Shippers Supply Line

Tips and strategies for saving money, improving productivity and reducing waste.

Supply Chain Showing Signs of Recovery

Supply Chain Showing Signs of Recovery

As the world slowly recovers from the supply chain crisis, there is good news to report from the automotive industry. Despite factory production constraints and a shortage of semiconductors, GM beat expectations and reported a record fourth-quarter profit. The...

read more
Chip Manufacturing Returns to America

Chip Manufacturing Returns to America

If the recent supply chain crisis has taught manufacturers one thing, it’s the importance of building new U.S. plants to avoid product shortages due to a supply breakdown overseas. A good example is the semiconductor industry which suffered a severe availability...

read more
Global Supply Chain Crisis Subsides

Global Supply Chain Crisis Subsides

Things are looking up in regard to the global supply chain crisis. As the world slowly recovers from the lingering Covid-19 pandemic there are signs that the global supply chain is getting back to normal. Despite some continued production disruption, supplies and...

read more
Three Supply Chain Trends to Watch

Three Supply Chain Trends to Watch

As we close in on 2023, this is the prime time to be paying attention to trends while you prepare for your end-of-the-year strategic planning process. Here are three supply chain management trends to keep an eye on in the coming months according to Forbes:   ...

read more
Fighting Inflation

Fighting Inflation

The inflation rate has seen the fastest pace of increase in over 40 years. According to a Wall Street Journal article by Nick Timiraos, Federal Reserve of­fi­cials are likely to de­bate next week how much to raise rates in Feb­ruary, with views shaped by how they see...

read more
Congestion Can Also Cause the Bullwhip Effect

Congestion Can Also Cause the Bullwhip Effect

In our previous blog, we shared a brief explanation of the bullwhip effect and how it can negatively affect inventory management. But this whipsaw reaction can also be caused by congestion. Dr. Willy Shih, the Robert and Jane Cizik professor of management practice at...

read more
What is Shrinkflation?

What is Shrinkflation?

If you live in the United States, you have likely noticed that some of our favorite products have shrunk in size in the past few years. As the price of ingredients and manufacturing increases due to the supply chain crisis and soaring inflation, we end up with smaller...

read more
The Smallest Part Can Make The Biggest Impact

The Smallest Part Can Make The Biggest Impact

You may have recently read about Ford Motors Company’s latest supply-chain snarl: the blue oval badges. Troubles obtaining the small branding piece has delayed the delivery of thousands of vehicles. The trademark is important because it is the finishing touch and adds...

read more
A Simple Explanation of the Complex Supply Chain

A Simple Explanation of the Complex Supply Chain

Due to the fact that supply chains have multiple moving parts and layers, it’s very difficult to point the finger at one problem when trying to solve the current product availability crisis. A good place to start is to understand that there are two main players that...

read more
How to Keep Fill Rates Up

How to Keep Fill Rates Up

Clients tell me that they can get fill rates up but they can’t keep them up, even if they throw inventory at the problem. When fill rates drop so do sales and turns. It is possible to get both fill rates and turns up and keep them up. Read on to understand the...

read more
How to Improve Resilience and Response Time

How to Improve Resilience and Response Time

Our quick changing geopolitical climate is causing companies to reconsider their offshoring strategies. Unpredictable forecasting, which we talked about in a previous blog post, and the logistical nightmares that come from choosing the wrong trend are just a small part of the challenging circumstances that manufacturers deal with when outsourcing their production. 

read more
The Bullwhip Effect

The Bullwhip Effect

Sometimes you can make things worse by just “trying to do your best.” Planning and forecasting is supposed to be the way to solve production, supply, and storage problems but it is not always reliable. Variations in demand are being magnified more than ever. Even the best forecasters can’t react quick enough to accurately adjust inventory supply. This brings us to our main point of introducing the Bullwhip Effect. 

read more