Safety Stock as a result of servicare levels

I was at a seminar the other day looking at some of the new software tools for the supply chain industry. One prominent factor accross the peice was just how prominent service levels and customer focus had become.

Of particular note were some discussions on safety stock. For senior managers safety stock has always been a bugbear - indicative of supply chain failure and a gobbler up of cash. While using service levels to lower safety stocks is nothing new - this has now become embedded within software. Providers like Barloworld Logistics have added service levels into thier software as a variable that can be readily adapted to suite financial needs - the customer leading the supply chain - whatever next!

Measuring your Carbon Footprint

Following on from the last post - for those wishing to analyse their carbon footprint - try the excellent http://www.logisticsbureau.com.au/supply_chain_carbon_footprint_emissions_analysis.htm

Supply Chain's Carbon Footprint

With the live earth event taking place tomorrow (www.liveearth.org/) it will do us all good in our busy purchasing lives to take a minute and consider the environmental impact our purchasing has - in today's world of "cost down" chasing commodities requiring global transport and questionable manufacturing techniques - we don't often think of the impact we as purchasing professionals have let alone consider our businesses environmental strategy.

Maybe now is a good time to start.....

Evolving supply chain.

As businesses continue to focus in on value add activity and "core" tasks - supply chain activity continues to be put under the microscope.

The old world view of Supply chains being made up of hierarchical bureaucratic organizations pushing paper is one that is hard to shake off - many businesses have opted to outsource tasks - for example warehouse management to 3pl companies - purchasing execution has also been targeted where it can't be automated - and as elements of supply chain activity continue to be chewed on by business improvement teams what's does the future bode for supply chain professionals.

Strategic management of suppliers will loom large with many workers - as the focus continues to shift from transaction management through to risk management - partnering and collaboration. Workers will need to evolve and develop new skills - technology will have a large part to play in this - the same software which has helped in execution automation will provide tools for relationship management and supply chain analysis as knowledge management becomes key.

One things for sure - the world of supply chain is evolving - tomorrows jobs will not look like todays!

Supply Chain goes tech crazy as the Supply Chain Managment Association Opens in Second Life

Personally I just cant get secondlife - having extoed the virtues of the web socially and professionaly for the last 10 years I know I should get it - but it leaves me a little cold - however each to thier own -

Anyhow - the Supply Chain Management Association (part of Mitchigan University) has opened up on Second life. While it doesnt offer a great deal yet their second life location is likely to offer more in the coming months and offers a virtual location for supply chain professionals to hang out.

More here ---->http://supplychainsrock.blogspot.com/2007/06/supply-chain-managment-association.html