Supply Chain Movement 49 | Fulfilment & IT

The main theme of the Q2, 2023 issue of quarterly Supply Chain Movement is Fulfilment & IT. 

Publication Date: June 2, 2023

12 | Profile Martijn Derks, Global Supply Chain Resilience Director, Mars

What with natural disasters due to climate change, geopolitical instability and the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) coming into effect in 2024, there is an urgent need for supply chains to be able to sway in the breeze rather than being toppled by the first gust of wind. This calls for supply chains to be made transparent and much more flexible. At Mars, they have created a specific role for this, which is fulfilled by Martijn Derks. What are his thoughts on the near future?

19 | Checklist: Sales & Operations Execution

Sales & Operations Executives (S&OE) is on the rise. An increasing number of companies are realizing that a more responsive approach to Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) is necessary to remain effective in today’s rapidly changing conditions driven by increased competition, complexity, and demand volatility. A solid S&OE process is essential to manage short-term operations and to maintain focus on mid-term tactical planning and decision-making.

20 | Management: Outside-in planning is a must

The value of external data as input for supply chain planning has been a topic of discussion for some time, but there is now growing evidence that outside-in planning has become a must. Without external data, it is simply impossible to gain sufficient insight into the ‘river of demand,’ generate a reliable forecast and curb the bullwhip effect in a timely manner.

27 | SCM IT Subway Map Europe 2023

The rising European demand for supply chain software is being driven by rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, including the sudden emergence of ChatGPT, as well as legal obligations to reduce carbon emissions. Ongoing demand volatility means that software vendors are seeing the greatest demand for forecasting and demand planning solutions. These are the key observations from the annual survey and research by Supply Chain Movement for the 13th edition of its SCM IT Subway Map Europe.

31 | Roadmap Sustainable Shipping Execution

Logistics operations are always sales-driven. This implies that logistics concepts and operations should follow sales concepts. With the advent of e-commerce, the sales trends such as combining B2C, B2B, D2B, D2C, cross-border, marketplaces and offline/online retail create complex multi-store, multi-warehouse and multi-carrier operations. In this roadmap, Supply Chain Movement and DeliveryMatch describe typical obstacles and solutions along the route to real-time chain control, from checkout to doorstep.

35 | Trend Vision Chainalytics

For many years, cost-cutting was the main driver behind supply chain design and optimization. But the tide has clearly turned. Today, within many organizations, sustainability ranks alongside cost and service as an important reason to reassess the supply chain.

36 | Management: E-commerce sector

Online sales are declining, while logistics costs are rising rapidly. This is clearly putting pressure on e-commerce companies, who are responding by increasing their delivery and returns charges. Is this just the anticipated market correction following the ‘Covid effect’, or does it mark the dawn of a new era of some tough choices for everyone? “The truth is that the online channel is still not really profitable’.

44 | 2050 Factory wants to make an impact

The fashion industry is responsible for about 10% of global CO2 emissions, making it a bigger polluter than aviation and the maritime sector combined. In addition, the industry accounts for 20% of global wastewater pollution, plus there are widespread concerns about working conditions in the factories. Whereas the major fashion brands rarely get beyond a little greenwashing here and there, some small brands are really trying to make a difference. We spoke to Naz Kawan, founder of 2050 Factory and the associated fashion brand 2050.

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