UPS AND BLOCKCHAIN

Is this a big step to making Blockchain more than a transaction tool in logistics and supply chain management?  To elevate its strategic value!  To integrate the finance supply chain and product supply chain!!!

https://techcrunch.com/2017/12/15/ups-bets-on-blockchain-as-the-future-of-the-trillion-dollar-shipping-industry/

NIKE---SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT DRIVING MANUFACTURING

https://thebossmagazine.com/nike-supply-chain/

WHAT THE CUSTOMER WANTS OR WHAT E-TAILER WILL PAY?

Value-added service or what customers want? 3PL work based for pricing and profit success. Along comes this with its high demand volume and nonlinear work flow.  Something has to give. Customer needs/service or pricing #etailers will pay to 3PL.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/sorry-wrap-it-yourself-say-overwhelmed-online-shops-1513878410?mod=djemlogistics

THE NEW SUPPLY CHAIN--INVENTORY VELOCITY AND LEAN

The New Supply Chain that drives e-commerce customer expectations success is about velocity--inventory and order-delivery. As compared to stop & start/node-link supply chains. Lean says stopping inventory and/or multiple handles can be WASTE. 

BLOCKCHAIN AND SUPPLY CHAIN--THE POTENTIAL

Read--
https://www.linkedin.com/post/edit/blockchain-supply-chain-management-tom-craig

UNLOCK YOUR SUPPLY CHAIN

The New Supply Chain that drives e-commerce success has the power to unlock the unrealized potential of supply chains across industries, markets, and borders.  It is for more than e-commerce.  Unlock the power.

BLOCKCHAIN AS SUPPLY CHAIN INTEGRATOR

An international order/shipment can have 15 parties or more having some kinds of role.s  Identifying them and defining their roles is vital for improving the velocity of business.  Add in that supply chains are not linear, and the number of players and touch points goes up.   Think how the product supply chain and fiancé supply chains are separate.  Think of the importance of  identifying and defining the stakeholders and players.  Think of all the product and finance touch points.  Now think of blockchain as an integrator of the finance and product supply chains.  See the potential?

BLOCKCHAIN AND ITS SUPPLY CHAIN POTENTIAL

Blockchain will begin to achieve its supply chain potential when—

It’s is stopped being viewed as a transaction tool and is integrated as the financial supply chain with the product supply chain.

When all the blockchains and stakeholders and touch points are part of that integration.  

Otherwise gaps exist. 

The benefits when those two happen will be incredible.  Risk mitigation.  Supply chain velocity and the working capital and other operations and revenue gains.  Real and real time end-to-end supply chain visibility.  These are just starters.

IF YOUR E-COMMERCE IS FULFILLMENT AND SHIPPING

If you define your e-commerce Supply Chain as fulfillment and shipping/Last Mile, you might be doing Faux Omnichannel.

E-COMMERCE ORDER-DELIVERY VELOCITY AND FAUX OMNICHANNEL

The possible unwritten and back story of omnichannel struggles and failures in 2018 will be about not transforming supply chains to meet customer expectations with order delivery velocity.  Faux Omnichannel.

FOR BETTER LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN TECHNOLOGIES

For better design, implementation, and performance success, both supply chain and logistics technologies need domain expertise up front.  Otherwise they risk being a one-trick pony.  It's more than code.

PROBLEM IN BUYING, SELLING, CONTRACTING OF LOGISTICS SERVICES

A flaw in the buying, selling, and contracting of logistics/transport services is the undefined/not-well-defined services that are being procured and sold.  Ocean transport is a good example of this.

E-COMMERCE AND SUPPLY CHAIN REVOLUTION

Alibaba, Amazon, the Amazon Effect, Being Amazoned.  E-commerce and the Supply Chain that drives meeting Customer Expectations.  Think revolution, not evolution.

E-COMMERCE AND SUPPLY CHAIN DYNAMO

E-commerce and its New Supply Chain are about more than B2C and consumer goods.  They are driving across markets, industries, and borders.  Are you ready?  Are you leader or a reactor in the disruption and transformation?

