As the world slowly recovers from the supply chain crisis, there is good news to report from the automotive industry. Despite factory production constraints and a shortage of semiconductors, GM beat expectations and reported a record fourth-quarter profit. The...

Things are looking up in regard to the global supply chain crisis. As the world slowly recovers from the lingering Covid-19 pandemic there are signs that the global supply chain is getting back to normal. Despite some continued production disruption, supplies and...

Review a few 2022 events that will continue to impact inventory management.

The inflation rate has seen the fastest pace of increase in over 40 years. According to a Wall Street Journal article by Nick Timiraos, Federal Reserve of­fi­cials are likely to de­bate next week how much to raise rates in Feb­ruary, with views shaped by how they see...

When all the different players in a supply chain quickly respond to sudden demand fluctuation, they can create a larger ripple action known as the bullwhip effect. In short, when each member of the supply chain overcompensates for this sudden demand with excess...

If you live in the United States, you have likely noticed that some of our favorite products have shrunk in size in the past few years. As the price of ingredients and manufacturing increases due to the supply chain crisis and soaring inflation, we end up with smaller...

You may have recently read about Ford Motors Company’s latest supply-chain snarl: the blue oval badges. Troubles obtaining the small branding piece has delayed the delivery of thousands of vehicles. The trademark is important because it is the finishing touch and adds...

Thanks to the current supply chain crisis, it’s never been more difficult to determine the right inventory management solution for your business, especially if you are a manufacturer or a distributor. Maintaining just the right level of supply availability is critical...

Due to the fact that supply chains have multiple moving parts and layers, it’s very difficult to point the finger at one problem when trying to solve the current product availability crisis. A good place to start is to understand that there are two main players that...

All companies that hold inventory are subject to obsolescence. It can be that the product exceeds its shelf life or that another product becomes preferred (expired market life). However, practically speaking, obsolescence usually occurs due to the loss of a customer...

In Part I of this blog series, we introduced you to an alternative to conventional ERP forecasting systems. In Part II, let’s examine how forecasting holds the inventory of a product versus Shippers Solutions’ suggested strategy.

Clients tell me that they can get fill rates up but they can’t keep them up, even if they throw inventory at the problem. When fill rates drop so do sales and turns. It is possible to get both fill rates and turns up and keep them up. Read on to understand the...

Our quick changing geopolitical climate is causing companies to reconsider their offshoring strategies. Unpredictable forecasting, which we talked about in a previous blog post, and the logistical nightmares that come from choosing the wrong trend are just a small part of the challenging circumstances that manufacturers deal with when outsourcing their production.