Category Archives: Logistics

2030 is too late for Center-Led Procurement!

Especially since 2020 was too late! And organizations should have been there by then since center-led procurement was being discussed as the next generation model in the mid-2000s and, more importantly, as the futurists were predicting that the future of work, and companies, was remote and distributed last decade, every company should be “center-led” by now.

(Note that we mean “center-led” and not “centralized” where one central office handles all major procurement projects globally. We mean center-led where a centralized function determines the best procurement path for each category — which could be centralized, distributed, multi-level, or mixed — and provides guidance to all of the global teams and makes sure they build the right procurement — and supply chain — models up front.)

In fact, by now, all organizations should be working off of a virtual center-led model where the “center” is the Procurement A-Team, where the members could literally be spread out over the 6 continents to “locally” absorb the situations in each geography before making decisions and to always have someone available to answer questions on not just a follow-the-sun but follow-the-local-business hours model.

And while virtual / remote / distributed work still seems to be an entirely new thing that most companies didn’t think of before the pandemic and that most companies are trying to eliminate entirely now that the pandemic has been declared over (even though the next pandemic is just around the corner and, yet again, no one is prepared for it), those of us in IT and Supply Chain have been doing it for two decades (and the doctor has been primarily been working remote for the past 19 years — the tech has been there, and has worked, for two decades … and now that high speed is in just about every urban area globally, there’s no reason a hybrid/virtual model cannot work and work well).

The reality is that the pandemic not only brought global supply chains crashing down but brought to light the high risk embedded in them a few of us saw a decade ago, which went beyond the obvious risks of “all your eggs in one basket” (even though Don Quixote was published in 1605) and “The Bermuda Triangle“*1, but also included the risks of relatively centralized procurement where one team in one part of the globe made the all-our-eggs-in-the-China-basket*2 and managed the relationship with one team at one factory in another part of the globe; so if either team got completely locked down with little remote/virtual support (and we saw some countries limit people to 1KM from their homes and China lock down entire cities and not even let people leave their apartments), the entire chain was shut down even beyond the worst case that some of us were envisioning a decade ago (and made our definitions of bad — which was factory goes out of business, shipping lane closes, or ship sinks — look good by comparison because, at least then, you could still go to work and travel to find a new factory, organize a new lane, or spin up the factory 24/7 until you remade the order).

However, with virtual center-led, you not only have a team that knows how to work distributed and remote, and who knows how to use that setup to better mitigate operational risks, but who also has a risk-mitigation mindset that any supply base should also be distributed and different locations remote from each other (two factories in the same town is not risk-mitigation; an earthquake destroys the roads, the entire town gets quarantined, or political borders shut and its effectively one cut-off source of supply) and will help the different parts of the organization design more risk-adverse, or at least risk-aware, supply chains — tapping into local expertise in each part of the world to make the best decision and allowing the organization to move management of the chain around as needed and local teams (because you’re not sourcing your Canadian snow-plow and igloo building services from India, for example) to always have remote access to guidance and best practices in snow-removal services RFP construction (and know how from Norway and Japan).

In other words, center-led procurement (of which you can find a lot of guidance on in the archives here and over on Spend Matters, especially since, now retired, Peter Smith of Spend Matters UK was a guru on this as well as sustainability) of the virtual kind is what you need to be doing now if you want to last until 2030.

 

*1 which, while statistically no more dangerous than any other part of the oceans, exemplifies the fact that even the biggest ships, with an entire year of your inventory on board, can sink, especially when oceanographers have finally realized [even though mathematicians working with wave models understood this concept decades ago] that rogue waves are not a once a in decade occurrence, but a DAILY occurrence on this planet, it’s just that the ocean is so big that the fraction ever covered by ships is so microscopic that the chances of any ship encountering a rogue wave are infinitesimal on a ship-by-ship basis)

*2 likely thanks to McKinsey, although many of the Big 5/6/8 followed suit quickly thereafter and proclaimed China the future

Sixteen Hundred and Ninety One Years Ago Today …

Constantine’s Bridge was officially opened in the presence of emperor Constantine the Great (who ruled Rome between 306 and 337 AD when he was acclaimed emperor after his father’s death). This was a 2,437 m Roman bridge over the Danube, 1,137 m of which spanned the riverbed, that is currently considered the longest ancient river bridge and one of the longest of all time — especially considering it was a wooden arch bridge with wooden superstructure (with masonry piers). [The longest pure arch bridges today barely exceed 500 m’s in length.]

