10 Blogs That Offer Valuable Supply Chain Management Advice
It’s no secret that a well-designed and managed supply chain can make the difference between profitable growth and stressful uncertainty. If you’re a regular reader, you know that I frequently talk about the time and cost saving benefits of a supply chain management program for your printed materials and promotional items.
But supply chain concerns cover a lot of territory. It can start with raw materials or parts vital to a manufacturing operation. Or it can deal mostly with warehousing and distribution for logistics companies. Still another consideration: supply chains consist not only of goods, but of critical services. As a result, today I’d like to provide a list of ten exceptional blogs that offer information of interest to those of you involved in supply chain management, or looking to improve yours.
You don’t have to be a Chief Procurement Officer to find value in this blog, hosted on the largest website focused on supply chain management and procurement issues. It is authored by Andrew Bartolini, Managing Partner and Chief Research Officer of Ardent Partners. Supply chain topics covered typically include new technologies and other innovations in supply chain thinking and occasionally broader business issues.
This blog deals with many specific aspects of supply chain management. Among topics visited are sourcing tactics, vendor evaluation, negotiation practices and more. It is written by the executives behind the website of the same name.
As you might have guessed, this blog is a product of IBM. It focuses on issues of interest to those involved in digital experience, e-commerce and supply chain management. Insights presented come from thought leaders inside IBM and its partners as well as influential marketplace voices.
This is the corporate blog of Procurify, a company whose business specializes in helping companies track, control and maximize benefit from their spending. Thus it focuses on best practices in purchasing and spending, with helpful suggestions on how to improve processes and eliminate costly exceptions to a company’s established procedures.
The title is only the beginning for this blog, hosted by a company based in the UK. It covers many purchasing and procurement topics, as do most on this list. But it also takes a much broader view, providing insights on things like category leadership and change management. The scope can range from Brexit-related developments (logically enough for its location) to helping your ‘purchasing guy” think bigger.
A clever name and an eclectic blog. Procurious claims to be the world’s first online network for procurement and supply chain professionals, with more than 23,000 members in more than 140 countries. It offers hints, boot camps and podcasts for personal career development. But it also includes interviews with CPOs of major companies.
This blog is the product of Procurement Leaders™, another network that gathers intelligence from procurement professionals worldwide on relevant issues. The variety is impressive. Some posts deal with company-level topics like technologies for managing spend. Others look at marketplace issues, such as making procurement a more appealing career for Generation Y.
Imagine a radio talk show on procurement. Canadian Jon Hansen has one. Further, he is the primary writer on this blog. That entertainment component comes through here, as well. You’ll find serious topics such as military procurement and the latest purchasing trends. But scattered among them are quirky posts, like “If Procurement Had a Theme Song, What Would It Be?”
This blog combines serious analysis like how sales pricing and Six Sigma methodologies impact procurement, but other posts employ real world analogies and examples to deliver tips and fresh perspectives. One post compares supply chain management to an insurance policy. Another asks “What Can Chicken Wing Procurement Teach You?” Check it out, because I think you’ll learn things and smile a bit along the way.
Finally, health care is one of the most dynamic, active sectors in business and industry today. Therefore, it’s good business to track it, regardless of your current level of involvement. This blog deals with some issues unique to healthcare procurement. After all, it’s a field that can introduce complexities for various reasons. But the very nature of healthcare’s business volume and particular need for advanced protocols and sophisticated supply chains, it’s an excellent “heads-up.” Those of us in other industries can get a preview of changes that are likely ahead for us, as well.
For Immediate Supply Chain Help….
We’ve been improving supply chains for businesses for a very long time. What we’ve learned, and the technologies we’ve designed and implemented, can make a difference almost immediately.
If you are looking for ways to create efficiencies in your procurement processes, we can help. Contact Superior for a free print and promotional product supply chain audit.
