Steve Tracey

With its ability to enable transparency and traceability, blockchain has the potential to disrupt business operations. But some companies have struggled to identify where exactly to apply it. Here are seven possible use cases in procurement.

Motivated by one of CSCR® recent collaborative research initiatives with GoChain as our highly regarded partner in the enterprise and government blockchain solutions, CSCR® developed a two-part white paper that explores blockchain technology and its enterprise applications. Given the novelty of the technology, this full white paper, a consolidation of its two parts, explores blockchain technology from various perspectives—ranging from a bird-eye view, an evolutionary view, a “light” technical… Show more

Motivated by one of CSCR® recent collaborative research initiatives with GoChain as our highly regarded partner in the enterprise and government blockchain solutions, CSCR® developed a two-part white paper that explores blockchain technology and its enterprise applications. Given the novelty of the technology, this full white paper, a consolidation of its two parts, explores blockchain technology from various perspectives—ranging from a bird-eye view, an evolutionary view, a “light” technical view, to an enterprise applications view. With this white paper, the authors hope to bring researchers and business readers up to speed on the essential foundations about blockchain technology and its state of play in enterprise applications. We hope that interested readers find the information herein a helpful starting point in the journey to bridge the boundaries between the prospects and beneficial realization of this promising technology. Show less

Over the past decade, IBM has exhibited a relentless commitment to building smarter supply chains to quickly and effectively navigate global disruptions. The focus has been on building a cognitive supply chain that embraces an agile culture of innovation, invests in team members’ growth and engagement, focuses on clients’ needs and successes, and leverages exponential technologies to deliver greater value.

Emphasis on the term agile culture of innovation. In today’s increasingly… Show more

Over the past decade, IBM has exhibited a relentless commitment to building smarter supply chains to quickly and effectively navigate global disruptions. The focus has been on building a cognitive supply chain that embraces an agile culture of innovation, invests in team members’ growth and engagement, focuses on clients’ needs and successes, and leverages exponential technologies to deliver greater value.

Emphasis on the term agile culture of innovation. In today’s increasingly competitive and turbulent business environment, agility has been widely recognized as one of the fundamental characteristics of forward-looking supply chains that could render positive impacts on the financial, market, and operational performance. Recently, as companies try to deal with the unprecedented and volatile changes in both demand and supply due to the COVID-19 pandemic, focused attention on supply chain agility (SCA) is accelerating. Show less

In today’s increasingly competitive and turbulent business environment, agility has been widely
recognized as one of the fundamental characteristics of forward-looking supply chains. Research studies
and business leaders underscore potential positive impacts afforded by supply chain agility (SCA) on
various performance areas, including financial performance (e.g., profit, sales growth, cost reduction,
return on assets), market performance (e.g., market share, customer satisfaction… Show more

In today’s increasingly competitive and turbulent business environment, agility has been widely
recognized as one of the fundamental characteristics of forward-looking supply chains. Research studies
and business leaders underscore potential positive impacts afforded by supply chain agility (SCA) on
various performance areas, including financial performance (e.g., profit, sales growth, cost reduction,
return on assets), market performance (e.g., market share, customer satisfaction, market differentiation),
and operational performance (e.g., new product development, customer service, and inter-organizational relationships). Show less

This paper is intended for leaders across the health supply chain, from hospital logistics and
procurement personnel to distributors and manufacturers. This information is also valuable for
those who can influence and invest in supply chain capabilities. Understanding how the clinical
requirements will change over time, and how these changes will drive shifts in the supply chain,
is important for meeting the evolving needs of the COVID-19 response. The time to prepare for… Show more

This paper is intended for leaders across the health supply chain, from hospital logistics and
procurement personnel to distributors and manufacturers. This information is also valuable for
those who can influence and invest in supply chain capabilities. Understanding how the clinical
requirements will change over time, and how these changes will drive shifts in the supply chain,
is important for meeting the evolving needs of the COVID-19 response. The time to prepare for the
next phase is now.
For better or worse, the supply chain difficulties of the COVID-19 response have raised
awareness of the critical importance of an effective supply chain. A reliable supply of test kits,
equipment, pharmaceuticals, and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is essential to a
continuous successful response effort.
This paper focuses on the stages between suppression (or lockdown) and an available vaccine.
During this time, the focus will be on testing, contact tracing, isolation, and quarantine. We encourage readers to keep track of lessons learned, both successes and failures, during the
suppression phase and as we go forward. Show less

The COVID-19 pandemic and government efforts to contain the spread of the virus through travel restrictions, social distancing, and shelter-in-place orders have widespread influence on business operations and personal activities. During this time of crisis, supply chains are at the forefront not only in business and government planning, but also in the minds of consumers.

