The SupplyChainBrain Podcast
Episodes
Who's Buying Your Stuff? A Primer on Export Compliance
23 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Are you certain that your sensitive exports aren't falling into the wrong hands? In today's world of global, multi-tiered supply chains, it ...
Supply Chain Resilience: Only the Paranoid Survivev
16 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
It's a dangerous world out there for global supply chains. Earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, labor stoppages, terrorist threats and general congesti...
Bringing Lost American Jobs Back From China
09 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The Reshoring Initiative would like to slap the ''Made in U.S.A.'' label on a lot more products. Can it succeed? The organization&...
The Procurement Function Braces for Radical Change
02 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
A message to procurement managers: Your job is about to be transformed ''almost beyond recognition.'' Those are the words of Kai N...
How to Stop Longshore Labor From Paralyzing U.S. Ports
25 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
U.S. West Coast ports are being ''held hostage'' by longshore labor. So says one noted economist. Diana Furchtgott-Roth is a forme...
The Plague of Cybercrime: Is There Any Hope
18 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This is a ''watershed year'' for cybercrime, according to a new survey on the topic. Yet many companies are falling short in their...
The Future of Robotics in Logistics
11 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Are robots taking over the warehouse? The science of robotics has long been critical to manufacturing. It has had less of a presence in the logistics ...
How to Make Change Happen in Your Organization
04 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Change in the organization is inevitable. So how do you get your employees to stop blocking it? Shifting consumer markets, a constant stream of new pr...
You Source Product in China. But Do You Really Know Who's Making It?
28 Aug 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Multi-tiered manufacturing supply chains can end up in some unexpected places including prisons. The use of unauthorized subcontractors, even priso...
Is China's Economy Taking a Dive?
21 Aug 2015
Contributed by Lukas
What's going on behind the veil of secrecy that masks China's economy? Recently we've seen a steep plunge in share prices on China&apos...
Why Nobody Wants to Pay for Fixing the U.S. Transportation System
14 Aug 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Another short-term extension of funding for transportation infrastructure improvements? This story is getting old. The Senate Committee on Commerce, S...
Battling Modern-Day Slavery in the Supply Chain
07 Aug 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Is there slavery in your global supply chain? Are you sure about that? Governments want to know. The first major attempt to curb modern-day slavery th...
Racing to Your Door: The Cutting Edge of E-Commerce Delivery
31 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The race is heating up over who will dominate the world of ''last-mile'' delivery of online retail orders. It's a crowded fie...
Getting a Grip on Automotive Recalls
24 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
What can automobile manufacturers to do stop the endless flood of recalls, some of which result in injury or death to drivers and passengers? There&ap...
Retailers Are Haunted By 'The Ghost Economy'
17 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
It's enough to scare the daylights out of retailers: $1.75tr in lost revenue due to overstocks, out-of-stocks and preventable returns. Welcome to...
The Future of Greece and the European Union
10 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The Greek people have said a resounding no to their creditors. So where does the country go now, to avert all-out economic collapse? There doesn'...
How Social Media Drives 'Fast-Fashion' Decisions
02 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In the world of fast fashion, social media can be both bane and salvation for manufacturers and retailers. Clearly, they are hoping it's the latt...
The Essentials of Supply-Chain Disaster Recovery
26 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Bad things are bound to happen in your supply chain. Are you ready for them? Recent history demonstrates how vulnerable companies are to disruptions i...
Conflict Minerals Disclosure: A Progress Report
19 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
It's been about a year since the Securities and Exchange Commission began imposing its rule on the disclosure of conflict materials from the Demo...
Are Companies Doing Enough to Stop Procurement Fraud?
12 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Procurement fraud is costing global companies billions of dollars a year. So why can't they put a stop to it? The problem takes many forms: bribe...
Putting a Stop to Contaminated Product From China
05 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Will we ever cut off the flow of contaminated product from China and other offshore manufacturing sites? The recent revelations surrounding Lumber Liq...
How Can We Keep Our Information Secure?
29 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The battle against cybercrime rages on. And global supply chains remain highly vulnerable. It should come as no surprise that the globalization of sup...
How Companies Can Create Ethical Supply Chains
22 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Creating an ethical supply chain is clearly the right thing to do. But it can also help companies to cut costs and boost profits. ''Beyond S...
Four Crises Plaguing Latin American Logistics
15 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
We're still waiting for many of the emerging markets of Latin America to emerge. Whats holding them back? Four big obstacles, according to a ne...
A New Approach to Paying Your Suppliers
08 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The way in which buyers pay their suppliers hasn't kept up with the times. The result: an unacceptable level of global supply-chain risk. Big com...
Does Global Business Care About Human Rights?
01 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
All global companies will tell you that they're committed to guaranteeing human rights throughout their supply chains. But how do we tell they&ap...
