With our last post in 2014, we want to summarize the highlights from the previous twelve months and have a look back at some of the top posts and endeavors from the year. However, first and foremost, we want to thank our readers for visiting our blog and sharing our articles. Our blog readership increased by 57% compared to 2013, and for that we are very grateful. We have also enjoyed insightful discussions on the various social platforms and have benefited greatly from our readers’ perceptions and feedback. In our effort to sustain the delivery of informative and fun supply chain blog articles, feedback plays a critical role. We therefore encourage you to stay in touch and keep the feedback coming!
Most read articles in 2014
Our blogging team published 53 original articles and covered over 150 supply chain news stories in our weekly wrap-up series in 2014. The following 5 articles were published in 2014 and generated the most visitors:
5. Ghost in the machine – how Operations Research drives Inventory Management 4.0
4. Supply Chain Transparency 2014: A Review
3. What Can We Learn From Apple’s Supply Chain
2. The Amazing Supply Chain of the 2014 World Cup Soccer Ball
1. IKEA in action: Logistics and Supply Chain Sustainability
Simply reading the titles of these articles provides us with an overview of some of the top trends in 2014. One trend, for example, is the focus on supply chain sustainability and the greening of supply chain and logistics processes. In my opinion, this is something that will continue to be prominent in 2015. Along the same lines, as consumers become more conscious about their purchasing decisions, the aspect of supply chain transparency is gaining momentum and more product traceability is being demanded.
Furthermore, the importance of advanced analytics and data management in supply chain processes was a major focus in 2014. The development of the Internet of Things and smart factories will definitely be something to keep an eye on in the coming years.
Our “Amazing Supply Chain” articles, which follow the journey everyday products make before landing in our homes, are definitely highly visited by readers. Our timely World Cup soccer ball journey post provided readers with a fun, festive read. Let us know if you come across any other amazing supply chains! We’d be happy to include them in our series!
Event Summaries
Testing a new concept this year, we decided to take the pulse of the supply chain industry by talking directly with the main industry movers and shakers. I was lucky enough to be able to attend three industry events:
- European Supply Chain & Logistics Summit (Barcelona)
- International Supply Chain Conference (Berlin)
- European Manufacturing Strategies Summit (Düsseldorf)
With all of the hype around Industry 4.0, I was expecting to see some practical applications at these various events. To my surprise, after talking with industry experts and attending several workshops, the implementation of a fully functional smart factory is still at least 10 years out. The focus now is on preparing for these changes and future challenges.
It is these types of insights we are seeking at the various events. Due to the expansive amount of knowledge we were able to gain through workshops, presentations and discussions, we expect to continue covering events in 2015. If you know of a great supply chain event and want us to cover it, let us know. We would be happy to work with you!
Guest Bloggers
After two years of in-house publishing, we decided to open our doors to other logistics and supply chain executives looking to share their knowledge with other industry professionals. Our first two featured guest blog posts included:
- The Amazing Supply Chain Of Your iPhone Case – by Gary Marion, Director Supply Chain Management at Dynaroll and author of Supply Chain ROSCO
- Why Customer Service is Key for a Great 3PL Partnership – by Kelli Saunders, President at Morai Logistics
We had a great time collaborating with these two experts and hope to further collaborate in the future with them, and perhaps other industry experts.
Happy Holidays!
To sum-up, I want to take the opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a successful 2015. We will be kicking off the New Year on January 5th with an interesting article on spare parts management. We are looking forward to future discussions and networking opportunities! Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, ideas and feedback you may have for 2015.
