Contributing Editor Toby Gooley is a freelance writer and editor specializing in supply chain, logistics, material handling, and international trade. She previously was Editor at CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly. and Senior Editor of SCQ's sister publication, DC VELOCITY. Prior to joining AGiLE Business Media in 2007, she spent 20 years at Logistics Management magazine as Managing Editor and Senior Editor covering international trade and transportation. Prior to that she was an export traffic manager for 10 years. She holds a B.A. in Asian Studies from Cornell University.
I'm writing this after spending part of my day working on the latest edition of our Spanish-language e-newsletter,
Executive Insight en español. The newsletter, which is based on our monthly Executive Insight electronic newsletter,
includes my "Perspective" column and a selection of news articles from our website, ably converted from English to Spanish by
our translator in Mexico, David Hernández. David and I work closely together: I learn Spanish grammar and vocabulary from him,
and he learns terms like "sales and operations planning" and "e-commerce order fulfillment" from me. (Click here and scroll down
to "Executive Insight en español" to view a sample newsletter.)
Recently we test-launched a Chinese-language version of Executive Insight. We are fortunate to partner in this venture
with Charles Guowen Wang, Ph.D., of the China Development Institute's Institute for Logistics and Supply Chain Management. Charles
is also the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals' chief representative in China, a respected researcher and business
leader, and a widely published author. I have only a very rudimentary knowledge of Chinese; I was able to pick out a few common
words and my own name from the newsletter, but that was about it. But no worries; we know that with Dr. Wang and his talented
colleagues we are in expert hands.
Why are we making the effort to share some of our content in other languages when so many logistics and supply chain
professionals around the world read and speak English well? For one thing, there is great and growing demand for supply chain
information and education throughout Latin America and China. For another, most people are much more comfortable with, and gain
greater benefit from, material written in their own language.
Container flows at dozens of U.S. East Coast and Gulf Coast ports shuddered to a simultaneous stop this morning when dockworkers launched a promised strike over pay levels and job automation.
The action is affecting work at major locations such as New York/New Jersey, Savannah, Houston, Charleston, Norfolk, Miami, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Jacksonville, Boston, Mobile, Tampa, and Wilmington. That broad span of geographic locations will affect imports and exports for industries spanning retail, automotive, agriculture, food and beverage, and manufacturing, according to an analysis by Overhaul.
Those impacts are forecast to grow rapidly with each additional day the strike continues, since more than 100 vessels are estimated to arrive at the 36 affected ports this week alone, according to analysis by supply chain visibility provider Project44. The recovery from that backup could take some time, as some shippers estimate that for every one week of strike, it will take 4-6 weeks to fully recover, the firm said.
Because of the sudden stop, logistics providers today are quickly reaching out to shippers and other clients to plan for future cargo movements. Specifically, the strike immediately froze a range of work such as the movement of import and export containers and the loading and unloading of containers, according to German maritime transportation provider Hapag-Lloyd AG. “As a result of this situation, which is beyond our control, we will need to adjust our services or temporarily suspend operations as conditions evolve. Our priority remains the protection of your cargo during this period,” Hapag-Lloyd AG said in a note to shippers.
Despite those large impacts, the timeline is unclear for finding a resolution of negotiations between the union—the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA)—and the port management group, United States Maritime Alliance (USMX).
Under those conditions, retail and manufacturing groups have renewed their calls for their White House to step in and force workers back on the job while negotiations resume.
One of those voices came the National Retail Federation (NRF). “NRF urges President Biden to use any and all available authority and tools — including use of the Taft-Hartley Act — to immediately restore operations at all impacted container ports, get the parties back to the negotiating table and ensure there are no further disruptions,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said in a release. “A disruption of this scale during this pivotal moment in our nation’s economic recovery will have devastating consequences for American workers, their families and local communities. After more than two years of runaway inflationary pressures and in the midst of recovery from Hurricane Helene, this strike will result in further hardship for American families.”
Perfect Planner, a cloud-based platform designed to streamline the material planning and replenishment process, and Flying Ship, an unmanned ground-effect maritime cargo craft, took home the second annual “3 V’s of Supply Chain Innovation Awards” tonight at the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) annual EDGE Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
This awards contest is hosted by Supply Chain Xchange and 3 V’s framework creator and supply chain visionary Art Mesher. It serves to recognize those companies that have created technology or automation solutions that exemplify Mesher’s 3 V’s framework of “embracing variability, harnessing visibility, and competing with velocity.”
Business Innovation Award
Art Mesher, creator of the 3 V's Framework (left) and Rick Blasgen (right), former CSCMP President and CEO, present Tom Biel (center), CEO of Perfect Planner, with the 3 V's Business Innovation Award.
Susan Lacefield
Perfect Planner won the 3 V’s Business Innovation Award for its software solution that uses artificial intelligence to automatically generates daily "to-do lists" for material planners/buyers. All the “to-do’s” are ranked in order of criticality. The solution also uses advanced analytics to understand and address inventory shortages and surpluses.