Grappling With the Unknown in Global Business Planning
24 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Can we ever really know the Unknown? Or are we doomed to be forever surprised by economic, political and diplomatic upheavals? History suggests the la...
How to Beat the UPS and FedEx Price Increases
17 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The imposition by UPS and FedEx of dimensional weight pricing on all ground shipments is bound to raise the price of moving parcels and packages. But ...
The Biggest Global Risks That Supply Chains Face Today
10 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Who better to assess the most serious risks confronting global business today than one of the world's largest insurance companies? Each year, a f...
Women in Logistics, 2015: A Personal Journey
02 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Are the doors open to women looking to pursue a career in logistics? The answer is a qualified yes. Without question, the field of logistics has shed ...
The Future of Fuels for Commercial Transport
27 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
With the current boom in U.S. oil and natural gas production, it might be tempting to put aside the notion of shifting to more sustainable fuels for c...
Lessons From an Apple Supplier Debacle
20 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Apple is known for consistently maintaining a smooth-running global supply chain. But every once in a while, something blows up. That's what happ...
Can We Really Scan Every Container for Terrorist Threats?
13 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Is it feasible to scan every one of the 15 million containers that enter U.S. ports each year? With a new technology, the long-term answer might well ...
Six Challenges for Supply Chains in Emerging Markets
06 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to overcome the logistics challenges of serving customers in emerging markets? The short answer: a lot. Emerging markets present man...
A Glimpse at the Factory of the Future
27 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
What will the typical factory look like five years from now? Manufacturers today are undergoing a major evolution in their global sourcing strategies....
The True State of Global Connectedness
20 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Global trade: Love it or hate it. But don't overestimate its impact on individual economies. Proponents of trade point to the benefits of global ...
Trade Regs and Enforcement: What to Expect in 2015
13 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
A new year, and with it a new slew of regulations and stepped-up enforcement of international trade law. Brace yourself. On this episode, we welcome b...
How Supply Chain Affects Corporate Reputation
06 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
A company's reputation rests on much more than the quality of the products that it makes. Reputation can make or break a global business. And, in...
Fast and Free Shipping: Can Retailers Afford It?
30 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Retailers are scrambling to offer free shipping for online orders. Is it a money-losing proposition? E-tailing has become so competitive that many onl...
Is China Manipulating Its Currency?
23 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Is China guilty, as charged by U.S. traders, of keeping its currency artificially weak? Despite some movement upward in recent months, the value of th...
How to Battle Counterfeits and Global IP Theft
16 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Call it the dark side of international commerce: fakes, frauds and thought thieves. Time to take action. On a global scale, companies are losing an es...
What Will We Do With All That Electronic Waste?
09 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Electronic waste is threatening to overwhelm our landfills. Despite the popularity of global recycling programs, we're a long way from solving th...
Bitcoin and the Rise of Cryptocurrencies: Are They Here to Stay?
30 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Are cryptocurrencies like bitcoin gaining legitimacy in the retail and services sector? And what impact might they have on the supply chain? Bitcoin i...
Businesses Aren't Ready for Radical Change in the Global Workforce
19 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Five years from now, the global work environment will look a lot different than it does today. But many companies aren't prepared to deal with th...
The Driver Shortage: Are We Headed Over a Cliff?
12 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The nationwide driver shortage just won't go away. And shippers are paying the price. It seems as though nobody wants to drive a truck anymore. S...
Brick and Mortar Fights Back! The Push for Same-Day Delivery From Stores
05 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Traditional retailers aren't taking the challenge from pure e-tailers lying down. They can deliver on same-day orders, too. Amazon.com, Google, e...
What Companies Get Wrong About Cyber Risk
21 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Face it: There's no such thing as a supply-chain information-technology system thats completely invulnerable to cyber attack. Hackers are growi...
HP Blazes a New Route Out of China
14 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Tired of dealing with slow ships and congested ports to get your product out of China? Why not take the train? That's what Hewlett-Packard Co. di...
How Business Should Respond to the Ebola Epidemic
07 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The Ebola crisis has given rise to the usual epidemic of misinformation, overreaction and lack of preparedness by individuals and business. Will we ev...
The Perils and Pitfalls of Lean Inventories
31 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Manufacturing and distribution executives love the idea of slashing inventories. But it's distribution-center managers who must deal with the con...
Amazon Goes Brick-and-Mortar: What's It Mean for Retailing?
24 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Coming soon to a city near you an Amazon.com store? Don't look now, but the king of e-tailing is inching into the land of brick-and-mortar ret...
SEC's Conflict-Minerals Reporting Rule: A Progress Report
17 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
By now, all manufacturers are fully up to speed on the Securities Exchange Commission's new rule about disclosing the presence of conflict miner...
A Look Behind the European Union's Unemployment Crisis
10 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Just how unified is the European Union, anyway? Disunified enough to cause an unemployment crisis that won't go away. The average unemployment ra...