TECHNOLOGY AND THE E-COMMERCE SUPPLY CHAIN

Technology (integrated) is an essential of the New Supply Chain that drives meeting E-commerce Customer Expectations.  Attend the Omnichannel Supply Chain Webinar to learn more--

http://www.ltdmgmt.com/ecommerce-supply-chain.html

THE RATE OF CHANGE

Amazon, the Amazon Effect, and Being Amazoned have created the needed disruption and chaos for change and transformation.  The opportunities for leaders can be significant, andcan the risks for laggards and change resistors.  High stakes.  Think of retail and what is happening and expand it across markets, industries, and the world.

Change is not the issue; the incredible rate of change is.  Incredible.

SIMPLE METRIC FOR RETAILERS

Simple metric for retailers. Compare your order-delivery velocity performance to Amazon’s.  And the results are?

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/12/19/more-than-75-percent-of-us-online-consumers-shop-on-amazon-most-of-the-time.html

LOGISTICS COMMODITIZATION AND CHANGE

Disruption and chaos in #logistics and #SupplyChains create change and transformation.  This creates real differentiation--a break from homogenization and commoditization of logistics services and providers.

QUESTION ABOUT YOUR E-COMMERCE

Think about this. If your e-commerce cannot meet customer expectations for order-delivery velocity, what is the point of selling online? Learn about the Supply Chain that drives e-commerce success. Attend the webinar-- http://www.ltdmgmt.com/ecommerce-supply-chain.html

CONTAINER LINES--OPPORTUNITY TO TRANSFORM FOR E-COMMERCE NEW SUPPLY CHAIN

Container Lines--Transform to Friend in the E-commerce New Supply Chain

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/container-lines-friend-foe-supply-chains-tom-craig/?published=t

E-COMMERCE. THINK BEYOND.

B2B e-commerce is larger than B2C. Think emerging markets. Think cross border/global trade. Think beyond where you are now. Think of... Now what kind of Supply Chain do you need to succeed?

MORE BLOCKCHAIN IN LOGISTICS / SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

Another use of #Blockchain in logistics / Supply Chain Management--

https://theloadstar.co.uk/blockchain-epods-can-help-eliminate-supply-chain-cashflow-bottlenecks/?utm_source=The+Loadstar+daily+email&utm_campaign=0304b226ac-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_12_18&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c4570e43d4-0304b226ac-153458185

E-COMMERCE--STRATEGY VS PROGRAM

Do you think there is a coincidence in e-commerce success with those who define it as strategy vs those who see it as a sales program?  One includes supply chain transformation.  And one is pushing the old supply chain to do what it was not designed to do.

E-COMMERCE AND ITS SUPPLY CHAIN DYNAMICS

E-commerce and its supply chain are dynamic, not static, and that puts more pressure on laggards to not fall further behind.

E-COMMERCE AND LOGISTICS TRANSFORMATION

Part of the Amazon Effect and its corollary, Being Amazoned, is supply chain transformation.  That creates opportunities for logistics providers to transform.  It also opens potential for new providers.  And a new breed of services—3PSCM and SCMaaS.   Also important is to elevate these in the New Supply Chain and break from being a commodity offering.

E-COMMERCE LATE DELIVERIES AND MISDELIVERIES

And then there are misdeliveries and late deliveries by e-tailers who charge for shipping.  SAY WHAT?  The Last Mile.

AND REMEMBER ALIBABA AND E-COMMERCE

Amazon, Amazon Effect, and Being Amazoned. If you still drag your feet transforming your Supply Chain for e-commerce Customer Expectations success, then remember Alibaba and global/cross-border trade.

WHY ARE YOU DOING E-COMMERCE?

What about this question?  If your e-commerce cannot meet customer expectations for order-delivery velocity, what is the point of selling online?

IF YOUR E-COMMERCE SUPPLY CHAIN IS STRUGGLING BADLY...

If your supply chain is struggling badly to meet customer order-delivery expectations, then attend the webinar to hear about Omnichannel E-commerce and the New Supply Chain.

http://www.ltdmgmt.com/ecommerce-supply-chain.html

IT IS ABOUT THE SUPPLY CHAIN, NOT JUST ITS LOGISTICS COMPONENTS

Measuring supply chain performance by its logistics cost s and focusing technology on logistics components fails the end-to-end supply chain process. It cherry picks the supply chain. That cost and technology approach runs counter to need for end-to-end supply chain velocity that is critical, especially for e-commerce.  Logistics components are part of the supply chain, not the supply chain.

