Supply Chain World Volume 9, Issue 6

FOR LEADERS IN THE BUSINESS OF LINKING THE GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN

SUPPLYCHAIN SUPPLY CHAINW W RLD VOLUME 9, ISSUE 6 JUNE

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A class above Gorbel, an innovative manufacturer of overhead and warehouse material handling solutions, is helping clients change the way they manage their supply chains

Technology Smart wearables, IoT and AI-powered software can enable and enhance remote operations across the supply chain Page 4

Logistics The logistics industry needs to embrace new solutions if it is to improve performance and attract the right staff Page 8

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Chairman Andrew Schofield Group COO Joe Woolsgrove Editor Libbie Hammond libbie@schofieldpublishing.com lhammond@finelight-media.com Assistant Editor Will Daynes Staff Writers Daniel Baksi, Alex Caesari, Danielle Champ, Jessica Olley Managing Art Editor Fleur Daniels Art Editor David Howard Art Editor Paul Gillings Artwork Administrator Rochelle Broderick-White Sales Director Alasdair Gamble Operations Director Philip Monument Operations Manager Adam Blanch Head of Global Media Programs Mark Cawston mcawston@schofieldpublishing.com Research Managers Michelle Fontaine, Natalie Griffiths, Jo-Ann Jeffery, Ben Richell, Basil Sharpe Editorial Researchers Victoria Burke, Jeff Goldenberg, Dan Harrison, Melanie Joyce, James Page, Wendy Russell, Richard Saunders, Kieran Shukri Advertising Sales Johanna Bailey, Mike Berger, Jessica Eglington, James Fuller, Will Gwyther, Alex Hartley, Michelle Hernandez, Reid Lingle, Sam Surrell, Gregory Waller

Hello and welcome to the June issue of Supply Chain World.

I’ve been seeing a lot of comments coming through about the end of the Just-in-Time (JIT) approach and the arrival of ‘Just-in-Case’ (JIC). This feels like a watershed moment to me, having been involved in manufacturing and supply chain publishing for 20 years and seeing JIT continue to grow as a practice worldwide. But is this just a reaction to the pandemic and the wave of supply chain disruptions we’ve experienced? Writing for Forbes, Willy Shih warns ‘if we aren’t careful, we could be facing a wave of what the accountants call “excess and obsolete,” the writedowns of excess inventory that often follows stocking binges’. In our features, Zak Rafiq discusses JIC as well as other suggestions for staying ahead of supply chain uncertainty – take a look at page 12 for the full story.

Libbie Hammond EDITOR

libbie@schofieldpublishing.com

Florida General Manager Ryan Finn Boston General Manager Joy Francesconi

FOR LEADERS IN THE BUSINESS OF LINKING THE GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN

SUPPLYCHAIN SUPPLY CHAINW W RLD VOLUME 9, ISSUE 6 JUNE

Custom Media Sales Dan Bess Digital Sales Mike Psimis Subscriptions i.kidd@schofieldpublishing.com Administration Rory Gallacher, Ibby Mundhir

Schofield Publishing Ltd

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© 2022 Schofield Publishing Ltd

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ON THE COVER Our cover story this features family-owned manufacturer Gorbel, which has been creating advanced overhead and warehouse material handling solutions since 1977. Still motivated by the founder’s vision

A class above Gorbel, an innovative manufacturer of overhead and warehouse material handling solutions, is helping clients change the way they manage their supply chains

to change the way supply chains were managed across the industry, Gorbel has a long history of listening to customers and creating solutions that meet their needs. Chuck Surowiec, Director of Supply Chain at Gorbel gives SCW the inside story – turn to page 30 to learn more.

Technology Smart wearables, IoT and AI-powered software can enable and enhance remote operations across the supply chain Page 4

Logistics The logistics industry needs to embrace new solutions if it is to improve performance and attract the right staff Page 8

Please note: The opinions expressed by contributors and advertisers within this publication do not necessarily coincide with those of the editor and publisher. Every reasonable effort is made to ensure that the information published is accurate, and correct at time of writing, but no legal responsibility for loss occasioned by the use of such information can be accepted by the publisher. All rights reserved. The contents of the magazine are strictly copyright, the property of Schofield Publishing, and may not be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or reproduced without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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CONTENTS

INSIDE THIS ISSUE 18

FEATURES 4

Technology

6

Supply chain

8

Logistics

Answering the challenges faced by today’s supply chains requires innovative approaches – there are technologies that can help The food and drink industry relies on a smooth and fast supply chain, but cross border transactions have become more complex Squeezed by today’s market demands, logistics firms are increasingly turning to technology to digitally transform their physical operations

12 Disruptions

Uncertainty has become the norm that is defining the supply chains of the future. But how possible is it to plan for and navigate the unexpected?

Kinaxis

24

14 Sustainability

For the fashion industry, ultimately success in delivering a more sustainable supply chain will come down to collaboration

NEWS

El Camino Health

10 Supply Chain news

Updates and announcements from the supply chain arena

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44

50

Winebow

BSN SPORTS

20

22

Qualcomm

Honeywell

30

36

Gorbel

The Barcode Warehouse

58

64

QST Industries Inc.

CESCO scw-mag.com

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TECHNOLOGY

Innovative

approaches How smart wearables, IoT and AI-powered software can enable and enhance remote operations across the supply chain.

By Rami Darwish

A

painful experience from more than two years of worldwide disruption is identifying the vulnerability of the supply chain model that was shaped by past globalization.

While by the end of 2021 more than half of office workers had relocated their workstations to their homes to keep up productivity even during a pandemic, it is the digitization of deskless workers – comprising about 80 per cent of the global workforce – that is now moving into the focus of public attention.

How to make global supply chains more resilient? With exogenous shocks expected to occur – Covid-19 and the invasion of Ukraine just being the most recent examples – enhancing supply chain operation’s efficiency, adaptability and nimbleness is imperative for companies who want to navigate the new reality of a less predictable global market.

Employing smart solutions in workflow management of field services is a crucial aspect of achieving the efficiency gains necessary to profit in this challenging environment. The awareness that smart wearables, IoT- and AI-powered software can open new sources of revenue in industries traditionally constituting the backbone of supply chains – manufacturing, oil & gas, logistics, infrastructure, raw materials, maritime or construction – has enticed a wave of technological advances.

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First, there is the large amount of tracking, documenting and data collecting work, which in remote work environments even today still relies on outdated technologies – like written logs and other ‘pen & paper’ workflow management tools.

Not only are these methods expensive and time-consuming for frontline workers as well as the back office – they are also prone to error and inhibit large-scale data analysis to better understand inefficiencies in the business.

Secondly, mobile applications, IoT devices and wearables – like smart watches – finally bring digitization to deskless workers.

While office workers have been equipped by companies with high-end tools for more than a decade, only a fraction of corporate expenditure on digital solutions has targeted workers in the field.

Take a complex work environment typical of supply chain operations at the junction of different industries – for example, large ports. New technologies provide workers with the capability to manage a multitude of tasks, problems and incidences. Information can be reported in real-time and accurately.

Seamless communication between back office and frontline staff enables correct incident identification and makes timely, appropriate responses possible.

This equally applies to the area of scheduling and dispatching of personnel. AI algorithms and machine learning software are able to learn from the vast amounts of data collected during operations, providing mission control with a bird’s-eye view unattainable by traditional methods of workflow management.

The efficiency gains connected to such improvements are extraordinary, with some companies reporting 40 percent gains in efficiency, as well as reductions as high as 20 percent in operating costs.

Lastly, the increased transparency afforded by these solutions casts a new light on decisionmaking and the allocation of responsibility within companies. If they are deeply embedded in a company’s operations and embraced by employees at all levels, they enable a wellcoordinated work environment with decisions that are traceable and understood by everyone involved.

Automation is still often falsely accused of threatening workers’ jobs. In contrast, it is perhaps the most meaningful improvement to frontline workers’ day-to-day jobs in decades.

Smart software and wearables greatly enhance the productivity and self-reliance of the individual employee – decreasing administrative burdens and affording deskless workers to focus on their specialties, while increasing their stake in value creation.

Digital supply chains exist in the perilous continuum of progressively evolving globalization, novel fragmentation and areas of complete market decoupling – with opposed tendencies playing out their effects

all at once, while consumers continue to expect the smooth functioning of just-in-time, compartmentalized global production chains.