Breaking Through the Transportation Funding Gridlock
03 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The nation's infrastructure crisis is crying out for a long-term solution. For years, transportation funding has been falling far short of what&a...
The 3D Printing Revolution: How It Will Affect Procurement Strategies
26 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
3D printing is one of the hottest technology developments in supply chain today. Is it for real? The answer is a qualified yes, according to Shashank ...
The Drones Are Coming! What Are the Legal Implications?
19 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Delivery drones are on their way to your doorstep. And regulators are right on their tail. Amazon and other e-commerce retailers are preparing a fleet...
When Should You Dump Your Legacy I.T.?
12 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Time to scrap your legacy I.T. systems. But how exactly should you go about it? Old and outdated applications lie at the heart of many global supply c...
One Filing, 48 Agencies: Introducing the 'Single Window' for Trade Compliances
05 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
For international traders who are sick of filing documents with multiple regulatory agencies, help is on the way. Get ready for the Single Window. The...
Lean Is Alive! Why You Need It More Than Ever
29 Aug 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Avnet, Inc. just celebrated its 10th anniversary as a Lean company. But the company's search for waste and inefficiency is far from over. Avnet i...
Up in the Sky It's a Cargo Airship!
22 Aug 2014
Contributed by Lukas
It might seem like a throwback to the dirigibles of the 1930s, but a new type of airship is another animal entirely. The Aeroscraft is a fixed-wing, r...
Does U.S. Domestic Shipping Still Need the Jones Act?
15 Aug 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Should foreign-flag vessels and crews be allowed into the U.S. domestic maritime trades? They've been barred entry for nearly a century, thanks t...
Battling Risk, Part 2: The Best and Worst Countries for Supply-Chain Resilience
08 Aug 2014
Contributed by Lukas
There's a new method for benchmarking the resiliency of your supply chain. It's called the Global Resilience Index, created by commercial an...
Battling Risk, Part 1: Using Analytics to Uncover Supply-Chain Fraud
01 Aug 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Fraud can happen anywhere in your supply chain. Are you doing enough to stop it? As companies extend their supply chains through partnerships with dis...
The Countries That Will Shake Up Global Supply Chains in the Coming Year
25 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to assessing supply-chain risk and opportunity in emerging markets, the landscape never stops changing. Today, China is the go-to countr...
How to Attract Millennials to a Career in Supply Chain
18 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The shift is happening. Baby Boomers are beginning to retire, and Millennials are on the rise. But how to entice them into a career in supply chain? O...
A New Way of Measuring Supply-Chain Excellence
11 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
There's a new tool for ranking the world's best supply chains. The Supply Chain Index was developed by Lora Cecere, founder of Supply Chain ...
Nanotechnology in Manufacturing: Is It Toxic?
03 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Is the use of nanotechnology in manufacturing and poisoning workers? A recent report in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine discusses the case...
Forging Sustainable Supply Chains: It's No Easy Task
27 Jun 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Without question, creating sustainable global supply chains is a daunting challenge. But the biggest roadblock might be at the retail shelf. For all t...
Why Suppliers and Buyers Need a New Approach to Pricing
20 Jun 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Talk all you want about the deeper aspects of supplier-buyer relationships. But doesn't it always come down to price? Well, maybe. But supply-cha...
The Human Factor: Key to a Successful Supply-Chain I.T. Deployment
13 Jun 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Looking to implement new supply-chain software? Without proper change management, you're bound to fail. The most dazzling I.T. package will never...
RFID Is Back! And It's the Key to Supply-Chain Visibility
06 Jun 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Decades after its debut, radio frequency identification technology is finally poised to realize its potential in the retail sector. The key is item-le...
Befriending the Beast: How Small Suppliers Can Work With Walmart
30 May 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Small or medium-sized suppliers looking to get their products into Walmart needn't fear the beast. Deserved or not, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has a re...
Manufacturers Are Considering Near-Shoring But Just How Near?
23 May 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Manufacturers like the U.S. They really like it! So says the latest edition of the Manufacturing-Sourcing Outlook Study from AlixPartners. Believe it ...
Women in Supply Chain: Are the Doors Open?
16 May 2014
Contributed by Lukas
You'd like to think that the people who manage a global supply chain are as diverse as the pieces that make it up. But that's not always the...
Dancing With Robots on the Factory Floor
09 May 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Maybe people and robots can co-exist in the workplace after all. Automation isn't always about replacing humans with machines. In fact, recent ad...
How One Trucker Is Coping With the Driver Shortage
02 May 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Wanted: 60 professional, dependable long-haul truck drivers in the midst of a nationwide driver shortage. Headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., Longistic...
Banish Bias From Your Demand Forecast!
