Gretchen Smith

During the Revolutionary War it was common for fledging Americans to melt lead and pewter household implements and recast the liquid into ammunition. It was a simple call: You didn’t send soldiers into battle unarmed. Today’s musket balls are the masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) that shield our incredibly courageous health care workers on the frontline of COVID-19. This PPE is in short supply both nationally and worldwide. America remains committed to putting the right tools into the hands of those who are doing so much to protect us. And the 100 Million Mask Challenge is a big step in that direction. Originally launched by Providence, in Washington State, the 100 Million Mask Challenge now calls on manufacturers, the business community and individuals nationwide to coordinate their efforts to rapidly produce PPE on the large scale needed by our nation’s caregivers. Since scaling this initiative nationwide, tens of thousands of visitors have checked out AHA’s expanded website, many of which have been manufacturers downloading the specs to make masks, face shields and gowns, or hospitals seeking the latest guidance on hand sanitizers and best practices from around the field for PPE decontamination. As AHA continues to grow the…

This post is written by our friends at e2open. E2open is the connected supply chain software platform that enables the world’s largest companies to transform the way they make, move, and sell goods and services. Moving as one.™ Learn More: www.e2open.com.   Global supply chains are under pressure like never before, and disruptions aren’t rare events anymore—they’re structural, constant, and often originate outside your four walls. A single weak link in your supplier network can ripple across production schedules, customer commitments, and brand reputation. The old playbook of reacting to occasional crises doesn’t cut it. To thrive in 2025 and beyond, companies need real-time visibility, predictive insights, and agile execution. That’s where supply chain control tower technology comes in.   What is a supply chain control tower, really? A control tower acts as the command center for your supply chain. It gathers and visualizes data, analyzes disruption impacts, and provides actionable recommendations before problems escalate. Advanced solutions can even automate responses to routine issues and enable cross-functional collaboration to ensure that decisions aren’t just well-informed, they’re executed across the supply chain as well.   Why control towers matter now Supply chain risk isn’t a passing cloud; it’s a thunderstorm that…