events that can cause disruption, continue to appear. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Whether it’s delayed raw material shipments, unexpected demand surges, or global logistic challenges, every disruption has the potential to completely derail a business... sometimes for a long time. Too long. For brands looking to strengthen their supply chain resilience, here are some actionable steps: ⚡Conduct a thorough risk assessment: Understand where your supply chain is most vulnerable and prioritize these areas. ⚡Diversify suppliers: Avoid dependence on a single supplier for critical materials. ⚡Invest in technology: Use software that provides real-time visibility across your entire supply chain. (do this after processes are solid) ⚡Develop contingency plans: Have clear, actionable plans that can be implemented quickly in response to various scenarios. #SupplyChainResilience #InventoryManagement #Operations #GoodTimes What else would you recommend to mitigate disruption?

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Labor strikes and tense negotiations continue to highlight vulnerabilities in supply chains, emphasizing the urgent need for resilience. This article by Lisa Anderson in Supply Chain Xchange explores how businesses can mitigate such risks by investing in flexible strategies like diversified sourcing, robust inventory management and strong supplier relationships. This shift is crucial for companies aiming to maintain stability in uncertain conditions. Check out the full article: https://ow.ly/EmQu50U54nW #LaborStrikes #SupplyChain #SupplyChainXchange

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We're seeing more companies report successful use of #AI in #manufacturing #supplychains. This article provides some good use cases. https://lnkd.in/ept2q-QK

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Excited to be at the Gartner for Supply Chain Symposium/Xpo™ 2024! Listening to insights from the incredible opening keynote, "Move to Drive — Owning Supply Chain's Value," presented by Tom Enright, VP Analyst at Gartner. Tom's expertise in retail supply chain strategies is impressive as he explores the concept of antifragility (think sound "Lean"), turning disruption into opportunities for value creation. A highlight for me was his discussion on the need for supply chains to rapidly adapt by shifting production and operations, which is actually supported with research from my co-authors Dr. Ellie Falcone and Dr. David Dobrzykowski Dobrzykowski on Supply Chain Plasticity. In our paper, "Supply chain plasticity during a global disruption," we empirically investigated how supply chain networks and CEO strategies can significantly enhance a firm's ability to repurpose operations during unforeseen disruptions. You can explore our findings here in the Journal of Business Logistics. - see link: https://lnkd.in/gg_ZxHdE This keynote will reinforce our research and inspire new ideas and applications in the real world. I am excited to learn more and network with over 3,500 peers at the symposium! #SupplyChain #SupplyChainU

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Covid-Era Students are Bringing New Perspectives to Supply Chain Education💡🧠 In a recent article from The Wall Street Journal, educators discuss how the pandemic encouraged many students and young professionals to shift their studies to SCM with the heightened attention to supply chains. Eva Ponce, Director of Online Education at the MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics, is quoted saying, “Having been exposed to these big disruptions, the new generation has an appetite for risk management”. 🍽 🗞 Click here to read the full article now! ➡ https://lnkd.in/ebN6zHiM What are your thoughts on the recent shift in supply chain education? Let us know you thoughts in the comments below! ⬇ #SupplyChain #SupplyChainManagement #OnlineLearning #OnlineEducation #LifeLongLearning #FreeEnrollment #SupplyChainEducation Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁 𝗧𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗿𝘀 Amy Broglin, a supply chain expert from Michigan State University, presented at our Globalization at the Crossroads conference last week.  This slide shows the key supply chain silos that need to be connected and under one business owner who manages cost across the different domains.  This has been an issue for a very long time in the industry, and it seems like it may be a function of the size and incentive structure.  Large companies have very large purchasing organizations with hundreds of agents.  This also applies to inventory, transportation, warehousing, and facilities silos where thousands of people across the globe manage pieces of the supply chain.  Co-ordinating all these groups under one head demands hundreds of managers across the supply chain managing under the same objective.  Traditionally this has been cost reduction and managers have been incented based on this metric.  But when considering supply chain risks, cost reduction can be seen as an obstacle because supply chain risk management may require dual sourcing of products, which can increase the workforce needed to manage more suppliers.  Our discussion of this topic brought up many good reasons for prioritizing risk over cost, but there is no hard and fast rule for choosing what to dual source.  There are hundreds of these decisions to be made across global supply chains, and each company will make its own decisions based on its view of its supply chain risk.  How well they make these decisions will affect their response during major disruptions like pandemics, extreme weather, or wars.

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