What Tibet Taught Me About Supply Chain Metrics
In Tibet, distances were traditionally measured not in miles or kilometres, but in cups of tea. A journey between two villages was not “17 kilometres.” It was “three cups of tea” , meaning the number…
Communication
Negotiator, Heal Thyself: How AI Is Rewriting the Procurement Playbook
The last time a senior procurement professional walked into a high-stakes negotiation armed with nothing but experience and a three-year-old spreadsheet, they left approximately 15 percent on the table. They never found out. In fragmented…
The Supply Chain WOW Factor
A global retailer spent $47 million on a new warehouse management system. The software was tested for eight months. The hardware was installed on schedule. The project team won an internal award for execution excellence….
Football Is Not Only Football: Hyundai World Cup Supply Chain Protest
When protestors gathered outside Guadalajara Stadium during the World Cup match between Mexico and South Korea, they were not there for football. They were there for steel. Their banners accused Hyundai of hiding a dirty…
Why How Things Are Seen Matters More Than What Is True
Two supply chains have identical metrics. The same fill rate. The same inventory turns. The same on-time delivery performance. The same cost per unit delivered. One is celebrated as a strategic asset that gives the…
Supply Chain Is Everyone’s Business:
Why Cross-Functional Literacy Is the New Competitive Advantage Supply chain management has spent decades living in the back office. It was the function that quietly kept shelves full, factories running and shipments moving. It is…
Building a Thriving Supply Chain Culture: Where Daily Actions Meet Team Success
In the complex world of supply chain management, technical expertise and operational efficiency often dominate the conversation. Yet the most successful supply chain organizations understand a fundamental truth: culture isn’t created by mission statements or…
The Courage Gap in Supply Chain
Peter Thiel‘s observation in “Zero to One” that courage is rarer than genius strikes at the heart of what holds back supply chain transformation. We’ve all sat in conference rooms filled with smart people who…
When Supply Chains Face Crisis: The True Test of Leadership
In his book High Ticket Selling, Dan Henry shares a profound insight that resonates deeply with anyone who has navigated the complexities of modern supply chain management: “The truth is, we are not defined by…