Let’s play pretend. Imagine you’re the owner of an airline company. In order to get your wheels off the ground, you have to check if your aircrafts are properly fitted with the furnishings, supplies, and equipment necessary for safe, efficient travel. Sadly, upon inspection, you find your fleet is in no shape to fly—cabin seats […]
It’s not just China that has the global retail community on edge – the administration has also proposed tariffs on imported goods from Russia and Brazil, trade relations with the EU are in flux, and let’s not forget about Nafta. As global trade continues to evolve, the actual costs for retailers around the world are […]
When President Trump entered office in 2016, retail supply chain professionals were optimistic about trade policies under the new administration. After two years, however, retailers show growing concerns after Trump imposed a series of aluminum and steel tariffs on China, and more recently, on Canada, Mexico, and the European Union. While the North American […]
It’s difficult to imagine what post-Brexit life will be like for global retailers – and even more difficult to imagine how they’ll get there. With fluctuating currencies, impending trade regulations and new customs requirements, organizations are doing their best to plan for how the move will affect their supply chains. While retailers haven’t hit […]
The reality is that no company ever has total control of its risk. However, that’s not to suggest that they are completely powerless either. Defining what level of risk is acceptable to your operation and remaining within these parameters, no matter the situation, will lead to fewer interruptions and breakdowns in processes — and a […]
The saying goes: “What is good and fast isn’t cheap. What is fast and cheap isn’t good. What is good and cheap isn’t fast. You can only have two.” We’ve all just accepted this message to be truth, and the Project Management Triangle – the feeling of pressure that comes with managing opposing forces of […]
The retailer-trading partner relationship is…complicated. While it’s necessary to have trustworthy, scalable and collaborative partners, many retailers might not have the resources needed to fully manage and optimize their partnerships — and it’s costing them. The following outlines key areas for hidden costs associated with trading partners, and solutions to manage them. Inventory […]
Global trade is significantly more complex and presents more risk than domestic trade, given changing regulations and standards across different countries and the varied levels of transparency throughout a global supply chain. Combined with the sheer number of suppliers (not to mention the suppliers’ suppliers) that come with global trade, and the often manual process […]
