The cradle-to-cradle supply chain is a relatively new idea that builds upon the circular business model. When executed correctly, this strategy makes an entire network more sustainable while improving resource use and cutting costs. Luckily, there are many simple ways companies can develop a cradle-to-cradle approach and take advantage of these benefits. Managers can initiate…
Throughout the Industrial Age businesses have looked for continuous improvement in the supply chain. Managers sought ways to streamline operations and eliminate waste by establishing working protocols, leveraging new technology, or even shifting their business models. As times change, successful businesses adapt and modernize. Technology provides many opportunities to support a continuous improvement process, but…
Early in Hiroyuki Hirano’s classic sourcebook on 5S methodology in warehouse operations and factories, 5 Pillars of the Visual Workplace, he introduces readers to the “red-tag” strategy for visualizing waste. The enemy, Hirano writes, is waste, and the red-tag strategy provides a visual metric for identifying accumulated waste on the factory and warehouse floors. As…
Cold chain management has transformed to meet the growing global demand for fresh food and pharmaceuticals. This transformation has not always been easy, though: businesses running cold chain logistics operations often struggle to transport and store perishable food products while maintaining their safety and freshness. Pharmaceutical products such as vaccines are particularly prone to damage…
Reverse logistics, or aftermarket logistics, describes an integral part of supply chain operations where materials and products must return to their point of origin for proper disposal or value recapturing. By integrating reverse logistics and sustainability, companies can reduce waste generated in the supply chain, lowering their carbon emissions and environmental footprint. This eventually improves…
Warehouse operating costs constitute an unavoidable component of supply chain expenses that impact a company’s bottom line. Since these costs differ from company to company, there is no universal formula for cost analysis that operations managers can follow. There are, however, common warehouse expenses related to labor and storage that businesses share. By addressing these…