Answering these challenges requires innovative approaches.

The 21st century’s shortened supply chains reacting to rapid changes in business models or demand structure rely on several conditions – among them suitable regulation, a super-flexible workforce and risk-tolerant capital. Supply chain businesses may, however, increase their chances to succeed in this adverse environment by implementing today the huge technological progress now available to optimize their operations at every step of the value chain. D For a list of the sources used in this article, please contact the editor.

Rami Darwish is CEO of Arrow Labs. Founded in 2011 with the mission to make deskless work simpler, better and more productive, Arrow Labs transforms the way companies manage field resources through smart technology wearables and services. Arrow Labs MIMS Software Platform enables frontline workers to delegate and collaborate on field operations intelligently and in real-time, helping businesses reduce operating costs by up to 20 percent and increase staff productivity by 30 percent.

Headquartered in the UAE, Arrow Labs services clients across the globe, from industries such as facility management, maritime, hospitality, logistics, security, and oil & gas. https://arrowsecure.com/

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SUPPLY CHAIN

Keep

moving F

ew would dispute the fact that working in supply chain is extremely demanding and stressful. This is especially true for professionals working in the food and drink industry, which relies heavily on supply chains that carry goods safely, smoothly, and quickly from where they are produced to where they are consumed. Given the close relationship between businesses in the UK and the EU, in the post-Brexit world, many supply chains now cross customs borders. This adds another layer of complexity to moving time-sensitive goods. Combined with rising costs caused by geopolitical and economical instabilities as well as the need for businesses to reduce carbon footprint in the name of sustainability, the work of the supply chain team has entered a new era of high pressure.

This short article focuses on a specific aspect of supply chain, namely, the crossborder part of it. Some of the new risks and

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compliance issues will be highlighted, and the secret to success discussed, to help your business keep goods moving.

New trading relationship, new risks Since the beginning of 2021, businesses in the UK have had to trade with their suppliers and customers in the EU on very different terms than before. Despite there being a so-called ‘free’ trade agreement between the UK and the EU, trade is far from free. Most importantly, customs formalities are now required. Deadlines for the introduction of checks on food and drink have been shifting which has made planning difficult. But one thing is certain: moving goods between the UK and the EU has become more time consuming and costly. Even when goods that are being moved across borders do not attract any customs duties, the cost for the business to

complete customs formalities can quickly add up, chipping away the already slim margin.

The cross-border part of a supply chain is often the most vulnerable part of it. As such, it requires specialist attention. However, given few businesses in the UK have had to deal with customs formalities prior to Brexit, this specialist know-how is still in development. Customs specialists with food and drink sector experience are quickly snatched up whenever they come up in the market. The risk of not fully understanding how to deal with customs formalities to avoid delays has never been scarier in scenarios where the goods have a short shelf life and delays would be detrimental. For example, when businesses have shipped goods to their customers without realizing a health certificate is required, those goods must be returned to source (potentially attracting another round of health certificate admin to

Food and drink: new supply chain risks, compliance issues, and solutions.

By Toby Spink and Jessica Yan

For some food and drink products, this can be very complex as many factors must be considered, such as the exact manufacturing process.

Getting the commodity code wrong can have many adverse consequences. Not only would the rate of customs duty be incorrectly assigned due to wrong classification, the rules a business must use to claim preferential treatment may also be incorrectly applied if the wrong commodity code is used.

Furthermore, another important element is the value. Goods that are imported have customs values, and this is often not exactly the same as the invoice price. This is because invoice prices may not include all the dutiable elements. Depending on the way the transaction is structured, the invoice price may be rejected as basis for the customs value.

With so many additional requirements when goods cross a customs border, a lot can go wrong. Businesses can be audited postcustoms clearance, which means mistakes from three years ago can haunt a business and cost valuable time and resource when an audit is triggered. So, it is best to get it right the first time.

How to master customs and trade compliance

re-enter the country of export) and shipped again with a complete set of documents. Or worse, the goods have gone to waste because of their short shelf life or due to the business’ reluctance to deal with further admin to get them back.

Typical compliance mistakes Customs formalities and the related compliance responsibilities are relevant to all businesses that are involved in the cross-border movement of goods. There is a common misconception that if the completion of customs formalities is outsourced to a customs agent, then the business has little to do. This could not be further away from the truth. As the importer or the exporter, the business that appears on the customs declaration for the goods is ultimately responsible for carrying out the activities in a compliant manner.

Any customs duties and import VAT payable must be correctly calculated based on the right information provided at the right time.

For example, the correct commodity code must be assigned to the goods being moved.

This should be done based on a whole range of information which is often only available to the manufacturer or the importer, so it is wrong to believe that commodity codes can be chosen by the customs agent based simply on commercial documents with limited information. The process of selecting a commodity code is called classification.

Dedicating resource to developing in-house knowledge on how to deal with customs formalities is the key to success. Knowing what best-in-class practice is gives the business something to strive towards. This helps to avoid questions at the time of customs clearance, which in turn reduces risks of delays. It also helps to speed up post-clearance customs audits when there are no mistakes to be uncovered.

The team responsible for customs and supply chain matters is only contacted when things go pear shaped. Not getting any emails or phone calls about goods being stuck at the border is the best compliment. The best time to master customs and trade compliance was last year, the second best time is now. Let’s start today. D

Toby Spink and Jessica Yang work at BKR Consultants Limited. BKR is a UK based customs and trade advisory company, working with importers and exporters across the globe. It provides professional and practical guidance on all matters associated with customs clearance, customs compliance, and supply chain efficiency. https://www.bkrconsultants.com/customs-trade-advisory-services

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LOGISTICS

The road ahead

I AI – the smart way to solve supply chain skills shortages.

By Philip van der Wilt 8

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t doesn’t matter what part of the logistics industry you work in, the last couple of years have been a bumpy ride. For many, it’s time to change up a gear and focus on the road ahead. But as every conscientious driver knows, you need to look in the rear-view mirror from time to time to appreciate where you are on your journey.

From eye-watering spikes in fuel costs to a tangle of red tape, businesses in the logistics industry are feeling real pain. For many -

especially those outside the industry - these issues came into sharp focus last year with a truckload of media coverage regarding chronic staff shortages that dominated the headlines for weeks.

While the issue may have slipped off the front pages (for the time being at least), the inescapable truth is this; the logistics industry is facing some serious issues regarding the recruitment and retention of staff, which is impacting supply chains, trade and economic growth.

One area is using technology to improve the working conditions and job satisfaction for people by replacing outdated working practices with modern processes. Or to put it another way, using technology to make jobs across the entire supply industry more appealing and less burdensome to help retain staff and boost recruitment.

It could be as simple as installing a camera in a vehicle to keep a watchful eye out for any potential mishaps. For drivers, AI dash cams means they always have a ‘guardian angel’ looking over their shoulder to protect them in the event of road-related incidents. It’s a duty of care that firms can give their drivers when they’re out on the road - and an approach that has proven to exonerate them from not-atfault incidents and false claims.

Driver walkarounds - visual inspections to check that vehicles are roadworthy - can also be made easier by using apps to capture vital data that can be logged and stored centrally.

The same is true for everyday driver reporting such as tachograph data and other compliance requirements.

Using tech to carry the heavy loads of repetitive tasks

Unless these issues are resolved, the industry - and economies everywhere - will have to buckle up and brace themselves for more bumps in the road.

Replacing outdated working practices with modern processes What’s clear, is that there is no single solution to the problem of skill shortages and those in the industry will need to address them all if they are to halt the decline.

Equally, mobile workflows and digital documentation mean that drivers can capture delivery photos, take notes and capture electronic signatures using a smartphone or tablet. In effect, it’s arming staff with the type of smart tech that people in other industries have been using for years. Not only is this a positive change in the retention of existing staff, the ease of use of such systems means training new hires and then getting them up to speed is also much easier.

But it’s not just on the open road that tech can help improve worker welfare. AI-powered motion detection cameras based at depots and warehouses ensure that hours of security footage no longer need to be reviewed manually. Instead, technology can focus this onto those vital minutes of footage that may warrant further scrutiny. Such technology can significantly slash the amount of time spent on mundane tasks to deliver the instant insights that are needed to focus in on an issue.

Technology is here for the long-haul On their own, these innovations are unlikely to make a big difference to the skills shortages.

