Inventory Mgmt with Frequent Orders

The Chronic Pain of Drug Shortages

Despite repeated warnings that critical drugs have been and will remain in short supply, corrective action has been painfully elusive.

A confluence of factors contribute to the persistence of the problem. These factors have been identified multiple times over the years, but addressing them and their effects on patients’ health requires overall system changes that call for full congressional and business cooperation. The current blog does not cover the policy changes needed for improvement; they are beyond its scope. However, it […]

By Corinne M. Karuppan, Ph.D.|2023-04-03T19:59:23+00:00April 5, 2023|Tags: bullwhip effect, competitivness, continuous replenishment, flexible-manufacturing, inventory management, JIT, lead time, logistics, outsourcing, productivity, respsonsive supply chain design, safety stock, shortage, sourcing, strategic capacity management, supply chain management|

Is Shein’s Fast Fashion Sustainable?

Chinese company Shein has rapidly taken over as the world’s largest fast fashion company, raking in about $100 billion in sales last year.

Its merchandise is made by thousands of small suppliers in China, and consumers in the United States and Europe make up most of its market. While many are enamored by Shein’s cute and cheap offerings, others are sounding the alarm about the ethics of its practices.

Video Spotlight:

The dark side of Shein’s success […]

By Lisa M. Spencer|2023-03-22T04:32:30+00:00March 24, 2023|Tags: ethics, inventory management, product design, strategy, supply chain, sustainability|

How Digital Data Enables Strategic Fit

While Carhartt traces its roots back 133 years, the company is now implementing digital tools (cloud, analytics, artificial intelligence, etc.) to improve its overall supply chain operations.

To implement process improvements, data must be timely, accurate, and relevant. A common expression amongst operations leaders: for something to be “meaningful” it also needs to be “measurable.” Hence the requirement for real-time data analytics.

Carhartt continues to improve its operational capabilities—for example increasing factory automation—as a means to further enhance a differentiated business strategy […]

By James Kirby Easterling|2023-01-04T07:24:05+00:00January 8, 2023|Tags: analytics, artificial intelligence, automation, data mining, inventory management, logistics, MRP, operations strategy, strategy, supply chain mapping, warehouse|

Amazon’s Thousand Suburban Warehouses

Amazon plans to open 1,000 small delivery hubs across the United States, with plans to increase this number to approximately 1,500.

The move is to further the company’s goal of same day delivery to customers. Walmart and Target have been using their network of stores to provide same day delivery, with Walmart implementing Walmart+, its own version of Amazon Prime.

Amazon’s small delivery hubs are planned to be about 200,000 square feet, one-quarter the size of the company’s fulfillment centers. Moreover, these […]

By Ross L. Fink, Ph.D.|2020-11-02T03:10:14+00:00November 3, 2020|Tags: facility location, forecasting, inventory management, location, logistics, supply chain management, transportation, warehouse|