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GOOD QUESTION | What’s the most neglected part of the supply chain?
Reverse logistics is usually an afterthought. Heather Jarvis-Gann Logistics & Dispatch Crestwood Midstream Partners LP Defining what supply chain management is for your company is key to writing the right job description and attracting the right talent. Tyler Chamberlain, MBA Supply Chain Manager Capital One Compliance is often viewed as a cost center and is […]
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5 Supply Chain Myths—Busted
Whether you have established your career or are just starting out in supply chain management, you’ll come up against persistent misconceptions. Inbound Logistics puts five of the most common myths to the test.
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GOOD QUESTION | What’s one supply chain myth you’d like to debunk?
Myth: Reducing labor costs is the best way to improve a supply chain operation. Much bigger gains can be made in reducing total supply chain cost by improving service levels and reducing lead times.
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Three Steps to Addressing the Staffing Shortages in Manufacturing & Logistics
As baby boomers in manufacturing and logistics look toward retirement, there aren’t new workers to take their place. Millennial and Gen-Z workers just aren’t interested in the work—and, as a result, valuable jobs are being left unfilled.
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GOOD QUESTION | What’s the first thing you would do to address the supply chain talent gap?
Cast a wider net. Recruit graduates with non-traditional degrees. Work with vocational schools to create two-year-degree supply chain programs. Perhaps even create near-shore supply chain centers of expertise.
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Leon Spencer: Oil’s Well that Ends Well
A look inside the journey of a Thomas NextGen for Industry award winner.
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Tackling the Talent Gap From the Inside Out
To address the logistics talent gap, we need to put far more emphasis—and money—on sourcing future leaders from inside our companies.
Read MoreGOOD QUESTION | What advice would you give someone just starting out in logistics/supply chain?
Ask every question you can. Figure out the "why" and not only will you learn more about the overall process, you’ll understand how a seemingly small change could create significant problems for someone else. Mary O’Connell Pricing Analyst Sunset Transportation Make what it means to be emotionally intelligent a priority and embrace the principles as […]
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Talent Gap or Training Gap?
In the past, workforce training and development for blue- and gray-collar jobs took a back seat at many businesses and academic institutions. Schools often steered students toward white-collar career paths, while businesses put cutting costs, staying globally competitive, and turning a profit above training workers—a short-sighted focus on the next quarter rather than the next […]
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Dean Z. Myers: Drinking It All In
Dean Z. Myers is vice president, global supply chain, technical operations and business development, The McDonald’s division of The Coca-Cola Company Responsibilities: Leading the business and relationships in supply chain, technical functions, and business development for Coca-Cola’s global business with more than 35,000 McDonald’s restaurants in 115 countries. Accountable for creating value for McDonald’s, consumers, […]
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DSCO Dancer
Over the course of his career, Vance Checketts has found six words to live by as a leader: Be humble. Value diversity. Be brave. MORE TO THE STORY: The Shipping Assignment That Started it All Humility means knowing when to say, “I don’t know” and recognizing that the best ideas come from other people, Checketts […]
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Nina Luu: Banking on Data
Nina Luu is CEO and co-founder of Shippabo, a cloud-based supply chain management solution headquartered in Los Angeles. Responsibilities: Leading shippers, logistics experts, and technologists in creating cloud-based supply chain solutions. Experience: Co-founder, IGH Global Corporation; marketing director, Evergreen Herbs Education: B.S., business administration, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, 2005. One year after college, I […]
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Fail Fast, Then Move On
Jim Barnes did not have a mentor at the start of his career. “No one taught me how to become a leader,” recalls Barnes, chief executive officer of enVista, an Indianapolis-based supply chain consultancy and software firm. MORE TO THE STORY: Getting Advice, Paying it Forward Instead, observation and experience helped Barnes develop his leadership […]
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Erik Snyder Keeps His Spirits Up
Erik Snyder is president of North America supply and procurement with Diageo, a leading premium spirits company and producer of brands including Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Smirnoff, and Guinness. Responsibilities: Oversee Diageo’s end-to-end supply chain and procurement operation in North America, including sourcing raw materials, distillation, manufacturing, packaging, planning, and customer service. Experience: Senior vice […]
Read MoreBridging the Gap Between Women and Funding
Thirty women have become small business owners in the trucking industry thanks to the efforts of Expediter Services (ES), in conjunction with the Women in Trucking Association. To bring more women into the transportation industry, ES set a goal of supporting 150 total women-owned small businesses through the 150 Business Challenge within 12 months. Through […]
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Finding Hidden Talent
Employers worldwide are facing the most acute talent shortage since 2006, according to the latest ManpowerGroup Talent Shortage Survey. Of the nearly 40,000 employers surveyed, 45 percent are struggling to fill roles. Skilled trade workers, sales representatives, and engineers are the most difficult to find. MORE TO THE STORY: The 4 B’s of Finding Talent […]
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Jack Buffington: Here for the Beer
Jack Buffington is supply chain leader with MillerCoors and professor at the University of Denver. Responsibilities: Oversees U.S. warehousing operations for MillerCoors. Developing a supply chain program and supply chain, materials science, and sustainability research projects for the University of Denver. Experience: Post-doctoral fellow, Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden; adjunct professor, University of Denver; […]
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Admiral of the Fleet
In the early 1990s, John Burke worked for Northside Foods. “We offered redistribution services on a very small scale in the restaurant space,” he says. That meant bringing smaller-volume shipments into a consolidation center and then shipping mixed truckloads, with multiple SKUs, to customers’ distribution centers. MORE TO THE STORY: Try It All That simple […]
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People and Culture First, Strategy Second
Some years ago, Dan Curtis took a crash course in logistics operations. It started in 2002, when he joined Greatwide Logistics Services as vice president of finance. MORE TO THE STORY: Balancing Act “We were a very acquisitive company,” he explains. “I immediately began working on the mergers and acquisitions transactions we were pursuing.” In […]
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