The Network Effect

SEPTEMBER 19, 2014

'In earlier posts I’ve explained why existing enterprise management solutions are limited ( hint: it’s stale data ), and why I believe that the new generation of cloud platforms will enable a new kind of ‘social’ supply chain that looks and operates very differently from what we are used to today. For example, many of the major challenges for companies today are related to process and measurement.

Supply chain 81

Supply chain Real-time Visibility Supply chain management Supply chain management 81

The Network Effect

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

'Many companies in the pharmaceuticals sector are facing a challenge; they must decide if, when, and to what extent they should develop a direct-distribution channel to the end consumer. Sales of products in the OTC category have been growing faster than other pharmaceutical products in the past few years. Products catering to the consumer desire for private health monitoring are emerging; for example smartphone apps and add-on devices allow testing and digital recording of blood sugar values f

Distribution channels 75

Distribution channels Supply chain Networking Import 75

The Network Effect

SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

'In my last post I explained the concept of the enterprise social graph (ESG), and discussed why supply chains can benefit greatly from the advanced cloud platforms that can enable an ESG. Today I want to go a step further and show how Big Data and application development are handled within these new environments. First, today’s advanced cloud platforms provide a flexible architecture that enables the aggregation, storage, querying, processing, and analyzing of Big Data.

Supply Chain Optimization 73

Supply Chain Optimization Data Supply chain Networking 73

The Network Effect

SEPTEMBER 3, 2014

'Think back to the first microwave that your parents had and what are you likely to see? A rectangular box with three buttons (High, Medium, Low) and a timer dial. Now fast forward to today and what will you find? As a comparison, one of LG’s more popular models has 33 buttons. What’s the difference between Auto Defrost or Express Defrost? And what happens when you press Less/More?

supply chain software solutions 71

supply chain software solutions Supply chain Supply chain management Supply chain management 71

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Supply Chain Optimization

The Network Effect

SEPTEMBER 26, 2014

'Before I answer the title question, let’s have a quick refresher on what exactly Lean and Six Sigma are. Six Sigma owes its roots to the Statistical Process Control developments made by Dr. Walter Shewhart of Bell Laboratories in the 1920′s and later expanded upon by Dr. W. Edwards Deming. The technique later evolved into the Six Sigma business strategy driven through innovations by Motorola and General Electric.

Agile and Lean Supply Chain 67

Agile and Lean Supply Chain Supply Chain Efficiency Supply chain Real-time Visibility 67

The Network Effect

SEPTEMBER 26, 2014

'Looking ahead, it is clear that competition will drive the formation of value added networks as well as supply chains differentiated by product and region. R&D will continue their trend of outsourcing to contract research organizations (CROs) and the manufacturing of medical devices and pharmaceuticals will also continue their shift toward outsourcing; for example, pharmaceutical contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) are expected to grow from USD 32 billion in 2011 to USD 60 billion

Supply chain 67

Supply chain Supply Chain Visibility Networking Supply 67

The Network Effect

SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

'I’ve been reading a lot of articles lately that toss around Alibaba IPO numbers. There are so many variables and this is really a big deal. (I have never tried to sell $20+ billion of stock—but it can’t be easy.) Given the many variables, I’d like to present the ranges I believe are reasonable for the Alibaba IPO, as well as the emotions and significance of these numbers (which is maybe even more important than the numbers).

Price 60

Price Networking Supply chain Import 60