But taken together, they help to remove much of the ‘hassle factor’ of dealing with deliveries, missed time slots, accessing documents, compliance, security and rescheduling.

In other words, people at the sharp end of the logistics can get on with their job by minimizing the unnecessary headaches that have become part and parcel of their daily tasks.

And the adoption of technology is also a signal to other sectors that logistics is a forward-thinking industry ready to embrace change to improve performance and working conditions. Squeezed by ever-growing global demand, a spike in input costs and the changing needs of a workforce that is demanding more from its employers, logistics firms are increasingly turning to technology to digitally transform their physical operations.

For those ready to embrace such digital transformation, it’s clear their eyes are focused on the road ahead. But as they continue along their journey, they also know it’s always worth looking in the rear-view mirror to see how far they’ve come - and what they’ve left behind. D For a list of the sources used in this article, please contact the editor.

Philip van der Wilt is VP EMEA at Samsara, the pioneer of the Connected Operations Cloud, which allows businesses that depend on physical operations to harness IoT data to develop actionable business insights and improve their operations. Samsara operates in North America and Europe and serves tens of thousands of customers across a wide range of industries. The company’s mission is to increase the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of the operations that power the global economy. www.samsara.com

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NEWS IN BRIEF Company recognition TrueCommerce was recognized by Gartner Inc. as a Challenger in the May 2022 Magic Quadrant for Multienterprise Supply Chain Business Networks (MESCBNs). The evaluation was based on specific criteria that analyzed the company’s overall Completeness of Vision and Ability to Execute.

“To us it’s exciting to secure the Challenger position in this foundational research – four years in a row,” said Mike Gross, SVP of Product, TrueCommerce.

“Over the last year, we have made significant investments in our technology and people, expanding our customer base by 40 percent as a result. We also have exciting new product innovations underway including the utilization of APIs and leveraging our universal adapter to broaden both internal and external integrations as well as the greater utilization of data through artificial intelligence/machine learning.”

Gartner considers MESCBNs to be foundational technology for highermaturity organizations.

New capabilities Plex Systems has announced new machine learning capabilities for Plex DemandCaster Supply Chain Planning (SCP).

“The days of steady and dependable supply chains that enable long-term lean and just-in-time replenishment to manage costs are behind us. Businesses now understand that planning and forecasting must include the assumption of disruption and rely on data to navigate this new normal,” commented Ara Surenian, Vice President, Product Management at Plex Systems. “Adding machine learning to Plex DemandCaster Supply Chain Planning empowers customers to overcome supply planning challenges and digitally transform their planning. By infusing the sales forecasting process with machine learning, customers can bring in a wealth of additional data as an input to the forecasting process that a human nor traditional statistical forecasting methods can discern. These additional inputs are used to help calculate and recalibrate the process to improve forecast accuracy.”

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Delivering success Shipster has formed a partnership with location technology company what3words.

This is good news for Shipster clients who want to give their customers an even more seamless delivery experience, and good news for eCommerce businesses looking for a shipping integrator that will incorporate their customer what3words locations.

The partnership will enable online retailers to automatically include their customer’s what3words address in their delivery information and print it onto the shipping label for the courier to use. This integration will remove the need for phone calls from lost delivery drivers going to complex locations, and means deliveries arrive at the precise location faster and more efficiently. Drivers will no longer have to ask customers for additional directions, optimizing the delivery process and providing a smoother customer experience.

Speaking from a technical standpoint, Tony Cheetham, Shipster Founder & MD commented: “Working with what3words has been very easy and the technology has been simple to add to our platform. It’s a feature that will make deliveries more successful the first time around for our clients with customers in remote, complex or unique locations.”

Prompt payments Global-netting platform, Troc Circle, is launching a solution to unlock capital stuck in global supply chains.

Powered by the ‘Plug-and-Play’ technology of embedded-finance providers, Weavr, businesses will soon be empowered to settle invoices up to ten times faster with the new streamlined process.

Supply chains are often costly and complex but with its new solution, Troc Circle will ensure that businesses get paid through the netting of invoices, in an open network - regardless of the business’ accounting software - avoiding hold-ups in the payment process.

Following the launch, invoices can be settled quickly and at the live-currency market rate, allowing control over cash flow thanks to an 80-per-cent-lower processing cost.

Troc Circle, an established innovator in the world of global supply chains, initially launched its circle-netting solution in 2019. However, it was quick to recognize that this covered only three per cent of open invoices, whereas ‘chain netting’ reaches around 70 per cent.

By partnering with a likeminded innovator, Troc Circle benefits from Weavr’s comprehensive Financial Plug-in, which provides the full technical and legal framework required to onboard merchants and sellers, while also enabling payments to be processed via virtual cards.

NEWS Supply chain appointment

Strategic partnership

Retired General

A strategic partnership has been agreed between Hurricane Commerce and AEB

Stephen R.

(International) to provide the complete cross-border eCommerce solution. The two

Lyons, former

companies will work together to provide efficient, high speed and accurate data

Commander

validation for customs clearance.

of the U.S.

AEB offers cloud-based global trade software to remove the barriers of trading

Transportation

across customs borders and controls, while Hurricane is the cross-border data

Command,

specialist providing AI-driven, real-time data solutions covering the areas of data

is to be the

enhancement, duty and tax calculation, prohibited and restricted goods screening

new Port and Supply Chain Envoy to the Biden-Harris

and denied parties screening.

Administration Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force.

“This partnership makes total sense, especially for high-volume eCommerce

Taking over the role from John D. Porcari, Retired

customers who will benefit from the high-speed data solutions provided jointly by

General Lyons will work with the U.S. Department of

Hurricane and AEB,” said Martyn Noble, CEO of Hurricane Commerce.

Transportation (USDOT), the White House National

“Regulatory events in the last 18 months including Brexit, the EU’s abolition of

Economic Council (NEC), ports, rail, trucking and other

the VAT exemption on low value

private companies across supply chains to continue to

goods, the introduction of the

address bottlenecks, speed up the movement of goods,

EU’s Import One-Stop Shop (IOSS)

and help lower costs for American families.

and the greater enforcement of

“The Biden-Harris Administration has made

the US STOP Act, have meant that

tremendous progress on addressing the supply

complete, accurate and compliant

chain disruptions we’ve seen as we recover from the

data is now a must-have for

pandemic,” said Retired General Lyons, adding he looked

anyone wanting to succeed in

forward to rolling up his sleeves and addressing the role.

global eCommerce.”

Looking at transformations On June 2nd, global management consulting firm Kearney released its newest supply chain and transformation paper, More than half of all CPG companies on track to grow below the market by 2027, which analyzes supply chain inefficiencies and gives strong guidance on how CPG companies can look to transformative models to win in the current climate of change and uncertainty.

“Top performing companies today have supply chains that are built around speed, resilience and especially customer service,” said report co-author Arun Kochar, a partner in Kearney’s Strategic Operations practice. “Most big transformations fail because people don’t like to change, but with $800 billion in top-line growth at stake, there’s a compelling case for CPG companies to make the necessary changes.”

The report lays out a model for supply chain transformation that includes an exhaustive three-step approach and a rationale for exactly what must change and why. It also analyzes economic supply chain opportunity in terms of: • Quantifying expected market size in five years • Identifying relevant peer sets by fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector, and dividing it into quartiles • Understanding quartile growth relative to market compound annual growth rate (CAGR) • Estimating gain or loss of market share by quartile over the next five years “Transformations are rarely easy,” said study co-author Greg Portell, lead partner in Kearney’s Global Consumer and Retail practice. “Half of all transformations are stopped; 80 percent are proven ineffective. Success requires building the required support in the organization and, at every step of the way, ensuring that the proposed changes are still relevant along the entire 12 to 24-month journey.”

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DISRUPTIONS

A single view

S How to stay ahead of supply chain uncertainty

By Zak Rafiq 12

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upply chains are being hit by a seemingly unstoppable wave of challenges, including the pandemic, seismic geopolitical changes, and new trade agreements across Europe. These issues are being felt by consumers, with UK consumers experiencing supply problems more than their European counterparts, including lack of products in stores (56 percent), fuel shortages (33 percent) and shipping delays for purchases (28 percent).

Uncertainty has become the norm that is defining the supply chains of the future. But how possible is it to plan for and navigate the unexpected, and how can businesses stay ahead of the curve to alleviate the pain for consumers?