While it only lasted four decades (which is still impressive given its mostly wooden construction), it is still a feat of ancient engineering and an accomplishment in logistics as it allowed for horse and cart delivery of goods (and men) in place of boats.

How Time Critical Does Your Transport Need to Be???

Expedited transport is definitely the hot topic in the consumer world, and time-critical transport is still a hot topic in the JiT manufacturing world. But just how critical is the topic of “time-critical” transport?

We addressed this topic in the past, and looking at it again (as a result of some vendors promoting real-time logistics visibility), the reality is still that, for any Procurement and Logistics organization that is with the times and using the right technology, time-critical / expedited / rushed transport is easy but should only be needed very, very rarely.

Traditionally, time critical transport was needed when something went awry in the supply chain and a shipment had to be expedited to prevent a disruption or stock-out that could be disastrous to a company’s bottom line. Otherwise, unless you were talking about perishable deliveries on a non-refrigerated truck, proper planning mitigated the need for expedited shipment. This situation, of course, worsened with the introduction of JIT (Just in Time) Manufacturing and delivery in the supply chain, especially considering that not only have natural and financial disasters been on the rise since this paradigm became popular, but, as expected, so did disruptions as there were no longer weeks worth of buffer inventory to absorb a minor supply chain shock.

But if you have good visibility, proper planning, and the right tools at your disposal, whether or not you are JIT makes no difference — the odds of a disruption being so significant as to require expedited shipping are low.

Specifically, if you have:

  • multi-tier supply chain visibility,
    like the kind multi-tier risk management or supply chain visibility providers gives you (like Resilinc or SourceMap), and know about a disruption the minute it happens three levels down in your supply chain, and not the day after a product was supposed to reach your warehouse
  • access to modern platforms to find and secure transport in real time,
    like FreightOS or TenderEasy, then you can quickly get a truck when you need a truck and
  • license to global trade document platforms,
    like Integration Point or Amber Road that handle import and export compliance, including advance notification, that help you to insure there are no delays at the border

then you will be notified of potential disruptions well in advance and in time to take appropriate actions, and in the situation where it was an unpredictable disaster (such as a fire, earthquake, or flood) at your supplier’s DC just as product was about to ship, and a new shipment has to be made immediately from another location, your immediate ability to secure a new truck almost always alleviates the need for an expedited shipment — a need which is further alleviated by your ability to get your import, export, and compliance documents in order before the product ships, preventing unnecessary delays at the border.Basically, about the only time you should have to do an expedited shipment is if you were a medical organ transport company and a new donor heart, needed halfway across the country, just became available. Other than that, with all of the options available to you to prevent the need for unanticipated (rushed) shipments, or to get them under control as soon as the need arises, there just isn’t that much of a need for overpriced time-critical transport anymore. (Unless you’re still living in the eighties and using paper and fax to manage your logistics.)

Your thoughts?

Supply Chain & Distribution in the Age of Legalized Marijuana


Now, some readers will feel this topic is inappropriate for Sourcing Innovation. However, regardless of your personal view on the subject, it is a valid one given the continuing legalization of Marijuana around the world, and, more importantly, the fact it has medical uses. If you are personally against it, you can avoid the industry. But a healthcare provider cannot, especially once a licensed medical doctor has prescribed the drug.


As a result, today we welcome a guest post from Brian Seipel a Procurement Consultant at Source One Management Services focused on helping corporations understand their spend profile and develop actionable strategies for cost reduction and supplier relationship management. Brian has a lot of real-world project experience in supply chain distribution, and brings some unique insight on the topic.

(Dear reader: I need you to know how hard it was to resist writing a pot-infused pun into my headline.)