The two other finalists for the Business Innovation Award were AutoScheduler AI, a predictive warehouse optimization platform, and Davinci Micro Fulfillment, which provides a micro fulfillment service out of a network for small distribution centers across the United States.
Best Overall Startup Award
Flying Ship was awarded the Best Overall Startup Award. The company has designed an unmanned flying ground-effect maritime vessel. Although the Flying Ship looks like a small aircraft or large drone, it is classified as a maritime vessel because it does not leave the air cushion over the waves, similar to a hovercraft.
According to Flying Ship CEO Bill Peterson, the craft is 75% less expensive than a traditional aircraft and “faster than anything on water.” The prototype has a wingspan of 6.5 feet and can be scaled up to deliver 10,000 pounds of freight to “anywhere with a coastline” using autonomous systems.
The other startup finalist included Arkestro, a predictive procurement orchestration solution, and Provision AI, an optimized replenishment and transportation scheduling solution.
On Monday morning at CSCMP’s 2024 EDGE Conference, Darcy MacClaren, chief revenue office, digital supply chain, at technology company SAP, lead a lively discussion with a panel of women supply chain leaders on how to recruit, retain, and empower future supply chain leaders.
Panelists included Cindy Cochovity, executive vice president of strategic development at software company FreightPath; Heather Dohrn, chief commercial officer at trucking company Dohrn Transfer Company; Jennifer Kobus, senior vice president of supply chain planning and operations at retailer Ulta Beauty; Ammie McAsey, senior vice president of customer distribution experience at pharmaceutical company McKesson; and Michelle Williams, a supply chain teacher at Clyde C. Miller Career Academy, a high school in St. Louis, Missouri.
Touching on more than just the challenges they faced in supply chain as women, the panelists spoke about creating “destination" companies—places where top talent can work, grow, and thrive. According to MacClaren, younger workers “want more than just competitive compensation—they want to feel appreciated, involved, and inspired. They seek a workplace with a strong, inclusive culture that aligns with their values, offers meaningful work, and provides an opportunity for growth and development.”
The panel covered an array of topics including how to inspire the next generation of talent, strategies for engaging and coaching young professionals, how to attract diversity, and how to address change management. In addition, they shared personal experiences that helped them achieve their leadership roles and ended with some key takeaways for the audience members.
Here’s a snapshot of action items from the discussion:
1. Ensure a diverse slate of candidates for open positions.
2. Leverage internal and external networks to find diverse candidates.
3. Nurture and mentor new hires to help them thrive.
4. Remain authentic, vulnerable, and transparent as a leader.
5. Advocate for yourself and your career progression, not just for your team.
6. Seek out mentors and advocates, especially other women in leadership positions.
7. Open doors and bring others in, regardless of your own position.
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Supply Chain Xchange Executive Editor Susan Lacefield moderates a panel discussion with Supply Chain Xchange's Outstanding Women in Supply Chain Award Winners (from left to right) Annette Danek-Akey, Sherry Harriman, Leslie O'Regan, and Ammie McAsey.
Supply Chain Xchange recognized four women who have made significant contributions to the supply chain management profession today with its second annual Outstanding Women in Supply Chain Award. The award winners include Annette Danek-Akey, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Barnes & Noble; Sherry Harriman, Senior Vice President of Logistics and Supply Chain for Academy Sports + Outdoors; Leslie O’Regan, Director of Product Management for DC Systems & 3PLs at American Eagle Outfitters; and Ammie McAsey, Senior Vice President of Customer Distribution Experience for McKesson’s U.S. Pharmaceutical division.
Throughout their careers, these four supply chain executive have demonstrated strategic thinking, innovative problem solving, and effective leadership as well as a commitment to giving back to the profession.
The awards were presented at the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) annual EDGE Conference in Nashville, Tenn. In addition to the awards presentation, the leaders discussed their leadership philosophies and career path during a panel discussion at the EDGE conference.
The surge of “nearshoring” supply chains from China to Mexico offers obvious benefits in cost, geography, and shipping time, as long as U.S. companies are realistic about smoothing out the challenges of the burgeoning trend, according to a panel today at the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP)’s EDGE Conference in Nashville.
Those challenges span a list including: developing infrastructure, weak security, manual processes, and shifting regulations, speakers said in a session titled “Nearshoring: Transforming Surface Transportation in the U.S.”
For example, a recent Mexican government rail expansion added lines to tourist destinations in Cancun instead of freight capacity in the Southwest, said panelist Edward Habe, Vice President of Mexico Sales, for Averitt. Truckload cargo inspections may rely on a single person looking at paper filings on the border, instead of a 24/7 online system, said Bob McCloskey, Director for Logistics and Distribution at Clarios, LLC. And business partners inside Mexico often have undisclosed tier-two, tier-three, and tier-four relationships that are difficult to track from the U.S., said Beth Kussatz, Manager of Northern American Network Design & Implementation, Deere & Co.
Still, dedicated companies can work with Mexican authorities, regulators, and providers to overcome those bottlenecks with clever solutions, the panelists agreed. “Don’t be afraid,” Habe said. “It just makes sense in today’s world, the local regionalization of manufacturing. It’s in our interest that this works.”