Getting to grips with financials, tight inventory management, informed business planning, and being adaptable have never been more important.

Follow these four steps to ensure you have the adaptability and information you need to optimize your supply chain:

within a business’s supply chain. Designed to proactively secure sufficient supplies, ahead of time, JIC helps to prevent stock outs and protect profitability.

For JIC to be effective, clear visibility of the entire breadth of the supply chain is required.

This means real-time insights are essential in all areas - including supplier deliveries, incoming orders, and available stock data.

2. Integrate data from across the business By bringing together real-time data from across the business, including financials, resource planning, and omnichannel sales, businesses can anticipate strain and demand on their supply chain. Data analysis results in actionable insights so vulnerabilities and risks can be identified, and the supply chain optimized.

For example, by reviewing stock levels, procurement cycles, and lead times, demand spikes, possible challenges like impending shortages can be better predicted and accommodated. Finance teams can also correlate supply chain insights with the balance sheet to deliver more precise financial models, and better monitor budgets and cash flow.

3. Review supplier contracts

1. Adopt a ‘Just-in-Case’ approach There is merit to the well-established Just-inTime (JIT) approach in minimizing overheads on storage and transportation, as well as waste. But JIT was not intended for a volatile supply environment. It can be incredibly difficult when there are unpredictable shortages or shipping delays.

Moving towards a ‘Just-in-Case’ (JIC) approach puts the emphasis on resilience

Work with your heads of finance and procurement to revise supplier contracts. If there are elements of the supply chain that are consistently failing to meet expectations or demand, contracts should be re-assessed and renegotiated.

Pay special attention to where goods are sourced from, whether that’s from a local or an international supplier. Each will have their own political and logistical challenges and could be a weak link.

In the current ever-expanding sanctions landscape, it has also become increasingly necessary to screen supply chain and trade operations, including an entire ownership tree of the companies that you work with, to ensure sanctions compliance.

To maximize visibility and efficiency, ask your suppliers to integrate their supply data

with yours. This approach will make any supplier vulnerabilities clear, providing a fair platform to negotiate and establish new service level agreements (SLAs) - with a clear plan of action should they fail to be met.

4. Manage your supply chain with the right system Manual processes and disparate spreadsheets are not good enough to manage the complexities and uncertainties of today’s supply chains. With so much in flux, it’s become essential to gain visibility into every aspect of business operations. Use an integrated system to bring together data from across the organization into a single view, with real-time insights.

Actionable, real-time data is key to driving informed, rapid decision making. Here are key features to look for in a system: • Data analytics to collate, manage, and process data from multiple points across your supply chain.

• Built-in management systems for inventory, supply chain, and financial reporting, along with integration with external supplier systems.

• Secure, high-availability systems to ensure your mission-critical business information is always online, available, and visible, even during outages.

Rethink your supply chain to protect your business and drive customer satisfaction At a time of disruption and uncertainty, having accurate business data you can depend on is essential. Consolidating data from across your business into a single view gives full visibility into the health of your supply chain - and business.

The ability to analyze and act on real-time data and insights means faster responses to market demands than your competition, pre-empting supply issues before they happen, and driving efficiencies in time and cost. Most importantly, such an approach empowers you to drive customer satisfaction and advocacy. D For a list of the sources used in this article, please contact the editor.

Zak Rafiq works in Solution Consulting at Oracle NetSuite. For more than 20 years, Oracle NetSuite has helped organizations grow, scale and adapt to change. NetSuite provides an integrated system that includes financials/Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), inventory management, HR, professional services automation and omnichannel commerce, used by more than 28,000 customers in 215 countries and dependent territories. www.netsuite.com

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SUSTAINABILITY

Collaborate for success

S Creating a more sustainable and circular supply chain for the fashion and retail industry.

By Christos Chamberlain 14

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ustainability continues to trend throughout the fashion and retail industries, but this complex and multilayered topic is not simply a question of box-ticking for brands.

Customers expect the products they purchase not simply to be made from sustainable materials but their whole lifecycle to be as kind to the environment as possible.

According to Kantar, 63 percent of consumers around the world believe businesses have a responsibility to act on climate change, and shoppers are ramping up the pressure. In a recent report, Shopify cites that one of the biggest threats to established

fashion and retail brands includes ‘pressure from consumers to use ethically sourced and green manufacturing materials.’ It is, therefore, no longer a question of whether but how to demonstrate a commitment to social and environmental sustainability in fashion and retail supply chains. Shoppers are raising their expectations rapidly, and green credentials are gaining momentum as fundamental drivers of purchasing decisions.

There have also been moves to introduce standards in retail supply management; in 2018, the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action was created in partnership with the UN, including a strategy to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Logistics was

Creating a sustainable supply chain

identified as an area of particular focus. With almost 25 percent of global GHG emissions coming from transportation, and with supply chains contributing to 90 percent of companies’ environmental impact (according to McKinsey), there is rightfully scrutiny on how goods move and how companies are responsible for their impact.

As part of these efforts, we are starting to see the introduction of more circularity – the process of creating a zero-waste model in which supply chains, not just product lifecycles, are cyclical. Much of this is driven by concerns to prevent unused and returned goods from ending up in landfills or the ocean.

Whilst circularity is ideal – it is very much a journey, and there are many steps organizations can take to get to that point, starting with measurement.

By defining volumes of emissions and where they come from in a supply chain, organizations can identify means of reduction.

Technology tools and platforms can make a significant difference by finding alternative routes and opportunities to reduce emissions footprints.

By nature, the fashion and retail industry will continue to produce carbon offsets in manufacturing and transportation, and an overnight transition to a carbon-neutral production line is an unrealistic projection.

However, immediate gains can be achieved by simply making small changes in how goods are transported. For example, advancements in marine biofuels and sustainable aviation fuels offer greener alternatives to more traditional fuels. When goods reach land, choosing electric trucking fleets (if available) can help speed the transition to a more climateconscious supply chain.

Similarly, organizations can look at altering the mix of modes of transport used to transport goods and supplies. Transitioning from air to ocean can make a big difference, and whilst slower, with the right technology and tools in place as part of the planning process, totally possible.

Once an organization has reduced emissions as much as possible, we recommend offsetting. For a small fee per shipment, it is possible to offset 100 percent of shippingrelated emissions. We recommend partnering with a programme that automates the process and calculates carbon within quotes, suggesting alternative ways to reduce emissions.

With the right tools and visibility in place, supply managers can find alternative ways to transport goods, both on the grounds of environmental and often cost efficiency.

Working with governments and regulators will be crucial in creating a sustainable supply

chain across the whole retail and fashion industries. We’ve seen legislation throughout the entire world to regulate carbon emissions and, in some places, explicitly targeting the fashion industry. For example, in New York, the proposed New York Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act aims to impose rules that will force organizations to declare their environmental impact. Similar legislation is also expected from the EU and UK governments.

Ultimately success in delivering a more sustainable supply chain will come down to collaboration. Whether it’s working with governments to help achieve ambitious goals or working with suppliers to identify and find more sustainable means of managing logistics. Embracing technology can help improve efficiency in communications and make collaboration easy. And by automating elements such as carbon offsetting, supply chain managers can work safely in the knowledge that the emissions their supply chains are producing are being offset. D For a list of the sources used in this article, please contact the editor.

Christos Chamberlain is Flexport UK’s General Manager. Flexport is a modern digital freight forwarder and customs broker. It moves freight globally for our customers by sea, air, rail, and truck as part of a larger service offering that includes logistics and customs via a first-of-its-kind platform. It is able to do this by combining advanced technology, data analytics, logistics infrastructure, and hands-on supply-chain expertise. https://www.flexport.com/

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Kinaxis

Ready

together A hallmark on the supply chain calendar, Supply Chain World reports on the annual Kinexions conference, hosted by leading supply chain planning software provider Kinaxis

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rom May 9–10th, supply chain professionals from across the globe came together at the Kinexions ’22 conference, held in sunny San Diego, California. This year’s sold-out event promised a jam-packed schedule of panels and speeches from Kinaxis customers, industry partners, and thought leaders, all under the theme of ‘Ready. Together.’

