It's hard to think of another industry that's faced the kind of challenges retailers have confronted in the past few years. And the reverberations are being felt deep within their operations. For example, the demands of e-commerce and omnichannel fulfillment as well as the growing risks associated with global sourcing have forced retailers to develop more flexible and responsive supply chains.
Discussions with retailers led logistics industry expert Adrian Gonzalez to produce an e-book that examines six "supply chain disciplines," areas in which retailers must become proficient in order to stay afloat in today's fast-changing retail environment. Developed by Gonzalez's firm, Adelante SCM, in collaboration with third-party logistics company Legacy Supply Chain Services, the e-book is titled "Keeping Up with the Retail Consumer; 6 Supply Chain Disciplines Retailers Must Master."
In addition to the book, the authors developed a companion online tool that lets retailers gauge how their own supply chains measure up. Shippers can evaluate more than 25 aspects of their supply chain's performance grouped into the six crucial disciplines described in the e-book: supply chain visibility, supply chain mapping and visualization, supply chain risk management, supply chain design, supply chain business intelligence, and talent retention and workplace culture development. The tool provides a supply chain report card along with specific recommendations on how to improve performance and increase efficiency.
To evaluate your own supply chain's performance, go to legacyscs.com/supply-chain-grader/.