WEBINAR: SUPPLY CHAIN THAT DRIVES E-COMMERCE

Webinar--The Supply Chain That Drives E-commcerce:

http://www.ltdmgmt.com/ecommerce-supply-chain.html …

RETAIL COINCIDENCES

For those who like coincidences--
*Struggling retailers with weak omnichannel programs and with having struggling financials and store closures.
*Struggling retailers and investment companies as owners.

PANALPINA--WHAT NEXT?

https://theloadstar.co.uk/analysis-panalpina-can-flex-financial-muscle-direction/?utm_source=The+Loadstar+daily+email&utm_campaign=99169c050a-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_12_15&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c4570e43d4-99169c050a-153458185

RETAILERS, MANUFACTURERS, AND THE UPSTREAM SUPPLY CHAIN

How many retailers and manufacturers see the critical Upstream Supply Chain--and why, as a result, there are problems with suppliers, performance, and inventory.

MANUFACTURERS AND E-COMMERCE SUPPLY CHAINS

For e-commerce, manufacturers must accelerate production and their own supply chain capabilities.  They need the New Supply Chain with its embedded lean capabilities.

THE NEW SUPPLY CHAIN, E-COMMERCE, STRUCTURED COMPLEXITY

The New Supply Chain directs and manages structured complexity to deliver the e-commerce customer experience and meet customer expectations.

M&A FOR CONTAINER LINES-- A CURE????

Is M&A in container lines a cure for what ails carriers and the industry or is it a band-aid for underlying issues and weaknesses in strategy, structure, process, design, and organization?

THE SECRET, UNFOLDING E-COMMERCE BATTLE

Is e-commerce becoming a battle of what customers want vs what UPS, FedEx, and store-hugging retailers want to do that is good for them?

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-14/fedex-ups-want-to-steer-santa-s-packages-to-the-local-drugstore?mod=djemlogistics

CAVEAT FOR LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN TECHNOLOGY

Technology is a disruptor and transformer for logistics and supply chains.  But some ideas have side effects--

HOW SOME COMPANIES SATISFY CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS

SUPPLY CHAIN CONSULTING QUESTION

A question--or dilemma--for firms looking to hire consultants--how can I engage someone to assess my supply chain who has never actually worked in supply chain management?

E-COMMERCE SUPPLY CHAIN PERFORMANCE VS ACCOUNTING

E-commerce is about velocity--order-delivery and inventory to meet customer expectations.  That has created a problem with e-tailers.  SCM performance is often rated by the costs of its logistics components and where inventory is an asset. 

Changing those two mindsets is vital for firms in e-commerce that have a strong desire and strategy to aggressively compete--and not just to sell online.  The old mindset shows in the Last Mile complaints, where again, the end-to-end supply chain is measured on logistics costs.  E-commerce success should be measured in satisfying customer expectations as to order-delivery.

Retailers, manufacturers, and distributors still constraining themselves with the two mindsets create their own barriers to e-commerce success that is driven by supply chain management.  

CONTAINER LINES--FRIEND OR FOE IN SUPPLY CHAINS?

Container lines are an important part of international logistics.  Yet they are a weak link/player in supply chains, especially with e-commerce supply chains that require velocity and dependability.  They create supply chain erosion and performance risk.  This situation is not new, but its impact has increased with e-commerce.

Lines prices around port pairs.  It is part of the commoditization of the service. 

What if they charged instead based on transit time and schedule reliability?  It would elevate ocean carriers' role.  Plus, it would create needed differentiation for them and help customers to manage inventory velocity.  And it would clarify customers/buyers who are rate chasers vs service chasers.  It could also provide an indirect assist for vessel planning and utilization.

Read more about supply chain erosion and container lines at--

 http://www.ltdmgmt.com/impact-from-logistics-partner-actions.php

THIRD-PARTIES AND WHAT WILL AMAZON DO?

Service failures by third-parties selling on Amazon.  A wager that the issue is out-dated supply chains that fail at order-delivery velocity and inventory velocity?  Being on Amazon is not same as delivering like Amazon.  What will Amazon do with such firms whose problems reflect on them?

LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT FOR 2018

The change and disruption in 2018 for logistics and for supply chain management will have parts of “what will happen” and “what should happen” reflecting transformation issues and change resistance. A key will be the primary stakeholders.

GOOD NEWS FOR DP-DHL

DP DHL good news--

https://theloadstar.co.uk/analysis-dp-dhl-reports-theres-good-news-really-good-news/?utm_source=The+Loadstar+daily+email&utm_campaign=1a77bf3fc7-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_12_12&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c4570e43d4-1a77bf3fc7-153458185

TRANSPACIFIC CONTAINER LINES STRUGGLE OF COOPERATION

Container lines.  From the days of ANERA's antitrust and general failures came TSA.  Now TSA is struggling for its future.  Carrier cooperation does not seem to follow the  Godfather and keeping your enemies close!?

https://theloadstar.co.uk/gloomy-outlook-transpacific-rates-maersk-becomes-latest-quit-tsa/?utm_source=The+Loadstar+daily+email&utm_campaign=0731ea18de-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_12_13&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c4570e43d4-0731ea18de-153458185

SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTION AND CHAOS

We challenge traditional views of supply chain management that are outdated for e-commerce success and the new selling reality with cross-borders.  Where do you want to be in the time of disruption, chaos, change, and transformation?

SUPPLY CHAIN AGILITY VS THE SUPPLY CHAIN MONOLITH

Is Supply Chain Agility code for strategy and/or tactical mistakes and looking to SCM to make up for it using a designed SCM monolith? A variation of anything is possible when you are not the one doing the work?   Thoughts?  SCM practitioners vs not--a factor in the answer?

REACTING SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

Reacting is NOT a supply chain strategy and does not drive e-commerce need to meet order-delivery velocity. It is high in risk and high in negative impact. Yet many omnichannel firms do it. Go figure.

YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR

From logistics services to consulting services, it is interesting to see those who buy on low price are then frustrated with they bought and the results.

FAUX OMNICHANNEL

Retailers and Manufacturers--act to implement the new supply chain that meets customer order-delivery expectation and creates e-commerce success.

No faux omnichannel.

NO FAUX OMNICHANNEL

Retailers and manufacturers and distributors have a choice with E-commerce.  Make it a key part of your strategy and aggressively pursue.  Or, go through the motions of e-commerce for various reasons; a pretend effort.  Faux Omnichannel

MANUFACTURERS AND E-COMMERCE BLINDERS

An issue of many manufacturers with establishing e-commerce supply chains is not seeing the upstream supply chain.  They see the supply chain starting in their factories and look at fulfillment (not the customers and their expectations) as online selling.  Those blinders and not seeing the end-to-end supply chain lay the ground work for operating problems and not meeting customer expectations, especially during surge periods.

INVESTORS AND LOGISTICS BIG PICTURE

With the chaos and disruption in logistics, investors need to look at the total picture of what is happening, and not just in a vacuum or in the singularity of a logistics provider.

WHYS AND EXCESS INVENTORY

Excess inventory is waste--waste of capital, waste of needed inventory space, and waste of warehouse productivity with having to work around it.  Excess inventory is easily identifiable by all the dust that sits on the cartons as it matures into obsolete.  It is a practice of retailers, manufacturers, and distributors.  The impact is exponential across the organization and locations.

Some why questions with excess inventory.  Why does it occur so much when there are better options, such as Inventory Velocity, and the pressure to improve supply chain costs?  Why do these products/materials sit so long in warehouses?  Why are key executives hesitant to take the needed write-offs to dispose/fire sale the products?  

Is this an example of Einstein insanity--doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results?

BIG PLANS AND PROBLEMS FOR CHINA TO EUROPE RAIL

China wants to move 25% of its exports to Europe via rail.  What would that do to container lines, mega ships, alliances, and ports?   BRI  


https://theloadstar.co.uk/claims-threat-subsidies-casts-pall-booming-asia-europe-rail/?utm_source=The+Loadstar+daily+email&utm_campaign=57cc2c04af-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_12_11&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c4570e43d4-57cc2c04af-153458185

DEMAND FOR NEW JERSEY WAREHOUSE SPACE

Interesting as to e-commerce demand for warehouses close to major population areas. Question as to their size when compared to Amazon distribution with both large square footage AND the height for conveyors; these large inventories and shipping big volumes of orders.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/demand-for-new-jersey-warehouse-space-skyrockets-1512837841?mod=djemlogistics

PLATFORM BUSINESS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT AS A SERVICE (SCMaaS)

There should be a supply chain management Platform Business (or businesses) for the  SME community.  Supply Chain Management as a Service (SCMaaS).  Blend technology and actual supply chain management--a hybrid that creates ongoing value.