The COVID-19 pandemic spotlight is in play across supply chain enterprises, but it has shone particularly brightly on… Show more

The COVID-19 pandemic and government efforts to contain the spread of the virus through travel restrictions, social distancing, and shelter-in-place orders have widespread influence on business operations and personal activities. During this time of crisis, supply chains are at the forefront not only in business and government planning, but also in the minds of consumers.

The COVID-19 pandemic spotlight is in play across supply chain enterprises, but it has shone particularly brightly on the transport and logistics (T&L) operators in their role as front-line, essential service providers. The T&L industry provides a vital “link” that keeps goods moving through supply chains, and this role is ever more important during the pandemic. T&L operators bring much needed medical supplies to hospitals and first responders, as well as groceries and other household supplies to store shelves and directly to the doorsteps of anxious consumers who are unable or unwilling to leave their homes.

As front-line, essential service providers, T&L operators face unique challenges that require a balancing act of keeping workers safe and goods moving under market volatility amplified by the pandemic. In this post, we explore COVID-19 impacts on the industry and highlight key tenets of effective T&L responding strategies. Show less

For years, logistics professionals have referred to the final leg of the order delivery process as the last mile. It has always been important, but as the volume of e-commerce orders rises exponentially, last-mile logistics has taken on increased significance for delivery service providers, and is now front and center in the minds of shippers. After all, today’s savvy online shoppers will no longer tolerate slow and inconvenient delivery offerings. Instead, they expect the timely and… Show more

For years, logistics professionals have referred to the final leg of the order delivery process as the last mile. It has always been important, but as the volume of e-commerce orders rises exponentially, last-mile logistics has taken on increased significance for delivery service providers, and is now front and center in the minds of shippers. After all, today’s savvy online shoppers will no longer tolerate slow and inconvenient delivery offerings. Instead, they expect the timely and inexpensive delivery of their orders to their doorsteps. Fulfillment is a competitive differentiator among the best companies.

The good news is that last-mile capabilities have come a long way and continue to improve. Customers now have a variety of delivery options from which to choose, including traditional, next-day and even same-day delivery in urban areas, and they can track their packages from the sellers’ point-of-fulfillment all the way to their shipping address.

The bad news: While the ship-to address may mark the end of the last mile, in many instances, it is the beginning of the last yard. That’s the distance from the shipping address to a pickup location at that address, which is often a blind spot in the delivery process. As a result, many customers end up going to a pick-up point after seeing that their package was “delivered” on their carrier’s tracking service, only to discover that their package is nowhere to be found. This type of incident underscores the fact that failures in the last yard may negate the goodwill created by shippers and delivery service providers that deliver shipments considered “on-time and complete” as per customer requirements. The last yard could be the longest yard. Show less

For generations, it’s been up to humans to keep supply chains running smoothly. But the past decade’s advances in artificial intelligence (AI), automation and the Internet of Things (IoT) have forever changed the way companies track and manage products, providing more information than ever about what’s happening at the ground level. Human brainpower alone is no longer cutting it: We’re living in the era of the cognitive supply chain.

