Category: Customer Content

I have asked a lot of SCM managers how they “prepare” to negotiate price increase requests from their suppliers. In particular, I was curious about how and where they get their data from (i.e., CME, COMEX, etc.). “OEMs had an avg profit margin of 8.1% in the first quarter, more than 2 percentage points higher than automotive suppliers…while suppliers stabilized between 5–6%…The challenge for suppliers is that they’re suffering from...

FMEA has many applications. A quick job search on LinkedIn shows > 30,000 jobs in supply chain where RISK is a major job function (> 7,000 jobs in SCM where FMEA is a tool). FMEA has many applications. A quick job search on LinkedIn shows > 30,000 jobs in supply chain where RISK is a major job function (> 7,000 jobs in SCM where FMEA is a tool). We try...

Quantum Ready in Supply Chain and Logistics?…Most do not even know it exists… McKinsey Technology Trends Outlook 2023 (see #10): https://lnkd.in/gXM-6-RX. Quantum Computers: Another incremental step or innovation leap? Google claims it has developed a revolutionary quantum computer that is able to make “instant” calculations, & that current supercomputers would take roughly 47 years to complete these calculations. https://lnkd.in/g_evdgaK. Also, Intel Announces Its Newest Silicon-Based Quantum Chip: https://lnkd.in/gfC6-idR Notice the reference to Supply...

I used to pack Contract Management into one class during the 1990s. Now, we make our supply chain students take a customized legal & advanced contract management course. I used to pack Contract Management into one class during the 1990s. Now, we make our supply chain students take a customized legal & advanced contract management course. Our SCM students take LAW 4860 so that they can learn the terms &...

Here is my slide deck on Negotiation from the 1990s. I used to pack this into one class. The Institute of Supply Management identifies negotiation as the most important skill of SCM professionals & yet the weakest in terms of delivery. Here is my slide deck on Negotiation from the 1990s. I used to pack this into one class. My teaching slide deck:Sime Curkovic on LinkedIn: Students go into Buyer...

Wow, as a supply chain professor that pushes data analytics on our students, I am trying to make sense of this. I suspect this is going to be a VERY big deal for our CIS faculty and students as they have been waiting for this kind of support for…2 decades? While Excel is powerful, it hasn’t provided “native” tools for adv analytics like ML. By integrating Python — a language...

Is a graduate certificate in supply chain management right for me? https://lnkd.in/gcu8E2UN. WMU Graduate Certificate Program in Supply Chain Management, details: https://lnkd.in/gY_ijCMJ. Organizations are seeking solutions to global supply chain challenges and risks that require expert tools. As a professional, you can develop your supply chain and strategic decision-making acumen with a graduate certificate in supply chain management. You'll elevate your expertise in strategic sourcing, transportation management, processes, and data analytics to...

Should college grads negotiate a higher starting salary? https://lnkd.in/gMJYNJkh. Maybe, learn to negotiate. Every WMU Supply Chain major now has to take: Global Negotiation…The fastest growing class at WMU. Thank you Dr. James Eckert! See his one page cheat sheet at: https://lnkd.in/dhKzxnAX. Almost 1/2 of U.S. employees do not feel confident in their negotiation skills… > 40% don’t feel confident in their negotiation skills, while a 1/4 admit to never having negotiated...

Secretary Miguel A. Cardona called college rankings “a joke,” & took aim at selective colleges’ obsession w/ them…https://lnkd.in/gv_vZ4k9. I have been talking to high schoolers & the parents also appear to be too focused on rankings. Pay attention to what matters most- not rankings!…especially at the undergrad level. (Yes, I still wish my school was ranked higher). UM & MSU ranked very well, congrats to them. https://lnkd.in/gEdxVxM7 “Other Michigan universities that...

Is Python a must-have skill in the supply chain? https://lnkd.in/dcEJuZJX. How much Python do I need? https://lnkd.in/e6Rmzpw. I had a SCM professional ask: “I don’t even know basic python yet . I want to get to the more advanced items but I am not ready yet . I’ve done research into different courses but there are so many basic courses, I’m not sure which one is actually useful for someone looking to...