In more general terms, sustainability is the endurance of systems and processes. The organizing principle for sustainability is sustainable development, which includes the four interconnected domains: ecology, economics, politics and culture.
In the future, you will know the source of every component in the products you use or manufacture, how it was produced, the energy consumed in its production, perhaps even who will own it next and how much they will pay you for it. This is the natural, inevitable outcome of combining circular economy principles … More The Effects Of Linking The Supply And Reverse Chains
Companies and governments have been discussing the challenges that lie ahead as we enter a period of rapid innovation and change unlike any the world has ever seen. In a previous post we have made a number of observations about the increasing importance of data and connectivity in realizing the Fourth Industrial Revolution and singled … More Will Open Data Save Supply Chains?
Do you realize that we produce about 500 million pallets a year in the US alone to replace the worn pallets that we discard each year? The number of pallets out there is truly staggering. Nearly 2 billion wooden pallets are currently in circulation in the US with a majority of them replaced each year. This … More Wooden Pallets Cost Us More Than You Know!
The circular economy is a generic term for an industrial economy that is, by design or intention, restorative and in which material flows are of two types, biological nutrients, designed to re-enter the biosphere safely, and technical nutrients, which are designed to circulate at high quality without entering the biosphere. The term encompasses more than … More Is the Circular Economy a Myth?
Setting the stage We talk a lot about sustainability. Climate change, greenhouse (GHG) emissions, carbon footprints and a host of other related topics that bounce around the Internet or become the topic of speakers at countless seminars or conventions around the world and lead us to believe that we’re actually doing something to combat these … More Supply Chain’s Required Paradigm Shifts
A half-century ago, there was deep and widespread concern that automation and new technology were leading to chronically high levels of unemployment. In retrospect, we know the fear at that time was unfounded. But it is nonetheless fruitful to review the controversy. To set the stage, the U.S. economy suffered 10 months of recession from … More Supply Chain Automation And Job Loss: The Fears Of 1964
As I’ve noted from time to time, blasts of concerns over how automation would reduce the number of jobs have been erupting for more than 200 years. As one example, in “Supply Chain Automation and Job Loss: The Fears of 1964“, I wrote about what were called the “automation jobless” in a 1961 news story and … More Supply Chain Automation and Job Loss: The Fears of 1927
The importance of customer centricity and speed in today’s consumer economy is well understood. Examples are everywhere, from custom vending machines that integrate with social media to companies such as Netflix and Uber. Consumers increasingly expect products to be individualized to their unique specifications and to be delivered on demand. The extended supply chain, from … More How The Network Economy Is Revolutionizing Supply Chains
As risks in the supply chain continue to occur and customer demand continues to be less tolerant of disruptions, more companies are recognizing the importance of creating and managing a visible supply chain. Although different interpretations and definitions abound, one way to think of supply chain visibility is: The right information, in actionable detail, on … More How to Gain “True” Visibility in the Supply Chain
Supply chain efficiency helps an organization reduce costs and speed time-to-market. Fifteen years into the new millennium, it is clear to see that advances in technology, increasing globalization and rising customer expectations have made streamlining the supply chain more important than ever. Analyzing and streamlining the supply chain is one way to help companies respond … More 5 Tips To Streamline Your Supply Chain
Circular Supply Chains Inc. 