(In CIOReview): Supply chains are becoming incredibly complex due to global networks of interdependent organizations, rising consumer expectations, and volatile business environments. Complex supply chains bring a wealth of data created by people, systems, and machines from a variety of sources, including new types of data such as social media and IoT. The potential value of this data is enormous for supply chain management (SCM), but simply having rich data does not realize the potential for… Show more

(In CIOReview): Supply chains are becoming incredibly complex due to global networks of interdependent organizations, rising consumer expectations, and volatile business environments. Complex supply chains bring a wealth of data created by people, systems, and machines from a variety of sources, including new types of data such as social media and IoT. The potential value of this data is enormous for supply chain management (SCM), but simply having rich data does not realize the potential for it. To make data truly valuable, companies need the ability to analyze large amounts of data and convert them into actionable insights. In the search for an engine for Big Data analysis, companies will find answers in artificial intelligence (AI). With its algorithmic advancements and powerful computing capabilities, today’s AI systems can process large amounts of data in profound depth, in an extremely short time, and with autonomous learning capability. AI capabilities are well suited to SCM and the key processes of plan, buy, make, and flow Show less

(In Supply Chain Management Review): The “last mile” in logistics and supply chain management, which generally refers to the final segment of a delivery process, has been relevant for many years. However, with the growth in ecommerce and omnichannel distribution, last-mile logistics has not only taken on increased significance for delivery service providers, but now also positioned at the forefront of shippers’ minds. Slow, inconvenient, expensive, and limited delivery options are no longer… Show more

(In Supply Chain Management Review): The “last mile” in logistics and supply chain management, which generally refers to the final segment of a delivery process, has been relevant for many years. However, with the growth in ecommerce and omnichannel distribution, last-mile logistics has not only taken on increased significance for delivery service providers, but now also positioned at the forefront of shippers’ minds. Slow, inconvenient, expensive, and limited delivery options are no longer acceptable for today’s savvy online shoppers. Good news is last-mile logistics capabilities have come a long way and continue to advance. Customers now have various delivery options to choose from (e.g. normal, next-day, and even same-day) and can track their packages from sellers’ point of shipment (e.g. fulfillment center) all the way to their shipping address. Unfortunately, that’s where the last-mile process ends, and so begins the blind spot in this final leg of delivery. Recognizing that capable execution of last-yard responsibilities will ultimately determine whether the customer’s needs are fully satisfied or not, supply chain managers and delivery service providers begin to take a step beyond the last mile and embark on the last-yard ambitions. They are reinventing themselves to tackle the last yard of package delivery that has thus far been in the hindsight. In this article, we introduce the “last yard” concept and shed lights on emerging themes as different solutions to the last-yard logistics are beginning to be explored Show less

Faced with increasing pressure to meet today's digital consumers' demand for personalization, varieties and values – all under shrinking lead times and heightened competition – the foremost strategy in the apparel industry is to minimize time and cost related to product development and market launch. Top companies are leading the field in 3D virtual technology applications in this area, enabling them to reduce time and cost to market, while simplifying process and improving supply chain… Show more

Faced with increasing pressure to meet today's digital consumers' demand for personalization, varieties and values – all under shrinking lead times and heightened competition – the foremost strategy in the apparel industry is to minimize time and cost related to product development and market launch. Top companies are leading the field in 3D virtual technology applications in this area, enabling them to reduce time and cost to market, while simplifying process and improving supply chain collaboration. Show less

Almost any item we buy or sell today was made with contributions from many companies and individuals in many places. The Center for Supply Chain Research™ in Penn State’s Smeal College of Business is dedicated to understanding the logistics of supply, transport, and distribution at local and global scales. Steve Tracey, executive director of the center, talked with us about the challenges of doing business in our highly interconnected world.

(In Supply Chain Management Review) MRO that has long been viewed as low-impact, low-dollar expenditures is increasingly recognized as an opportunity for the indirect value chain to lower costs and enable operational performance. Leading companies are now shifting away from the back-office management mentality to integrated MRO management that facilitates operational excellence, while optimizing total cost of ownerships. This study aims to shed lights on the current state of this MRO management… Show more

(In Supply Chain Management Review) MRO that has long been viewed as low-impact, low-dollar expenditures is increasingly recognized as an opportunity for the indirect value chain to lower costs and enable operational performance. Leading companies are now shifting away from the back-office management mentality to integrated MRO management that facilitates operational excellence, while optimizing total cost of ownerships. This study aims to shed lights on the current state of this MRO management evolution, and management approaches implemented across various activities in the MRO value chain. Show less