For the curtain-raiser, Kinaxis President and CEO John Sicard introduced himself to the welcoming crowd, and to the thousands of viewers online, before giving way to

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Andrew Bell, Vice President of Product Management at Kinaxis, who promptly announced the launch of the company’s new ‘Planning.AI’ software. Described as “the next big leap in advanced analytics for supply chain planning,” Planning.AI combines two distinct elements: Supply.AI and Demand.AI. Drawing upon Kinaxis’s 20 years of working hand-in-hand with industry partners, the software combines heuristic analytics within modern algorithmic optimization, and machine learning, to help maximize supply chain potential.

Andrew was joined on-stage by a key player in the development of Supply.AI: Andrew Dunbar, Manager of Product Management, Business Solutions at Kinaxis. “The solution,” he announced, “is going to put at your planners’ fingertips a powerful optimization solution that’s built directly into Kinaxis RapidResponse,” giving them “the ability to set the outcomes and dictate the business metrics that they’re trying to achieve.”

This enthusiasm for the Supply.AI tool was matched by Waleed Ayoub, Kinaxis’s Senior Vice President of Solutions R&D, and one of

the driving forces behind Demand.AI. “Our goal,” he told the room, “is to empower demand planners to spend a lot less time on very process-heavy workflows, and a lot more time on value-added work.” The concept of applying machine learning within the supply chain isn’t unheard of, but with a focus on accuracy, flexibility, and explainability, the belief is that Planning.AI represents a truly unique solution.

Automation provided the focus for the remainder of the session, before PQ Corporation invited the audience to reflect on their recent supply chain journey. Hot on their heels arrived the Kinexions ’22 keynote speech, ‘Enough Happiness Supply to Meet Demand: Simple Changes to Boost Your Happiness Inventor’, delivered by New York Times

bestselling author Gretchen Rubin, before Amgen rounded out the day with a forward look towards supply chains of the future.

The second day of Kinexions ’22 kicked off in similar style, as Brett Wilson, Senior Vice President, Global Supply Chain at Qualcomm, took to the stage to discuss the very real challenges posed by recent semiconductor shortages. A captive audience were on-hand as Brett laid out exactly how supply chains have become so tight, revealed some of the strategies that have allowed Qualcomm to thrive, and charted a road map for the months and years ahead.

Qualcomm wasn’t the only big name in 2022 to grace Kinexions with its presence.

Next up was Honeywell, and a solutionorientated appearance from Benji Green, the company’s Vice President of Digital Planning, Transformation, and Integrated Supply Chain.

He talked the room through Honeywell’s recent portfolio transformation, achieved with the introduction of standardization and metrics, and delivered using Kinaxis’s own RapidResponse software. For more in depth coverage of each of the sessions from Qualcomm and Honeywell, turn to pages 20 and 22.

The insights didn’t stop there. The final main session of the day brought yet more industry experts together for the muchanticipated Kinexions Customer Panel.

Moderated by Kinaxis’s own Chief Marketing Officer Jay Muelhoefer, the event was an opportunity to hear from a set of three industry leaders about how to handle daily disruptions, while simultaneously planning a vision for the future.

The lineup featured experts from a diverse range of industries, with Ben-Marvin Egel, Director of Supply Chain Planning and Analytics at Lippert, representing the automotive sector. Flying the flag for aerospace and defense was Jamie Harshman, RapidResponse Product Owner, Supply Chain COE – Project Manager at L3Harris, alongside Lizet Tymon, Senior Supply Chain Management Director at contract manufacturer Jabil.

Brief introductions were followed by an easing into the matter-at-hand – the question, ‘How do you define disruption within your business?’, eliciting a wide range of comments, from Ben’s “major changes to demand or supply,” to Jamie’s user-focused perspective: “anything that prevents us being able to meet or exceed our customers’ expectations.” Of course, disruptions are numerous – but few have proved as ubiquitous as the Covid-19

pandemic. For Lizet, however, it’s been a period not without upside, aided by Jabil’s deployment of a number of new planning capabilities with Kinaxis in the recent past. As she commented: “disruption presents a huge opportunity to rethink our processes.”

From there, the panel moved on, touching upon the impact of disruption on people, and the remarkable resiliency demonstrated across their various teams. Ben, reflecting on events at Lippert, noted how “All of a sudden, people were wearing multiple hats, and trying to figure out situations that they hadn’t had to deal with in a while. It gave our organization an opportunity to come together, and really learn what the pain points are across other pieces of the business.”

Jamie echoed these comments, emphasizing the “radical shift” in how companies think about and manage supply chains post–Covid-19. “You can go anywhere today and people are talking about supply chains,” he pointed out. “It’s a core part of everything we do.” Armed with that heightened awareness, Jamie argued, businesses will be better-protected against further disruption in the future. L3Harris itself is no exception, as he was keen to emphasize: “[The pandemic] is unlocking and providing value to the organization that wasn’t realized to the level that it is today.”

The panel concluded by offering its thoughts on a number of pertinent issues within supply chain, from the importance of collaboration between any business and its IT organization – and, in Jamie’s words, the need to create “a positive culture of continuous improvement” – to metrics, the so-called ‘Great Resignation’, and a forecast of potential disruptions to come. All that was then left was to bring Kinexions ’22 to a close, with the handing out of Kinaxis’s annual Customer Awards, and the return of Jamie Harshman to the stage – as L3Harris scooped the inaugural Kinaxis Rising Star Award. Another inaugural accolade, entitled the ‘Champion Award’, recognizing leaders with empathy, leadership, perseverance, and a passion for success, went to Unilever’s RL Rosqueta.

Kinexions ’22 remains available to watch via the event’s on-demand platform, where viewers can find a series of exclusive online sessions, including ‘Accenture: The Future of Planning & Visibility’ and ‘Genpact: Learn How Novartis has Transformed E2E Clinical Supply Planning for Optimal Results’.

https://www.kinexions.com https://www.kinaxis.com/en scw-mag.com

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Qualcomm

Managing

unprecedented demand As part of our coverage of the 2022 Kinexions Conference, held in San Diego, California, Supply Chain World reports on one of the significant sessions, in which Qualcomm shares its supply chain journey

Q Q

ualcomm needs little introduction. For the past 35 years, the San Diego-based technology giant has served as the driving force behind products essential to our day-to-day lives, from audio devices and automotive vehicles, to smartphones, wearables, and even the smart, connected factories in which they’re manufactured. It’s a name that has become synonymous with wireless innovation, pioneering the rollout of AI and 5G, and transforming entire industries in the process.

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The origins of Qualcomm roughly coincide with the shift in cell phone technology from analogue to digital in the early 1990s. Three decades later, and handsets continue to provide an essential segment of the company’s business, accounting for approximately two thirds of its present-day revenue. Increasingly, however, it’s one element within a far broader picture.

“We’re rapidly becoming much more than a handset company,” explains Brett Wilson, Senior Vice President, Global Supply Chain at Qualcomm, speaking at the 2022 Kinexions

Conference, held in San Diego, California, and screened virtually across the globe. “We then have what we call the RF front-end, which is the radio frequency part of the chipset that helps the device talk to networks.

“We’re also very much into automotive,” he continues. “We want to build the chassis of the future, so that cars can communicate with each other and with the infrastructure in your city. But we also want to make sure that we’re driving the ‘infotainment’, and a lot of the advanced safety systems, all from one centralized chipset. Last on the list is IoT.

Again, we want to have everything connected, and give it intelligence out at the edge.”

Having joined the company a little under a year ago, Brett is a relative newcomer to Qualcomm. Nevertheless, he’s a professional with 34 years of experience in the semiconductor industry, including 12 years focused exclusively on supply chains. For Qualcomm, however, supply chains aren’t just something to be managed. They’re also key drivers of product demand, as companies look to adapt quickly to the rollout of 5G, digitization, and a rapid integration into the cloud.

“How are Qualcomm’s products capable of enabling more advanced supply chains?”

Brett asks, before suggesting that businesses can “know more, and know sooner, about [their] supply chain, by using a device that is connected to a network wirelessly, that has low power consumption, that’s portable, battery-operated, and has intelligence.”

For a company that plays such a key role in enabling supply chains worldwide, it’s natural to believe that Qualcomm might experience some level of immunity from similar challenges within its own operations. Far from it, however.

Instead, Brett is frank about some of the difficulties that he, and the company, have grappled with in recent years.

