Supply Chain Management 101

Understanding Organized Labor’s Impact on Our Supply Chain

October 9, 2024
With the reopening of the East Coast ports, the United States avoided another potential disruption to its supply chain. J.P. Morgan estimated that each day the ports were closed cost the US economy approximately $4 billion—a roughly $12 billion impact after three days of strikes. Yet the threat of a potentially longer strike isn’t over, only delayed until at least January 15, 2025.
A semi-truck drives down a highway beside a wildfire.

Why Global Businesses Must Consider Climate Change Risks to Their Supply Chains

September 4, 2024
To face present-day climate challenges, supply chain managers must ensure resilience in their supply chains and implement future-proof strategies. This requires leaders to invest in innovative solutions that mitigate climate change risks while protecting profitability and growth.
A group of supply chain professionals in a planning meeting.

Grow Your Supply Chain Planning Capabilities in UT’s 8-Week Online Program

June 4, 2024
The new SCM Planning Academy kicks off September 16 with eight weeks of synchronous and asynchronous learning aimed at developing the planning skills and insights most desirable in tomorrow’s business leaders.
Supply chain leader interacts during a meeting

Leadership Development for Supply Chain Planners

May 21, 2024
In most organizations, planning leaders have spent time reacting to their area’s operational realities, not occupying senior-level positions with responsibilities tied to strategic initiatives. Companies have failed to combine robust educational opportunities with processes, metrics, and incentives to create broad-based experiences for growth.
Mexico’s Port of Manzanillo

‘Keep Freight Flowing:’ New Logistics Networks Help to Manage Disruptions

May 21, 2024
Transportation and logistics professionals are continually reminded to diversify operations to lessen the negative impact of supply chain disruptions. Since the pandemic, resiliency has become the mantra of organizations. However, with the effects of global events, from the loss of the Keys Bridge to issues at the Red Sea and Panama Canal, longshore labor negotiations, and the 2021 Suez Canal closure, each link in the chain has had to operate under a new model
Business professionals collaborate during a meeting

Five Organizational Action Areas for Developing Supply Chain Talent

May 8, 2024
In addition to core competencies for individual planners, our research team identified five organizational action areas to support the development of the skills modern-day planners need. These five action areas are broad, mutually supportive, and simultaneously help develop a range of abilities.
A supply chain professional works on his laptop.

11 Core Competencies Critical for Today’s Supply Chain Planners

April 26, 2024
Mindful of the five critical challenges facing the planning profession, supply chain decision-makers must ensure that when they hire, they develop their talent to be successful in their roles. These are the core competencies planning professionals must have to succeed for themselves and the business.
Supply chain planner in a virtual team meeting

Five Critical Challenges Facing Planning Talent & Leadership Development

April 16, 2024
This is the first in a series of blog posts based on the applied research report, “Developing the Next Generation of Supply Chain Planning Talent and Leadership,” by the research team of Dan Pellathy, Michael Burnette, and Ted Stank. It explores the challenges facing talent development for planning.
A demonstration of the path the cargo vessel should have followed before colliding with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.

What Happens When Cargo Gets Diverted?

April 2, 2024
The recent bridge collapse in the Port of Baltimore is a tragic reminder of life’s fragility. As officials and salvage crews work to clear the debris and reopen the ship channel, most of the cargo destined to and leaving from the Port of Baltimore must be diverted, if it moves at all. Don Maier explains what comes next.
Port shipyard with cargo.

Operating in the ‘Black’ Through the Red Sea

February 28, 2024
This is the first post in a new series on Maritime Shipping by Don Maier. With 80% of global cargo moved by ships, this series aims to provide clarity to the challenge of how goods are moved on the high seas and investigate potential alternative global trade routes.