INTERNET OF THINGS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

INTERNET OF THINGS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT.  The connectivity potential is interesting.  But what happens when that connectivity says that a repair or restock is needed?  That now means a provider with a supply chain with velocity to match and support the speed of problem notification and resolution.  But is that capability there?  The expanded reach of disruption and transformation with supply chains.

BLOCKCHAIN AND SUPPLY CHAIN STATUS

Blockchain and Supply Chain currently is a mix of hype, reality, confusion, potential, and so-what?

GROWING USE OF AIR FREIGHT IN SUPPLY CHAINS

GROWING USE OF AIR FREIGHT.  Container line service with slow steaming and rolled containers is creating demand for air freight shipping, especially to meet the end-to-end velocity demand of e-commerce.

TARGET AND ITS SUPPLY CHAIN

Do Target's problems also reflect an over emphasis on the downstream supply chain instead of the end-to-end supply chain with velocity?

BLOCKCHAIN REAL WORLD QUESTION

BLOCKCHAIN REAL WORLD QUESTION. In the world of blockchain, distributed ledgers, and smart contracts, how do the realities of loss and damage, overages and shortages fit in, including with supply chains? How about ocean containers lost overboard with international trade?

DO YOU KNOW HOW WELL YOUR SUPPLY CHAIN PERFORMS?

Manufacturers and retailers, do you know how well your supply chains perform? How do you know?  The metrics?  Are these about logistics costs? Do you do a lot of fire-fighting with your supply chain? If you measure on costs and fire fight, your supply chain likely has operating issues.

PLATFORM BUSINESSES AND TECHNOLOGY

PLATFORM BUSINESSES AND TECHNOLOGY.  Platform businesses for international trade, logistics, and supply chains are not exempt from technology disruption and transformation.  Digitization.  Blockchain.  More.

BLOCKCHAIN INVESTORS, BANKS AND SUPPLY CHAINS

Blockchain Investors should understand the blockchain-supply chain issues.  So should banks, not just from a cryptocurrency, but also for international trade.

THOUGHTS ON BLOCKCHAIN FOR SUPPLY CHAIN

Blockchain, thanks to bitcoin, has been around for 10 years.  It is not new.  That is has that age and is still in a hype phase says that there is more to it--devil in the details.  Supply chain benefits are a current topic with blockchain.  And I am very interested in it for the international/global supply chain--the most complex supply chain.  Details on how it would work for each of the
different Incoterms, smart contracts and ocean shipping contract, the large number of stakeholders and players in a international trade and its logistics.  What we have is a financial distributed ledger (and who does not love accounting) and how to integrate and elevate it into the product supply chain.  So far, blockchain has been a peer-to-peer, single-use, limited application.  A need is to get supply chain domain expertise into the issue to advance it. 

SUPPLY CHAIN PAIN POINT

SUPPLY CHAIN PAIN.  Retailers and manufacturers what are your supply chain pain points?  What are you doing about them?  Success?  What more do you want to do?

FUTURE OF 3PLs WITH DIGITIZATION AND BLOCKCHAIN?

3PL VALUE PROPOSITION.  Digitization is often discussed with disintermediation for forwarders.  Why stop there?   What does it do to 3PLs?  Now add blockchain.  Now add supply chain velocity, aka, keeping up with the Amazons?  What is their value proposition in this new reality?  What are 3PLs doing to prepare?  Have they developed a strategy?  Or just a "program"?

DIGITIAL TRANSPORT CONTRACTS AND BLOCKCHAIN

Digital ocean shipping/service contracts (so can all other digital transport contracts) can fit very well as a smart contract alternative in blockchain for international trade and logistics.

THE WHY FOR E-COMMERCE FIRMS

A WHY OF E-COMMERCE FIRMS.  Even if you have unique products, e-commerce buyers are looking for quick order delivery. Not meeting that customer expectation impacts the customer experience and future sales. Why then are e-tailer/retailer/manufacturer firms not aggressive in implementing the end-to-end supply chain with velocity?

LOGISTICS DIGITIZATION IMPLEMENTATION

Digitization and its effects is shaping to be THE disruptor for logistics providers.  A key issue is the rate of implementation and transformation.

BLOCKCHAIN STANDARDS

The lack of Blockchain standards makes needed integration for Supply Chain Management benefits with all of the stakeholders in SCM, especially international, more challenging.

E-COMMERCE STRATEGY VS E-COMMERCE PROGRAM

How many companies have an e-commerce strategy that is comprehensive and includes the supply chain and drives success with customer expectations? And how many just have a program?

STRATEGY NEED FOR LOGISTICS PROVIDERS

STRATEGY FOR LOGISTICS PROVIDERS. Logistics providers. How are you doing with a new strategy for technology, new competition, and old ways passing? From Digitization to Blockchain to Flexport to Amazon to new Supply Chains--and beyond.

CUSTOMER CENTRIC VS COMPANY CENTRIC

CUSTOMER CENTRIC. The New Supply Chain that drives e-commerce success is built from the customer back to meet Customer Expectations. That design is Customer Centric. Standard supply chains have been built from the warehouse or factory out. That design is company centric.

TOO MUCH INVENTORY AND OUT-OF-STOCK

Many Supply Chains have a mix of too much inventory and out-of-stock at the same time. The New Supply Chain with end-to-end velocity can mitigate that situation.

BLOCKCHAIN FOR SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT AND LOGISTICS--HYPE VS REALITY

For Supply Chain Management and Logistics, Blockchain sits at the point of hype vs reality. And the electricity for cryptocurrency to gain the potential benefits of the technology.