Michael Rentz

written by Chris Cunnane with InterSystems   Supply chain leaders are under constant pressure to move faster, reduce costs, improve resilience, and respond to disruptions in real time. Yet despite billions invested in technology, many organizations still struggle with stockouts, delayed shipments, excess inventory, and unreliable forecasts. The problem may not be the supply chain itself. It may be the data behind it. Most organizations today operate with more supply chain data than ever before. ERP systems, warehouse management platforms, transportation tools, supplier portals, IoT devices, and analytics dashboards generate a nonstop flow of information. On paper, this should create unprecedented visibility. But visibility is not the same as confidence. When inventory data is delayed, supplier updates are inconsistent, and demand signals are fragmented across systems, organizations are forced to make critical decisions using incomplete or unreliable information. The result is a distorted picture of reality, and costly mistakes follow. Companies expedite shipments they didn’t need. They over-order inventory “just in case.” They miss shortages that were hiding in plain sight. And they spend valuable time reconciling conflicting reports instead of solving problems.   The Real Problem: Fragmented Data The challenge isn’t a lack of data. It’s that the data…

Special Guest Blog Post written by Bernadine Henderson Ms. Henderson, senior director of procurement at Protolabs, lifts the lid on buying in manufacturing and why relationships are central to it.   Simply put, the job of a buyer is really about buying the right thing at the right time for the right price. It sounds simple, but it really is very complicated because everything that’s going on in the world impacts the timing, the availability, and the price of the product. This means that buying has recently got a lot more complicated. World events have very real consequences on global supply chains. Just one example is the way in which buyers have responded to tariffs in the U.S. by re-routing sourcing locations. It takes a certain amount of agility to be a buyer in 2025, and this quick responsiveness is helped along by one key ingredient, and that is strong relationships with suppliers. Relationships Built on Trust A widely held misconception is that buyers are only interested in getting to the lowest price possible. In fact, the most important thing to a buyer is for suppliers to bring solutions that deliver overall value. In my experience, a really strong supplier…