Convenience products Convenience products for consumers are ‘the products they need, but are not willing to spend much time or effort when shopping’. The purchase can be an impulse buy, so retail shelves can be quickly depleted, requiring constant replenishment. These convenience products are handled through supply chains as Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) and Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG). The … Read More
Markets change so industries change their supply chains
Change in CPG companies Are disruptions to supply chains just caused by geopolitical, climate and natural events, because these can influence supply chains relatively quickly? What about changes to supply chains that are caused by changes within industries, that can take longer to be felt? An example is the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry, where products often carry a ‘use … Read More
Supply Chains group, Networks and Cyber Security
Digitalization and Cyber Security Commentators have made many promises that Digitalization – the conversion of work processes into digital flows, will improve visibility through supply chains, both within and between organisations. Much less has been said about the risks to supply chains. As more digital connectivity is implemented through supply chains, the higher is each organisation’s vulnerability to cyber-attacks. Cyber Security … Read More
Implement Supply Chains Planning systems that may fail
A familiar situation What is your response to risk in business? Would you buy an IT system with a high risk of failure? An article by the consulting firm McKinsey considered that more than 60 percent of supply chain planning IT transformation implementations do not achieve anticipated business outcomes and take more time and/or money than expected. This figure may … Read More
Supply Chains data accuracy and new technology purchase
‘New’ technologies in 2025 One skill that technologists have in abundance is promoting terminology that potential users will hopefully accept and use. Technology products promoted as a ‘must have’ for supply chains in 2025 include ‘agentic AI’ (or AI agents) and ‘AI-powered decision intelligence data platform (DIDP)’. What are they and are they needed? A brochure states that “AI agents … Read More