Opinion: Page 3

The latest opinion pieces by industry thought leaders


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  • A U.S. Postal Service van on the road.
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    Emma Cosgrove/Supply Chain Dive
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    Postal Service does more harm than good by prioritizing package delivery

    The timely and efficient delivery of mail is essential for keeping the U.S. economy humming and supply chains efficient, the author writes.

    Paul Steidler • March 30, 2021
  • Cybersecurity priorities 2020
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    Yujin Kim/Supply Chain Dive
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    Avoiding supplier fraud requires shipment analysis and an educated workforce

    Agility is important for survival, now more than ever, but agility without risk management for procurement will not be enough.

    Gina Govojdean • March 25, 2021
  • A still of COVID-19 vaccine vials from Johnson & Johnson going through production
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    Permission granted by Johnson & Johnson
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    5 steps supply chains should have taken for effective vaccine distribution

    Perhaps most disappointing has been the failure to use one of the most common tools for supply chain logistics: the barcode, according to Karen Conway, vice president of Healthcare Value at Global Healthcare Exchange.

    Karen Conway • March 23, 2021
  • Black Button Distilling workers bottle hand sanitizer
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    Permission granted by Black Button Distilling
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    Rethink labor management. Peak no longer operates on a set schedule.

    With a holiday season like no other, many companies found that their preparation left them unprepared to make frequent pivots.

    Carl Schweihs • March 9, 2021
  • USPS rose to the challenges of peak, unlike private carriers

    "Criticisms of USPS' package business are off base," and Congress should build around the Postal Service's core strength, the author writes.

    John M. McHugh • March 9, 2021
  • FMC: Injecting more containers won't solve supply chain woes

    Two commissioners — a Republican and a Democrat — call for cooperation among supply chain stakeholders.

    Daniel B. Maffei & Louis E. Sola • March 2, 2021
  • 5 questions to answer when designing a responsible-sourcing strategy

    Procurement leaders are tasked with identifying and correcting practices that are not sustainable. But they also must also go a step further.

    Sarah Watt • Feb. 25, 2021
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    Getty
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    A moral monopoly: The difference between supplier-performance management and bullying

    Businesses must reevaluate the highly unequal distribution of risk and reward.

    Kim van der Weerd • Jan. 28, 2021
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    Photo by Josh Appel on Unsplash
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    To boost earnings, focus on supplier spend — not job cuts

    It's an area often overlooked, even by senior business leaders, when employee costs are a relatively small portion of most big companies' budgets, the author writes.

    Simon Geale • Jan. 5, 2021
  • As supply chains reshore, regional networks will be key to resiliency

    Fully onshoring electronics manufacturing can be impossible, so the industry will need to reevaluate how products go from raw materials to consumers' hands, the author writes.

    John Mitchell • Dec. 17, 2020
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    Getty Images
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    Why smart factories are the future of supply chain resilience

    Smart factories are coming into focus as businesses put more resources behind productivity and efficiency, the author writes.

    Adam Mussomeli • Dec. 8, 2020
  • The COVID-19 vaccine's logistics will be targeted. Vet the supply chain.

    A burst of activity and demand will create openings for providers of transportation and warehouse facilities that may have poor security practices, the author writes.

    Tony Pelli • Nov. 24, 2020
  • To distribute the COVID-19 vaccine, allocation models need a redesign

    Before the pandemic, fair-share allocation helped safeguard against any well-intentioned providers overstocking. But the models that once proved effective needed to evolve, the author writes.

    Heather Zenk • Nov. 19, 2020
  • Take a dynamic approach to supply chain, US government.

    Federal lawmakers proposed a task force to fund a more "resilient" supply chain. But resiliency is not the answer for the future, the author writes.

    Nader Mikhail • Nov. 10, 2020
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    Getty Images
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    Supply chains can use purchasing power to fight inequity

    Spending more on local sourcing mitigates socioeconomic and health disparities, strengthens supply chain resilience and reduces carbon emissions, writes Kaiser Permanente's supply chain and procurement chief.

    Mary Beth Lang • Oct. 29, 2020
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    Adobe Stock
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    There is more than one way to move sourcing out of China in a post-pandemic world

    Diversifying global supply chains is often thought as an all-or-nothing action. It is not, writes a senior director analyst at Gartner Supply Chain Practice.

    Kamala Raman • Oct. 15, 2020
  • Organizational equity: The underutilized key to attracting supply chain talent

    Supply chain professionals are under pressure to deliver, and recruiting and retaining standout talent can impact the bottom line, the author writes.

    Gina Govojdean • Oct. 6, 2020
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    Getty Images
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    Start preparing for when the new normal becomes the next normal

    A former Johnson & Johnson executive advises businesses to focus on agility and preparing for peak season while in the eye of the storm, a moment of calm before the winds pick back up.

    Katherine Ross • Sept. 29, 2020
  • Supply chains must adjust planning, expectations to cope with unreliable demand

    Recovering from the pandemic presents another set of challenges, as companies balance production of essential and nonessential items, the author writes. 

    Abe Eshkenazi • Sept. 22, 2020
  • Improve visibility by going beyond the linear supply chain model

    COVID-19 has made it clear that organizations must lean into dynamic, collaborative supply networks, the author writes.

    Sean Thompson • Sept. 3, 2020
  • COVID-19's urban exodus will force supply chains to adapt

    The shift to working from home could cause a second slower-moving, but more enduring, demand shock that is just starting to unfold, writes Aaron Terrazas, director of economic research at Convoy.

    Aaron Terrazas • Aug. 4, 2020
  • H-E-B launches express delivery
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    Courtesy of H-E-B
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    Grocery supply chains must invest in automation as delivery becomes the norm

    As grocers cut costs, smaller staffs will be stretched by increasing delivery demands. Technology can fill the gap, writes Avery Dennison VP Ryan Yost. 

    Ryan Yost • July 28, 2020
  • covid-19 coronavirus render on black background
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    CDC/Alissa Eckert, MS. "covid-19 coronavirus on black background". Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/media/subtopic/images.htm.
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    4 ways to restore healthcare supply chains before COVID-19's second wave hits

    Healthcare organizations shouldn't try to restore supply chain service to pre-pandemic levels, rather, they should focus on greater cost-effective and efficient operations, writes Jeff Berman, a principal at Grant Thorton.

    Jeff Berman • July 20, 2020
  • Supply chain resilience plans start with mapping — but don't wait for disruption to test them

    If investing in resilience seems too costly, there's always that other strategy: hoping nothing goes wrong, writes Anne van de Heetkamp, a VP at Descartes.

    Anne van de Heetkamp • July 7, 2020
  • A medical technician pauses between patients at a COVID-19 Community-Based Testing Site at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, N.J., March 23, 2020. The testing site, established in partnership with
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    Master Sgt. Hecht, Matt. (2020). [Photograph]. Retrieved from Flickr.
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    Coronavirus and counterfeits: How supply chain leaders can protect their products and brands

    It's dangerous to assume only healthcare products are impacted by counterfeiting during the pandemic, writes Andrew Stevens, a senior director analyst in Gartner's supply chain practice.

    Andrew Stevens • June 22, 2020