Chris Mennona

Special Guest Blog Post written by Sofia Rivas Herrera   One of my greatest joys is travelling around the world; learning about other cultures, ways of living and traditions. I often say that “everything is supply chain”, and this topic is no exception. When we plan a trip, we first start by defining origin and destination followed by when we want to travel and how. Then we evaluate how much we want/can spend and identify our non-negotiables, which start reducing the horizon of combinations and options we have. Does this sound familiar? In my mind this is very similar to processes within planning, procurement, network optimization and supply chain strategy. Here are 5 questions travel-related that I loved to be asked to help prove my point of this connection with supply chain:   What is the best way to plan a trip?   Planning a trip is no different than planning a new distribution model or redesigning your network. This process can look a bit like this: Define your route; origin and destination Identify your constraints: budget, time available, level of convenience and comfort, Run your optimization scenarios From there, you identify available lanes, available modes of transport, and available…

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…