There are a lot of headaches attached to supply chain and distribution, faced by distributors and their clients alike. I can list a few, not that I likely need to – most readers will be familiar with them:

  • Regulations are, bluntly, a pain in the ass. This one doesn’t need much of an explanation. From city to city, state to state, country to country, there are a lot of rules to follow, and a lot of frustration for anyone who doesn’t dot the right “I’s” or cross the right “T’s.” If compliance is key, then regulators must have some pretty heavy doors.
  • Supply chains are often pretty inflexible. Any hiccups along the way can be devastating and, while good planning can ease the pain, nothing is sure fire. Want an easy example? For those in the north, think back to the last bad winter you faced. Any seafaring shippers can point to the last hurricane that graced their shipping lanes. Probably enough said.
  • Costs are rising. Fuel for trucks and wages for their drivers have frequently been a concern. Adding some strategic creativity to your supply chain can help stretch dollars, but the rubber can’t meet the road without expensive fuel to get it there. And a driver, of course, to keep it there.
  • Forecasting can be tricky, and demand can outstrip supply. Predicting demand (and predicting the uncertainty in that prediction) are crucial to gaining efficiencies in your supply chain. It can also be very difficult, leaving many to base decisions on assumptions and gut checks. One known factor at play here is the fact that demand far outstrips supply. There’s a shortage of truck drivers out there, and that isn’t good for anyone trying to move shipments.

Again, I likely didn’t need to remind any of you of these and many other challenges your supply chain faces. One thing you blessedly don’t need to worry about, however, is committing a felony just for shipping product.

In the Age of Legalized Pot, Distribution will be … Tricky

Sorry to bury the lead, there. However, I think it was important to do so. Given all those issues above that we all face, at least we can keep in mind that “someone out there has it a lot worse.”

You think regulations on your end are bad? States can barely get their own minds made up about the legal status of Marijuana, and that’s not even considering the fact that the stuff is still illegal on a federal level, regardless of what the states decide. That brings the regulatory landscape to a whole new level. On that note, what do you think the legal ambiguity means to an already fragile supply chain? Distributors of marijuana face a level of uncertainty not seen elsewhere.

If America has a truck driver shortage, imagine adding felony charges, stiff fines, and jail time into the equations – you can’t fault the labor pool for being cautious to enter this new arena. And even if you solve these supply chain risks in the here and now, predicting the demand of a product that is legal today but potentially a crime again tomorrow would make the best soothsayer’s head spin.

Still, this is an emerging market that has caught everyone’s attention. As Procurement pros with an eye on industry news and trends, this growing industry is, at a minimum, an interesting one to keep an eye on. So let’s dig a little further.

Weed Distribution: A Brief Review

To take a closer look, let’s travel to California’s sunny coastlines. It’s weird to think of the marijuana growers and dispensaries dotting the golden state as mon-and-pop outfits. “Not my parents,” right? Still, the term applies. Most don’t have the resources nor inclination to own most of the vertical elements of marijuana industry. Many dispensaries are happy to leave the cultivation and processing of marijuana plants to growers and act simply as the retail operation. Many growers simply want to focus on producing a high quality product, and have little time for the retail side of it all.

On one hand, it makes a lot of sense for the two to meet in the middle, forming partnerships. On the other, however, it can be painful for an organization on one side to deal with a dozen small outfits on the other. Not to mention the fact that some of those small outfits may land on the weaker end of the business acumen continuum. Besides, neither end necessarily wants to deal with the tax and regulatory management or logistics of the industry.

Enter California’s Cannabis Distributor License. Organizations under this license take up this relationship, and work with growers and dispensers to not only manage the logistics of the industry, but also myriad steps along the way – before handling the actual shipments, these organizations may also take part in the processing and packaging of the products, performing required quality control measures, and deal with the regulatory hassles that come with the territory. Just as importantly, growers and dispensaries can get a range of products from a much smaller, more reputable source.

This is a win for all parties involved. So, what is the issue?