Among these challenges, is that of competing resources. Qualcomm’s product design for a smartphone begins with a baseband – an all-in-one chip, including the edge AI, camera, graphics, and processing – to which further chips are added. As the company develops a product for other markets, it scales down the chip accordingly. “Now we have a lot of shared resources,” Brett points out.

“The chip has been designed on the same platform, and it runs in the same factory, in the same technology node, as many of our other products.

“The other complication this brings about is, that all of these different business units we’re trying to support have different levels of products that are important to them,” Brett adds. “We may have a mid-to-low-tier baseband set that is directly competing with what we see from one of our IoT groups as their premium product.

“As a supply chain group, we have to make this balance between all these competing resources, and understand what’s the best strategic return for all the business units across the corporation.”

A second complexity for Qualcomm centers around chipsets. “Depending on where the baseband is being sold, in what country, by what customer, in what product, the chips that go with that baseband can differ,” Brett indicates. “Some of these chips in the chipset are dedicated. So, it means that if you buy the baseband from Qualcomm, it’s a match set, so you have to buy the RF that matches it. But then there are other chips that are competitive, so you can buy them from Qualcomm, or you can buy them from one of our competitors.

“It’s not just as simple as we forecast the baseband,” Brett emphasizes. “We also have to determine what’s going to be our share of certain products.”

To help resolve these issues, Qualcomm is turning to Kinaxis. A supply chain management and sales and operation planning software company based in Ottawa, Kinaxis offers a complete solution to facilitate Qualcomm’s demand planning. “We can understand and see that resource load based on all of the chipsets and make sure we optimize it,” Brett explains. “Then we’re going to move right into execution, where we can make sure that we’re pacing the chipset build at the same cadence as its baseband.”

Across industries, supply chains have been forced to contend with a number of disruptions in recent years – from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, to the ongoing shortage of talent across the US. Few disruptions, however, have been as widely felt, and as well-documented, as the shortage of semiconductors.

“When the current semiconductor shortage started, Qualcomm was not in a position to handle it,” Brett admits. “We didn’t understand all the ramifications of constraints on chipsets, and how they might actually impact basebands – and we for sure did not understand the strategic intent of all of our businesses, and how these intersections played out.”

So, Qualcomm contacted professional services firm Genpact. “They helped us diagnose where we were at today, and to build some better systems on just what we could do with our current tools,” Brett reveals. “They’ve also helped us ideate the future system, and they’re staying there to help us build that.”

As for the details of that future, Qualcomm’s vision for the supply chain is clear: to be able to make informed, strategic decisions in response to changes in demand or supply. “We’ll be able to see both the forecasting of the dedicated and competitive chipsets, we’ll be able to see our capacity loading, and we’ll be able to see those different divisions of forecast within it, and track our chipset build as it’s going through the execution style,” Brett confirms.

“We’re going to use it as a feed forward mechanism with our sales team,” he concludes.

“So, when customers make an order, and we don’t see that the chipset is filling out the way that we expected it to for that baseband that we’ve designed, we can actually contact our sales force and ask them to query that customer. We can say, ‘You seem to be a little short on this power chip. Why did you not order from us? Did you just forget about it? Or did you order from a competitor?’ If nothing else, it represents a learning opportunity.”

https://www.qualcomm.com scw-mag.com

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Honeywell

Transforming

the wild west As part of our coverage of the Kinexions22 Conference, held in San Diego, California, Supply Chain World reports on one of the significant sessions, in which Honeywell discusses the implications of its Global Design Model

W

e’re proud of our legacy,” reads the opening of Honeywell’s session at the 2022 Kinexions Conference – with good reason. Established in 1906, the corporation has pioneered a series of revolutionary technologies since joining the stock market in the early 20th century, including the first temperature control in buildings, vital aerospace software, and catalytic converters.

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“It’s a 100-year history of acquisitions and divestitures, very much managed as a portfolio company for a long time,” reflects Benji Green, Vice President of Digital Planning, Transformation, and Integrated Supply Chain at Honeywell. The company delivered $34bn in sales in 2021, broadly categorized into four distinct business groups: performance materials and technology; aerospace; building technologies; and safety and productivity solutions. Benji confirms: “We do everything

from earplugs that cost a penny, making one million a day, to a $2m jet engine, making only seven a week.”

But Honeywell isn’t here to talk about the past; as Benji puts it: “it’s all going to be about transformation.” A supply chain professional for 23 years, with former employers including Avaya, IBN, Lenovo, and Accenture, what drew Benji to Honeywell was the company’s strategy for investment, one that he attributes to the vision of Honeywell CEO, Darius Adamczyk.

“

We’ve reduced almost 150 ERPs down to 10, as part of the huge digital transformation. And we’ve invested over $2bn in these repositioning efforts

“

Appointed in 2017, Darius has driven the company’s investment in standardization, simplification of its corporate strategy, and standard metrics. “We’re really focusing on creating best-in-breed in every one of those businesses, instead of letting them run independently,” Benji explains. “It’s a totally different strategy, totally different effort, and totally different initiative.”

It’s an approach that is already bearing fruit. “We’ve achieved over 30 percent site consolidation,” Benji continues. “That’s credibly improved efficiencies in the factories. We’ve reduced almost 150 ERPs down to 10, as part of the huge digital transformation. And we’ve invested over $2bn in these repositioning efforts.”

It doesn’t end there, either. Honeywell has also invested another $1bn in transformation initiatives, notably its Kinaxis RapidResponse deployment. The company has also birthed five new different businesses, bringing its total to 37 across the four business groups. “We’ve received over $1bn in cumulative benefits,” Benji reveals, as he looks to underline the value of this strategy. “From these initiatives, we’re talking about another $1bn just in manufacturing simplification, and then $1bn in permanent cost reductions.”

Looking back, Benji is open about the planning challenges that Honeywell had to overcome, a situation that he describes as a “wild west”, owing to the absence of corporate policy or structure. “There was basically no standardization,” he reveals. “We had over 2m active SKUs, and nine different planning systems, on top of hundreds of thousands of spreadsheets.

“A lot of the organization was still merged by our planners,” he continues. “We have every type of manufacturing environment you can imagine – continuous, made-tostock, made-to-order, made, varying config, engineer-to-order, fixed BOM, variable BOM. It’s very diverse in the complexity of what we had to address.”

To resolve these difficulties, Benji, and Honeywell, came up with its so-called ‘Global Design Model’. “It’s a kind of North Star, that says, ‘every business we have should be able to fit into this model’,” Benji argues. “That doesn’t mean every business will use every part of the model. But the model has got to be able to fit every business.”

Underpinning this modular strategy is a set of core principles, including statistical, demand, inventory, supply, production, and materials planning. “We took this model, and started to do the transformation strategy on people, processes, and technology,” Benji indicates. “Everybody gets trained on the global design model. In fact, there’s dozens and dozens of pages of details behind it that go down to level five detail.”

Equipped with its model, the next challenge facing Honeywell was to identify the optimum software to help bring it to life. “Obviously, there are non-negotiables,” Benji points out. “It’s got to meet all your

security requirements. We wanted to go with someone who had been on the Gartner Magic Quadrant for a long time, was a leader in the industry, and had customers that we could go reference that were comparable to Honeywell, both in scale and in complexity.”

Crucially, the company made sure to pursue a non-customized solution, in the shape of Kinaxis RapidResponse. “I don’t have a custom business,” Benji reminds the audience. “I have 37 different businesses.

So, I wanted a standard, out-of-the-box capacity and capability, so that it created that standardization without me and the team going and developing it.”

Attention then turned to deployment.

“Our very first phase was only 26 sites,” Benji reflects. “That took us nearly ten months, for two different ERPs. Then, we took a cooling period. We wanted to make sure that it was working, and the CEO specifically was not 100 percent convinced that this was going to be a game changing strategy.”

Six months later, things took off. “We’re moving real fast,” Benji admits. “Now we’ve got four different deployments all in parallel across many businesses. By the end of this year, just in the first quarter, we’re going to have nearly 150-plus sites, and have done 72 percent of the business’s revenue.”

Benji ends the session with a few wise words for those looking to enact a similar strategy, including the need to focus deployment on a so-called “fertile” business.

“They need to have an IT landscape that works,” he says. “You don’t want to go try to deploy on five ERPs at one time – the large majority of the time, and the project, is the data work, data mapping, validation, cleansing, and then of course, the use of training in parallel. You got to think, ‘okay, let’s simplify the IT landscape so I can do quick data deployment’.”

