MRP and ERP – OM in the News

Mixed Forecast for Back-to-School Shopping

Will back-to-school sales be a boom or a bust for retailers this fall?

Forecasters are mixed, as some predict the highest spending ever and some anticipate a modest pull-back. Additionally, if sales increase, is it due to greater demand or simply that prices have increased substantially since last year?

With forecasters uncertain, how are retailers impacted?

Video Spotlight:

Experts warn of expensive back-to-school shopping season (Aug 1, 2023, Good Morning America)
New survey highlights how people […]

By Lisa M. Spencer|2023-08-30T08:04:50+00:00August 30, 2023|Tags: forecasting, inventory management, scheduling, supply chain|

Retailers Expect a ‘Soft’ Peak Season

After the pandemic, how long will it take to get back to ‘normal’?

According to shipping experts, not until 2024. Even though the back-to-school season of 2023 offers signs of encouragement for retailers, the holiday season may still disappoint. Supply chains are stabilizing, but inventory depletions and restocking needs are uneven across industries. This year’s demand should be higher than last year’s but remain below trend. The uncertain demand for end items postpones the return to normalcy in the supply chain.

By Corinne M. Karuppan, Ph.D.|2023-06-17T15:12:44+00:00June 18, 2023|Tags: bill of materials, forecasting, lead time, logistics, master schedule, MRP, respsonsive supply chain design, short term capacity|

French Bakeries Struggle with Rising Costs of Dough

Skyrocketing costs of inputs for French bakeries are threatening their very existence, according to some bakery owners.

While the baguette is recognized by UNESCO as an essential and important part of French culture, its affordability is being called into question.

Video Spotlight:

France’s bakers on strike: Expenses skyrocket as wheat, butter, sugar prices soar (Jan 23, 2023, FRANCE 24 English)

This post is based on the CNN article, Bakeries are central to the French […]

By Lisa M. Spencer|2023-05-03T05:34:35+00:00May 3, 2023|Tags: costs, inflation, inventory management, labor shortage, productivity|

AI and OM: A Complicated Relationship

AI has ushered in a new era of possibilities.

Once confined to complex, industrial applications, AI is now becoming part of our everyday activities. Recent advances in AI-generated art and text have created many possibilities. Although the technology cannot fully replace humans yet, improvements are so rapid that we can expect a dramatic transformation of work in the near future. The challenge for organizations will be to harness AI’s capabilities while countering its negative, unintended consequences.

This post is intended to help […]

By Corinne M. Karuppan, Ph.D.|2023-04-15T22:25:12+00:00April 16, 2023|Tags: artificial intelligence, automation, bill of materials, ERP systems, job design, product design, productivity, robots, security|