25 Apr 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Demand forecasting would be a snap if only people weren't involved. Retailers and manufacturers struggle to match forecasts with actual purcha...
How to Protect Your Supply Chain From Cyber Crime
18 Apr 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The risk of cyber crime hitting your supply chain is greater than ever before. The possibilities extend well beyond old-fashion website hacking. Globa...
The Hurricane Sandy Response: Lessons Learned
11 Apr 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Born in the wake of one devastating hurricane, the American Logistics Aid Network found itself in the eye of another. ALAN was formed in response to a...
A Life in Supply Chain: Joe Andraski
04 Apr 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Every business has its rock stars. In the world of supply chain, you might call Joseph C. Andraski the lead singer. Joe Andraski has truly had an &apo...
When Will Same-Day Delivery Take Off?
28 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Deck Same-day service: It's the ultimate goal of e-commerce retailers and the ultimate desire of consumers. But is it really feasible? A numbe...
Who Needs An American Merchant Marine?
21 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Should we allow U.S.-flag merchant shipping to go the way of the passenger pigeon, the wooly mammoth and the Great Auk? It will happen in 10 years if ...
Green Beer: Anheuser-Busch Taps Into Sustainability
14 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Anheuser-Busch InBev has laid out a five-year path to sustainability. One of the world's largest brewers, Anheuser-Busch has committed itself to ...
Rewiring the Organizational Brain: How to Be a Smarter Leader
07 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine your organization as one giant brain. One that's not thinking properly. Businesses today are mired in conventional thinking, says Michael...
Transportation Funding Crisis: Who Will Foot the Bill?
28 Feb 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The Highway Trust Fund is broke. And the nation's transportation system is broken. What's to be done? Step one is finding new sources of fun...
This Supply Chain Goes Nuclear
21 Feb 2014
Contributed by Lukas
All of a sudden, the future looks bright for nuclear power. Along with that rosy forecast, however, comes a raft of new challenges to the industry&apo...
It's Valentine's Day. Are You Too in Love With Your Forecast?
14 Feb 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Humankind is forever striving for perfection. When it comes to the job of demand forecasting, however, perhaps we ought to be a tad less obsessive. No...
Staging a Carbon-Neutral Winter Olympics
07 Feb 2014
Contributed by Lukas
And you thought that sponsorships for the Olympics were all about consumer products and services. Meet the Official Carbon Partner of the Sochi Games....
Batten Down the Hatches: New Trade Regs Are on the Way
31 Jan 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Is trade compliance nothing but a headache? Or can it be good for business? Some international trade regulations force importers and exporters to shar...
Death to Spreadsheets! New Directions in Demand Planning
24 Jan 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Will we ever get rid of those dreaded spreadsheets? In a recent survey by Logility and APICS, 47 percent of respondents said they were still using man...
You're Not Ready for the Next Supply-Chain Disruption
17 Jan 2014
Contributed by Lukas
If you're a supply-chain executive, there's a good chance that the next tsunami, hurricane, flood or other disaster will take your organizat...
Undercover in Chinese Factories: The Work of China Labor Watch
10 Jan 2014
Contributed by Lukas
What's really going on in Chinese factories? Founded in 2000, China Labor Watch is an independent organization dedicated to monitoring labor cond...
Why Your Forecast Is Wrong (And Always Will Be)
03 Jan 2014
Contributed by Lukas
How is your demand forecast like a tabloid psychic? Their record for accuracy is just about the same. Rob Byrne, chief executive officer of Terra Tech...
Can Maritime Piracy Be Stopped?
27 Dec 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Does commercial shipping have to be a matter of life or death? Pirates continue to plague the international shipping lanes, and while vessel seizures ...
Gridlock! Can Urban Logistics Escape It?
20 Dec 2013
Contributed by Lukas
All hail the omni-channel. But how can logistics providers possibly keep pace with an explosion in the number of delivery points within a city that mu...
The Hidden Trade War With China
13 Dec 2013
Contributed by Lukas
It's supposed to be a trade dispute between the U.S. and China over solar cells. But that's not the real story. What's more interesting...
Why the U.S. Transportation System Is Falling Apart
06 Dec 2013
Contributed by Lukas
What's eating the American transportation infrastructure? Corrosion. Even the strongest structures eventually fall victim to natural law, but the...
Is American Manufacturing Really Coming Home?
29 Nov 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Is the reshoring trend for real? Sean Adkins, managing director and operations practice leader with West Monroe Partners LLC, a business and technolog...
Every Business Tells a Story
22 Nov 2013
Contributed by Lukas
The art of storytelling isn't just for movies and works of fiction. Celebrated screenwriting guru Robert McKee, whose students over the years hav...
The World's Worst Supply Chain
15 Nov 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Why are companies doing such a poor job of retaining and attracting top talent in supply-chain management? Jake Barr, chief executive officer of Blue ...