Among everything else, enthusiasm is key.

“You’ve got to have willing adopters,” Benji concludes. “You need level two or three maturity organizations that realize there’s a level four and five that they want to get to.

They say, ‘Yes, I can do this’, they’re capable, and they’re anxious to get better.”

https://www.honeywell.com/us/en scw-mag.com

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El Camino Health

Inspired by

change

B

ased in Santa Clara County, California, El Camino Health (El Camino) hosts two acute care hospitals in Mountain View and Los Gatos. In speaking with Paul Hasbrook, the Director of Supply Chain,

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we learn about how the healthcare center has navigated the supply chain issues created by the turbulence of the pandemic, while still taking time to celebrate 60 years of hard work and innovation in the industry.

You can find El Camino in the heart of Silicon Valley, where it is surrounded by a culture of innovation. “To give you an idea of what we do, in 2009, the MitraClip was developed here, which is a revolutionary

Regardless of the challenges imposed by the pandemic, El Camino Health has been determined to provide world-class healthcare services, and with 60 years in the industry, it seems to be excelling with its mission

therapy and is being used by cardiologists around the world. This is one of the achievements that makes me really proud to be part of this team,” he begins. Ten years later, El Camino was the first in the world to

commercially offer the robotic lung nodule biopsy procedure, which helps detects lung cancer.

For Paul, celebrating 60 years in this industry is a fantastic milestone, and one

that he is very grateful for. “The occasion was officially marked in September 2021. We received visits from public officials and held a few small employee gatherings. It was a little tricky to do, considering Covid-19 was still scw-mag.com

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El Camino Health

out and about. Honestly speaking, however, I feel we celebrate every day as though it’s the anniversary, because we want to continually honour the level of innovation that our team brings to this company,” Paul shares.

As he alludes to, being located in the heart of Silicon Valley plays a massive role in El Camino’s ability to remain a leader in the healthcare sector. “We work in an environment of advanced clinical studies, and the pandemic has been a prime example. We were the first hospital in the world to enroll a

patient to trial the Pfizer pill development to treat Covid-19.

“One of the areas that we shine in is the level of technology we incorporate into our work. We are a hub for surgical robotics along the West Coast, because we were the first hospital in this area, and second in the nation to offer procedures with the da Vinci system, which has subsequently become ubiquitous in the modern surgical suite.

“We also have multiple advanced programs for spine and neuro navigation, and the

delivery of screws for spinal fusion. We also have multiple platforms for robotic knee arthroplasty and completed our 1000th surgery in February for the robotic knee system. Above that, we have a solid track record of delivering excellent patient outcomes when it comes to cancer recovery,” he says.

The conversation then streamlines into a topic that forms a large part of Paul’s day-today operation: the supply chain. He shares that the company is in the process of migrating

RightSourcing As a strategic partner since 2015, RightSourcing’s Integrated Workforce Management Platform enables clients like El Camino Health to strategically manage, optimize and adapt their workforce through technology, data and services.

At the core of RightSoucing’s workforce platform is our Wand Vendor Management System. Wand solves the complexities of managing the extended workforce and delivers a comprehensive solution for different stakeholders in the contingent labor ecosystem, including HR and procurement leaders, department heads, managers, workers and suppliers.

Our technology provides a ‘single source of truth’ and holistic visibility into clients’ full contingent workforce lifecycle, spend analysis and results-driven outcomes.

When it comes to data, organizations that employ talent or utilize contingent labor, gain a competitive advantage by leveraging high-quality data to make informed decisions. Our analytics solution gives organizations unprecedented flexibility in leveraging the industry’s most robust data set to glean real-time insights.

Interactive dashboards allow users to make tactical and strategic decisions using dynamic visualizations In terms of services, RightSourcing delivers thought leadership above and beyond traditional managed service providers. Our team of experts provide conciergelevel service delivery to manage the procurement, selection, engagement and tracking of contingent workers.

As the healthcare industry’s premier vendor-neutral managed services provider, RightSourcing leverages a nationwide network of clinical, IT and business/ professional staffing partners to provide the broadest access to talent at competitive market rates. RightSourcing provides a single point of contact and a dedicated program team to support roles across the enterprise.

Our real-world healthcare experience, coupled with real-time metrics, gives client partners, such as El Camino Health, market-leading insights and the latest best practices in risk mitigation - based on changes in legislation, court cases, tax laws, FLSA/1099 classification and new initiatives. As a Joint Commissioncertified organization, we understand the importance and requirements for credential audit and maintenance, and employ a multi-pronged approach to ensure compliance and quality.

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YOUR HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE, REIMAGINED. As the industry’s only integrated workforce management platform, we partner with visionary healthcare organizations like El Camino Health to manage and optimize their non-employee workforce. We offer on-site program management to provide enterprise support for clinical and non-clinical labor through: Best-in-Class Technology

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Proud El Camino Health Partner Since 2015 Find out why health systems nationwide choose RightSourcing www.rightsourcingusa.com scw-mag.com

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El Camino Health

to a cloud-based ERP system, and he hopes that it will go live by November of 2022. “That development is currently underway, and represents a major focus for our supply chain as we work closely with information services.

The automation on both the procurement and inventory side of the supply chain will help boost us massively. With real time analytics, we can have access to the right information

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at the right time. I’m really excited to have the same level of innovation within our supply network that we use in our clinical practice.”

This is an exciting new chapter for the business, considering that the last two years have been an immense challenge. Nonetheless, Paul believes El Camino has been very fortunate, in that the clinic has bounced back to the same number of patients it had prior

to the impact of Covid-19. “The pandemic has been a testament to our capabilities and the resilience of our team members. We had a dramatic shift in supply demand, which occurred almost overnight, and with it came a significant challenge.

“For example, we went from using five or ten N95 masks a day, to needing about 500 or 600, so it’s instances like that where the

shift has been incredibly stark. But we are adapting well by refining some key response techniques. Firstly, we are diversifying our bulk orders for PPE and other supplies. Secondly, we have leveraged our off-site storage, because our storage demands have increased dramatically, and thirdly, we have taken to deploying inventory in new and creative ways in cooperation with our clinical leaders,” he

says. Each of these measures is to anticipate the needs of the health centre’s practitioners so that they are able to perform their jobs to the best of their ability.

On the subject of the pandemic, Paul then highlights that although many hospitals made the decision to send staff to work from home, El Camino did not. “We felt very strongly that the supply chain team needed to be on the

premises to observe what was happening on the frontline. I think that comes from our culture of having an engaged staff who are passionate about the work that we do, and, of course we do our best to look after them as well. For example, and it may seem small, but we have a program where we deliver snacks to hospital staff, and it’s a great way for us to stay connected and supportive of the great work that they do.”

The same has proven to be true for its supply chain network. “As an example, last year, we transitioned to a new group purchasing organisation, which gives us access to more competitive contracts and additional support for things like sourcing backordered product. We have also recently deployed a more deliberate approach to RFP’s and contracting, engaging with new suppliers. We have again raised our standards to bring on suppliers with values and ambition that aligns with ours.”

With all these ventures in mind, 2022 promises to be an exciting year for the company, and, in the long-term, Paul is gearing his department to take on a proactive approach to its contribution to the overall success of El Camino. “The ERP migration is a huge lift for our supply chain. We are working on delivering a suite of digital tools to really take things to the next level, which will include better contract and inventory management.

Beyond that, I believe that we need to be willing to adapt to industry challenges as they arise. I believe that El Camino is doing great things, and we are going to maintain our role in ensuring that that continues,” he concludes.

El Camino Health https://www.elcaminohealth.org/ Services: Healthcare

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Gorbel

A class above

Since 1977, Gorbel has used its advanced range of overhead and warehouse material handling solutions to protect the things that matter most

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H

aving started as a small operation in Western New York, Gorbel is now a leading supplier of overhead and warehouse material handling solutions, with over 800 employees, and multiple manufacturing locations worldwide.

The company constantly seeks out new ways to elevate its products and processes, in order to meet the evolving needs of its customers.

Today, Gorbel continues to grow, thanks to its innovative use of the latest technology, and positive, collaborative working culture.

