3.0”—an approach that stresses a new level of collaboration between buyers and suppliers.
The CIO’s Increasing Role in Supply Chain
Michael Saitow, Chief Information Officer, M.S.
Walker, Inc.; May 2010
At M.S. Walker, Inc., a family-run distributor of wine
and spirits, chief information officer Michael Saitow
involves himself in business activities ranging well
beyond the traditional definition of that role.
An Introduction to Cloud Technology
Greg Johnsen, Exec. Vice President of Marketing &
Sales, Co-Founder, GT Nexus; May 2010
Companies are just beginning to understand the
potential of “cloud” computing to enable real collaboration throughout global supply chains, says
Greg Johnsen, executive vice president of marketing and sales with GT Nexus.
Best of Breed vs. ERP in the Warehouse
Patti Satterfield, Vice President Marketing & Busi-
ness Development, Fortna; June 2010
The battle between enterprise and standalone
applications continues. Patti Satterfield, vice presi-
dent of marketing and business development with
Fortna, outlines some of the considerations compa-
nies need to take into account before choosing
between the two.
A New Look at Warehouse Labor Management
Al Gagnon, Senior Account Executive, enVista;
June 2010
Al Gagnon, senior account executive with enVista,
traces the history of labor-management applica-
tions in the warehouse, and talks about why and
where the technology is catching on with compa-
nies today.
Optimizing Your Supply Chain IT Suite
Norman Saenz, Jr., Assistant Vice President, Tran-
Systems; June 2010
Norman Saenz, Jr., assistant vice president of Tran-
Systems, urges companies to adopt the big picture,
when deciding how to implement and operate var-
ious supply-chain execution applications.
New Ideas in Order Picking and Processing
Don Cronin, President, Alternative Technologies;
June 2010
Technology can yield big benefits, says Don
Cronin, president of Alternative Technologies,
but warehouse managers first must acquire a
deep understanding of their product and facility
requirements.
Voice Technology Comes of Age
Marceline Absil, Vice President Marketing & Sales,
Top VOX Corporation; June 2010
Voice-recognition software and hardware are
becoming more economically feasible for small
and mid-sized companies, says Marceline Absil,
vice president of marketing and sales with Top
VOX Corp. She discusses current advances in
voice technology.
WMS Meets the Challenge of High-Tech
Manufacturing
Tom Kozenski, Vice President Product Strategy,
The complexity of high-tech manufacturing and
distribution calls for sophisticated tools to manage
inventory and communicate with supply-chain
partners, says Tom Kozenski, vice president of
product strategy with RedPrairie Corp.
How S&OP Can Boost Supply-Chain
Performance
Matt Filbern, Vice President Oper. & Supply Chain,
Jarden Branded Consumables; October 2010
Jarden Branded Consumables has realized big ben-
efits from the implementation of a formal Sales &
Operations Planning process throughout its organi-
zation, says Matt Filbern, vice president of opera-
tions and supply chain.
Voice Technology in the Warehouse:
A Status Report
Stephen J. Gerrard, Vice President of Marketing &
Strategic Planning, Voxware; October 2010
Companies are increasingly embracing voice tech-
nology, even as they demand systems using open
standards and non-proprietary hardware and soft-
ware, says Stephen J. Gerrard, vice president of
marketing and strategic planning with Voxware.
A Decade of Evolution in Supply Chain
Planning
Sridhar Tayur, Founder & CEO, SmartOps;
November 2010
SmartOps was started in 2000 to help companies
whose inventory management was inferior despite
heavy investment in consultants and software, says
Sridhar Tayur, founder and CEO. SmartOps still
helps them right-size their inventories, but it also
“co-innovates” with customers in a number of
other exciting areas.
Everybody Wins with Enterprise Inventory
Optimization
Martin Barkman, Executive Vice President, Global
Sales & Marketing, SmartOps; November 2010
Inventory management has grown more and more
difficult as global trade increases and becomes
more complex, says Martin Barkman, executive
vice president, global sales and marketing, for
SmartOps. An enterprise inventory optimization
solution is critical to keeping customer service,
inventory levels and working capital in balance.
Say Goodbye to Slow and Obsolete Inventory
Lora Cecere, Industry Analyst, Altimeter Group;
November 2010
Waste in the supply chains of process industries –
or slow and obsolete inventory – amounts to about
0.3 percent of revenue. That’s significant, says Lora
Cecere, industry analyst with Altimeter Group, but
few people want to talk about it because it signals
that the supply chain is not working effectively.
SAP’s “Smart” Choice for Inventory
Optimization
Rick Wenger, Director, SCM Value Network, SAP
America Inc.; November 2010
The relationship between business manage-
ment software provider SAP and SmartOps has
many touch points, says Rick Wenger, director
of SAP America’s Supply Chain Management
Value Network. But the real value comes from
enabling manufacturing, distribution and retail
companies to pursue optimal product availabil-
ity, while significantly reducing inventory and
working capital.
Technology & Managers Team for
Accurate Forecasting
Nada R. Sanders, Lehigh University, College of Busi-
ness and Economics; November 2010
More than 20 years’ worth of studying and consult-
ing with some of the world’s top companies sug-
gests that neither technology nor managerial
expertise by itself will ensure forecast accuracy,
says Nada R. Sanders, professor and Iacocca Chair
at Lehigh University. A combination of the two is
what’s needed.
Innovations for Mobile Computing
Norm Ellis, V.P., Transportation & Logistics, Qual-
comm Enterprise Services; November 2010
New technologies for monitoring individual driver
behavior promise to reap benefits of enhanced
safety, visibility, security and efficiency, says Norm
Ellis, vice president of transportation and logistics
with Qualcomm Enterprise Services.
Managing Inventory for Competitive
Advantage
Rod Daugherty, Senior Director of Product Man-
agement, Manhattan Associates; November 2010
When properly managed, inventory can become a
competitive advantage rather than a drag on bal-
ance sheets, says Rod Daugherty, senior director of
product management at Manhattan Associates.
Using inventory optimization tools, he explains,
companies are able to view and manage inventory
at each echelon in the supply chain as part of one
holistic investment, thereby avoiding redundant
safety stock and reducing inventory costs by
around 15 percent.
Software Scalability: A Continuing
Conundrum
Phil Pearse, General Manager for Design, Four Soft;
November 2010
Scalability of packaged software solutions con-
tinues to be a challenge for companies working
in the area of international logistics, says Phil
Pearse, general manager for design at software
developer Four Soft and former CIO at Yusen
Global Logistics. Drawing on his experience in
both of these positions, Pearse explains how
Yusen addressed the scalability issue and dis-
cusses how vendors can do a better job of mak-
ing their solutions more scalable.
Shipment Tracking: Still on the Radar
Damien Stile, Chief Operating Officer, Alba Wheels
Up; November 2010
Technology has tremendously expanded the
amount of information available to shippers for
tracking their freight, says Damien Stile, COO at
Alba Wheels Up. The problem is that this informa-
tion often is scattered among many different supply
chain partners. Accumulating this data and present-
ing it to the shippers in a centralized, easy to use
format is an important service provided by Alba
Wheels Up and similar companies.