For one thing, the California supply chain is being disrupted by a – very relatable for the rest of us – greater demand for distribution than there is right now. Plenty of dispensaries stocked up on product early on to ward against disruption, but there simply aren’t enough operators being granted licenses to keep the pipeline full.

This shortage isn’t the only concern. Plenty of attention is paid to high tax rate on one side and a banking industry that refuses to get involved in an industry still illegal on a federal level on the other. Both factors are squeezing the industry from a financial perspective.

A Look towards the Future

You may be asking, “won’t all of this get better as more states legalize?” This may be true over a long term. However, the federal government isn’t budging so far, which means every state is an island in terms of marijuana distribution. It wouldn’t matter if two neighboring states were both weed-friendly. That adjacency won’t count for anything, as state borders fall under federal jurisdiction. Hell, don’t even think about getting near some state borders as a cannabis distributor – simply approaching a border crossing zone between countries could land you in hot water, even if the distribution of marijuana within that border state is legal.

So let’s look towards what that longer future could look like. The biggest “if” factor out there is regulatory. Either states get their own ducks in a row and the federal government follows suit… or they don’t.

If they do, the cannabis distribution market could be a huge industry (we already see it growing quickly, albeit not quickly enough, in California). Limit the number of hoops to jump through and clear the way for distribution from a legal standpoint, and watch an industry thrive. If they don’t, however, I can see a slide back into the black market, regardless of the legality on a per-state basis. The lack of regulation and taxation could be too much of a draw for some to ignore.

And that would be a shame – from a quality and safety standpoint for the consumer and a revenue standpoint for the state, there are a lot of reasons advocates across the industry and interested in its success.

Thanks, Brian.

The Road to Riches? The Rails, My Friend, the Rails.

Every day, SI is becoming more convinced that if you want your Supply Chain to be a success, you need to ride the rails. It used to be if you were shipping goods long-haul over land, you’d ship them by train. There was no long-haul trucking and air was just too expensive. But then the war ended, Dwight D. Eisenhower championed the National system of Interstate and Defense Highways, the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 came into effect, long-haul trucking became an option, buses became more popular than trains for many trips, the railroads started to struggle financially, and ground eventually overtook rail for most cargo in the US.

And today, people in North America associate trains with the Wild, Wild West despite the fact that rail is, by far, the most cost-efficient way to move cargo over ground for distances in excess of 500 miles. It’s also typically the best choice for intermodal ocean freight as the major rail networks will not only have their terminals in the ports, but SLAs (Service Level Agreements) to make sure cargo is quickly transferred from ship to rail-car. For example, agreements between the Port of Halifax and CN Rail gives you a double-stack rail-service direct link to Chicago in 71 hours, which is typically a 3-day drive when you factor in daily driver limits and border crossing.

Why is SI becoming more convinced that Rail is the Future? Three reasons:

  1. Fuel Efficiency
    Efficient trains can move a ton of freight nearly 450 miles on a single gallon of fuel. Find a truck that can do that!
  2. Predictability
    The railroads control the rails – and can schedule them to maximize capacity and prevent traffic jams that can delay trucks for hours or more. Plus, well maintained lines and trains that keep to schedules suffer significantly less accidents than traffic on the road.
  3. Adoption by the East
    While the young and immature west might have dumbly abandoned trains just like it abandoned trams (and replaced them with gas guzzling polluting busses), the East is investing Billions in new (high-speed) rail lines everywhere. Consider the amount being invested in the Kunming-Singapore Railway with Laos alone committing to invest 6.2 Billion on the 260-mile segment between Kunming and Vientiane straight through the mountainous region of Northern Laos. Think about that. The GDP of Laos is only 9.3 Billion! That’s a huge commitment for a country the size of Laos, even if the commitment connects China to Thailand and will capture a sizeable portion of the 4 Trillion worth of imports and exports that flow into and out of China. This 6.2 Billion dollar railway will require 196 km of blasting and will create 76 tunnels. To put this into perspective, combined they would form a tunnel long enough to connect Korea to Japan under the sea.

It’s time to ride those rails! All around the world!