For trade—export/import.  For the required supply chain that enables e-commerce success with meeting customer expectations.

Include next gen technology for supply chain visibility, digitization, blockchain, and more.  Include the logistics community.  It more than leveling the playing field; it is leading.  It is a game changer for SMEs.

E-COMMERCE INVENTORY VELOCITY, NUMBER OF LOGISTICS PARTICIPANTS, DIGITIZATION, DISINTERMEDIATION

E-commerce requires inventory velocity to deliver orders that meet customer expectations.  The international segment of supply chains, both inbound and outbound cross-border, have many logistics intermediaries--not all are designated by the buyer or seller but rather are a result of present logistics practices.  

While no one has measured it, it is logical to assume that there is a correlation between the number of logistics participants in shipments and the likelihood/the risk of less-than-optimum inventory velocity.  To mitigate the situation, digitization, with its potential disintermediation of the number of logistics players in trade activities has both logistics benefit and increased supply chain value.

Agree?  Thoughts?

RETAILER AND MANUFACTURER E-COMMERCE PERFORMANCE AND CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS

It is interesting the many omnichannel stories that do not mention the retailer or manufacturer performance with satisfying Customer Expectations with order-delivery velocity. Does that lack of information reflect no use of metrics or a limited e-commerce program or ?

FASHION BRANDS PLAYING AN INVENTORY GAME

They choose to ignore the Inventory Velocity of the New Supply Chain.  It enables managing inventory flow, a better choice than the risk of scarcity and its impact.  That is THE solution for omnichannel.  Oh, well.

https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-analysis/christmas-becomes-inventory-war-game-for-us-fashion-brands?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=socialshare&utm_campaign=bof

SOME E-COMMERCE REALITY / FAUX OMNICHANNEL

Walmart seems to be the only serious e-commerce player, besides Amazon.  Too many retailers and manufacturers are playing pretend e-commerce.  No serious commitment to satisfying customer expectations and to transforming their supply chains to drive success.   They are content with getting some orders while complaining about Last Mile costs.  Faux Omnichannel.  Any wagers on what Amazon and Walmart do to their long term online activity and presence?  They do not practice "in for a penny; in for a pound".

BLOCKCHAIN AND SUPPLY CHAINS

Talking about blockchain for supply chains in terms of tracking products shows both a misunderstanding of supply chain management and an undervalution of blockchain's potential in supply chains.  Tracking is just a various of present track and trace offerings by transport/logistics providers. 

Escalate the thinking of the role of blockchain and supply chain management beyond "transactional". 

1. Place the transaction in the context of the supply chain with managing purchase orders and creating critical inventory velocity. 
2. Place it in the context of supply chain risk, mitigation, and chain of custody. 
3. Place it as a way to integrate the two supply chains--product and finance.  
4. And more.  The above are just starters.

THE NEW SUPPLY CHAIN AND INVENTORY VELOCITY

Inventory velocity is a necessity of the New Supply Chain that drives omnichannel e-commerce.  That velocity means the Perfect Order for customers--delivered complete and on-time, plus accurate--and in turn that means meeting customer expectations.  It means less working capital spent and tied up in inventory that sits.  It means less fire sales/depressed pricing.  It means improved profits.  It means faster conversion to getting paid and having cash.

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH OMNICHANNEL?

Too many discussions on retail apocalyse and either/or for selling. What is wrong with doing omnnichannel, selling duality, and the supply chain duality that drives it? What is problem with retailers and manufacturers "multitasking"?  Is there an organization problem?

THE SHIPPER FOR INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT

In writeups on container shipping and international air freight the term "shipper" should be clarified as to BCOs (beneficial cargo owners) vs freight forwarders/NVOs.  Big diff on how supply chains and service are viewed by the two.