This month, we are celebrating two years of publishing here at the Inventory and Supply Chain Optimization Blog. It all started in October 2012 with an article providing tips for creating an emergency-ready supply chain, in response to the Hurricane Sandy natural disaster. Over the last two years, we have covered a wide array of trends, news and best practice strategies from the logistics and supply chain industries. These articles have been quite diverse, ranging from supply chain lessons learned from the hit TV series Breaking Bad, to best practice stocktaking and demand forecasting methods. Furthermore, we introduced two blog series: “Transparent Tuesday,” which addresses the topic of supply chain transparency, and “The Amazing Supply Chain of…” which highlights the long journey some products make before arriving at the end-user. Also featured on this blog are our Supply Chain weekly wrap-ups, covering the week’s top three supply chain stories.
To summarize the last two years, I created a list of our top five articles based on unique visitor counts:
1) 3 Ways Social Media is Impacting the Supply Chain
Our most visited blog article addresses the trending topic of social media and its impact on the supply chain. This article was originally published in April of 2013. It can be argued that the article holds even more relevance today, than when I originally wrote it. Integrating social media into supply chain management is a trend that does not seem to be slowing down. The three main impacts of social media on supply chain management are: strengthening supplier relations, creating transparency, and enhancing internal processes and communication. The full article can be read here.
2) The Amazing Supply Chain of the 2014 World Cup Soccer Ball
I have to say, it was great experiencing the World Cup from within the winning country, Germany. However, on our blog, the soccer ball used throughout the tournament stole the spotlight. Karsten Horn tracked the path the soccer ball took on its way to Brazil in his article featured in the “Amazing Supply Chain of” series. The article recognizes the tournament’s unsung heroes – the ball, and the people behind the manufacturing process.
3) Counting Inventory the Easy Way…Is it Really Possible?
Statistical inventory sampling is a proven inventory counting method that can reduce time, cost and effort in the counting process, all while increasing counting accuracy. In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the inventory sampling method has even made it into commercial laws (as early as 1977 in Germany) and is completely approved by auditors. In the United States, statistical sampling is recognized by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board as being an effective alternative to full physical counts. This article, written by Kai Keppner, introduces readers to this counting method and even includes a video from The Count from Sesame Street to demonstrate how fun counting can be!
4) European Supply Chain and Logistics Summit 2014 – Review Part 1
After visiting the European Supply Chain and Logistics Summit this year in Barcelona, I am convinced there is no better way to take the pulse of an industry than personal networking at events. The three day event was filled with insightful presentations and workshops as well as discussion panels. I was able to come away with an excellent perspective on the current challenges supply chain managers are faced with. The first part of my event review highlights the main takeaways which included a focus on supply chain strategy development and execution as well as sustainability issues.
5) Stop the Waste! – Optimizing the Food Supply Chain
In a Worldbank Infographic from 2014, it is estimated that approximately 1 billion metric tons of food is wasted or lost, which amounts to approximately 1/3 of the total food produced for human consumption. It is, however, not just end-consumers who are wasting food. At the wholesale and retail level, a lack of coordination and communication amongst key supply chain players is cited as a top contributing factor to food waste. This article provides our readers with a best practice example on how inventory optimization and demand planning processes can help reduce food waste.
Thank you
With over 3,500 unique monthly visits, we have a lot of people to thank. From all of us here at the Inventory and Supply Chain Optimization Blogging team, thank you for reading, commenting and sharing our content with your networks. We are always open for your feedback and look forward to many more years of insightful discussions.
If you are interested in contributing to our blog, or have an idea for an article, feel free to contact me at david.weaver@inform-software.com
What is your favorite article? I would be happy to read your feedback in the comment section below!
