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Blog Entries: Forecasting


  • You can get more value from VMI, even with imperfect forecasts

    Rob Schoenthaler, Senior Vice President, Deployment, E2open - Thursday, December 15, 2011 - 0 Comments
    Rob Schoenthaler - You can get more value from VMI, even with imperfect forecasts

    A recent article in Supply Chain Quarterly suggests that some consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers are cutting back on their use of vendor-managed inventory (VMI) because accurate demand forecasts, upon which VMI depends, have proven elusive. This isn’t completely shocking, given that effective forecast collaboration is a cornerstone of any VMI program.  More »

  • If I don’t see it, it isn’t happening…right? Managing change in the extended supply chain.

    Karthik Rajagopal, Director, Customer Solutions, E2open - Tuesday, August 09, 2011 - 0 Comments
    Karthik Rajagopal - If I don’t see it, it isn’t happening…right? Managing change in the extended supply chain.

    You’ve heard it before: when it comes to global supply chain operations, change is the only constant. (And the same holds true for customer demand, technology solutions, the macroeconomic environment, and on and on…) But for an adage that is so widely accepted by supply chain practitioners, little progress seems to have been made to deal with and manage this constant change.  More »

  • What’s driving supply chain collaboration? Rupture points.

    Cesare Rotundo, Director, Customer Solutions, E2open - Friday, July 22, 2011 - 0 Comments
    Cesare Rotundo - What’s driving supply chain collaboration? Rupture points.

    After analyzing the reasons why some companies make supply chain collaboration an investment priority, I noticed that for many of them the decision comes after they experience firsthand “rupture points” in their value chains. What is a rupture point in this context? At any point in time, the extended supply chain of an enterprise is under pressure by market dynamics—including competitive pressure in the form of product capabilities and price wars, demand volatility... More »

  • Mom, he’s not sharing! The growing (up) importance of supplier collaboration

    Rob Schoenthaler, Senior Vice President, Deployment, E2open - Thursday, May 05, 2011 - 0 Comments
    Rob Schoenthaler - Mom, he’s not sharing! The growing (up) importance of supplier collaboration

    I spend the bulk of my professional life talking to successful international brand owners and manufacturers. Whether they’re producing computer chips or lipstick, their core supply chain problems are pretty much the same: complexity and loss of control – both as a result of increased outsourcing.  More »

  • Multi-tier visibility: Just a pipe dream?

    Rich Becks, General Manager, High Technology, E2open - Wednesday, March 30, 2011 - 0 Comments
    Rich Becks - Multi-tier visibility: Just a pipe dream?

    As far as I’m concerned, visibility is the golden ticket when it comes to good supply chain management. The ability to monitor partner behaviors and track part/inventory movements is critical if you plan on keeping your customers around – and visibility to real-time demand enables your organization to avoid costly stock outs or surpluses. For most companies today, visibility means electronic connectivity to a few key suppliers. But the game has changed a bit... More »

  • Can’t we all just get along? Bridging the gap between direct and indirect procurement

    Mark Woodward, President & CEO, E2open - Thursday, February 03, 2011 - 0 Comments
    Mark Woodward - Can’t we all just get along? Bridging the gap between direct and indirect procurement

    Last week I had the privilege of participating with Dennis Omanoff of McAfee in a webinar focused on “Building a Seamless Direct and Indirect Procurement Organization.” And I must say, I had much more fun than I anticipated. For one, Dennis is a remarkably engaging speaker. He also has a number of best practices (in his words, “personal tattoos”) that are well worth an hour of your time... More »

  • What makes VMI work?

    Richard McCluney, General Manager, Telecommunications, E2open - Wednesday, December 08, 2010 - 2 Comments
    Richard McCluney - What makes VMI work?

    In my last blog post, I discussed forecast collaboration as the foundation for any successful VMI program. Today I’d like to focus on a broader set of key characteristics, which helps to answer the question, what makes VMI work? Over the course of my career, I have had the privilege of helping to implement and manage a number of effective VMI programs. Here’s what they all had in common... More »

  • Forecast collaboration: The first step to implementing a VMI program

    Richard McCluney, General Manager, Telecommunications, E2open - Thursday, December 02, 2010 - 2 Comments
    Richard McCluney - Forecast collaboration: The first step to implementing a VMI program

    In my last post, I provided an overview of vendor managed inventory (VMI) and described a few of the most common symptoms signaling the need for VMI. In this post, I will focus on forecast collaboration, which is an important first step for designing and implementing an effective VMI program.  More »

  • VMI, VMR, SMI…getting it straight

    Richard McCluney, General Manager, Telecommunications, E2open - Monday, November 29, 2010 - 2 Comments
    Richard McCluney - VMI, VMR, SMI…getting it straight

    Whenever I talk about the topic of VMI (which seems to be more and more frequently), I am asked about the various acronyms associated with inventory management, such as VMI, VMR, and SMI. In this blog, I will offer my definitions of these terms and then share some rules of thumb for ‘When to do VMI.’  More »