Gorbel has been family owned and operated since its inception. Its founder was motivated by a desire to change the way supply chains were managed across the industry. “Gorbel was founded back in 1977 by Dave Reh, who was the father of our current owner and CEO, Brian Reh. Dave had a background in selling material handling equipment, and he was frustrated by a lot of his vendors. Supply chain was the driving force behind why he started Gorbel. He wanted a better experience for his customers while also growing a small business where his employees could grow and succeed.

“His dream of a company with ten-to-fifteen employees grew into the international company we have today. We have our headquarters and main manufacturing facilities in Victor, NY with another production facility about 15 miles away, and then we have additional manufacturing in Pell City, AL; Goodyear, AZ, Elmira, Ontario, Canada; and in 2006, we opened a plant in Tianjin, China to serve our customers in Asia.

“For most of our years in business, we focused on overhead material handling solutions to move parts through the production process, so our product line was mostly jib cranes, workstation cranes, and gantry cranes. Then in 2012, we started making Tether Track Fall Arrest Anchor Systems, and in 2020, we purchased a Canadian company that makes Destuff-it™ and Restuff-it™, portable ergonomic conveyors to help warehouses and distribution centers safely and efficiently load and unload containers. Now we have this comprehensive portfolio of products that can help companies protect what typically matters most – their people and products,” discusses Chuck Surowiec, Director of Supply Chain at Gorbel.

Throughout its long history, Gorbel has become an important part of its local community, and received numerous accolades.

“We have been recognized as one of the top 100 fastest growing companies in our area over 20 times in the last 45 years. So much of that can be tied back to our commitment to reinvesting in the company, our people and our technology. scw-mag.com

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Gorbel

“Gorbel was built on a foundation of continuous improvement. We have a long history of really listening to our customers and acting on what we hear from them, whether it’s how to make an existing product better, how to improve our service

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or what kinds of new products we should add to our line-up. Our customers know we listen to them, they know their feedback matters, and that builds loyalty. Those loyal relationships fuel growth, too,” enthuses Chuck.

“Even with that though, the award that has meant the most to us is the ETHIE Award we got in 2019, which recognizes companies who are living out a commitment to high standards for ethical behavior.

Integrity is such a huge part of who we are

and to be recognized for that was really special.”

The company’s strong reputation is built on its ability to provide effective, reliable and high-quality services. With products ranging from shop cranes to ergonomic lifting, Gorbel ensures its customers safe and comprehensive support. As Chuck affirms: “Everything in our product line is geared towards making it safer and easier for people to move heavy loads around. We look at our products as either warehouse solutions or overhead solutions.

“The biggest piece of our warehouse solutions side is our Destuff-it™ portable ergonomic conveyor that’s used in warehouses and distribution centers to load and unload storage containers. Our overhead solutions include products like

workstation cranes, jib cranes, gantries, and hoists to move parts through the assembly and production process. We also have a line of Tether Track Fall Arrest anchor systems to keep workers safe when working at height, and a line of Shop Crane overhead crane systems that’s aimed at residential garages and workshops to make things safer and easier for folks working on their car or recreation vehicles.”

Constant innovation also means that Gorbel is able to extend its portfolio to meet changing industry demands. Responding to the rising popularity of ergonomic tools and vehicles, the company continues to improve its overhead handling products while also branching out into a new line that also focuses on safety and efficiency.

“Ergonomics is huge today and companies

are really conscious of the personal and financial consequences from back injuries, shoulder injuries, and overuse strains from lifting and turning the body over and over throughout an eight-hour shift.

“This is really an issue for the folks loading and unloading storage containers and trailers at warehouses and distribution centers day in and day out. Our Portable Ergonomic Conveyor Systems, the Destuffit™ and Restuff-it™, are designed to help workers load and unload containers and trailers faster. The Destuff-it and Restuff-it help your dock personnel safely and quickly move packages up to 165 lbs. Operators experience more throughput and greater handling capacity with less fatigue, less muscle strain, and fewer injuries because of optimal positioning to the box wall. And

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Gorbel

we’re not just making it safer – the Destuffit has helped companies cut the cost to unload trailers by 50 percent. That’s huge when you think of how many trailers a business could be loading and unloading every day.

“The portable ergonomic conveyors are our primary focus at present, and we will likely extend this line based on feedback from customers. Additionally, we are offering a line of cascading belt conveyors, which provides tremendous flexibility to users when designing complete systems within a warehouse or distribution center,” comments Chuck.

Remaining nimble and responsive has also helped Gorbel overcome numerous supply chain issues over the last few years.

As Chuck details: “Managing through the myriad supply chain issues has been more than a full-time job. Somehow, our supply chain team finds a way to make it happen. They work together and have strong cultural values that pull us through the toughest of times. The culture starts at the top and permeates throughout the entire company, it was the primary reason I decided to come to work for Gorbel after retiring from my previous employer. No finger pointing or assigning blame, just identify the problem, find the solution, and get it done.”

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Gorbel www.gorbel.com Services: Overhead and warehouse solutions

This collaborative approach has also helped Gorbel build strong, long-lasting relationships with suppliers. “Most of our suppliers have truly embraced the term partnership. I continue to be amazed at how we are able to work together through this dynamic environment in an effort to mutually benefit and to provide a positive customer experience,” Chuck confirms.

With ongoing projects in a variety of sectors, Gorbel continues to thrive. Looking forward to the future of the company, Chuck concludes: “There is a lot of uncertainty in the world, ranging from supply chain shortages to the impact of the war in Ukraine on energy and raw material costs. So, we need to be agile and adjust to these unprecedented times.

Even with the many challenges, customers are still requesting Gorbel products at a rapid rate, so expectations remain high that we will continue to meet the stringent requirements of our customers.

“In the long term, we aim to keep our leadership position in overhead cranes and lifting equipment while enhancing our offering in this traditional side of our business.

Simultaneously, we intend to increase the awareness of the Destuff-it™ and Restuff-it™ product lines in order to expand our base in distribution centers and warehouses. We see tremendous potential for all facets of our business.”

STEP INTO THE FUTURE WITH JAM INDUSTRIES

www.jamind.com

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The Barcode Warehouse

Unstoppable solutions

Providing technology and services to top household brand names, The Barcode Warehouse has become the go-to partner to the likes of Zebra, Honeywell, Datalogic, Toshiba, Panasonic, Samsung and Android

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The Barcode Warehouse

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ith over 30 years of industry experience, The Barcode Warehouse has established itself as the UK’s leading specialist provider for barcode and RFID technological solutions. Originally formed in 1987 by Ross Lee as the Trent Valley Label Company, the business began its journey as a label manufacturer; however, following continued growth and development, it quickly diversified.

By the time it had officially rebranded as The Barcode Warehouse in 1999, the company had begun to supply technology interacting with barcode labels, including printers, scanners, and mobile computers (also known as PDAs and handheld computers). This was part of the company’s vision, created through

the rebrand, to become the country’s leading barcode technology solutions provider. With the addition of a comprehensive e-commerce site, customers and clients from all over could now easily access a detailed overview of the company’s latest kit.

Getting us up to speed is Kevan Mutton, Managing Director at The Barcode Warehouse, who originally joined the company in 2012. “A major milestone in the history of our company came in 2004,” he begins.

“During that year, we carried out a major expansion at our existing site in Newark, constructing a large warehouse facility to help us process the technology we wanted to sell to our customers. As time went on, it became clear that customers wished to outsource the management of their devices to us, which

meant launching our own in-house operations service desk and repairs management facility.

“Thankfully, the incredible growth continued,” he adds. “By 2014, The Barcode Warehouse had employed over 200 personnel, and we kept expanding both our team and the range of devices available. Indeed, over the last five-to-six years, our business has grown consistently. Though we initially focused on the transport and logistics sector, we knew it was essential to branch out and identify areas of opportunity in retail, warehousing, manufacturing and more.”

Today, The Barcode Warehouse boasts an unrivalled reputation in the barcode and RFID technology space. Bolstered by its now 270-plus employee base, the company is experiencing record sales and growth.

BROTHER UK Lee Brash, Senior Business Manager at Brother UK, says: “Our partnership with The Barcode Warehouse has enabled us to pursue new and exciting opportunities for our auto-ID solutions, bolstering our ability to help businesses and organisation’s achieve process excellence for even the most niche print requirements.

“This was exemplified by our work to support Together Housing. We issued all their engineers with Brother PJ-773 mobile printers, so they could print gas safety certificates on site, which helped them to boost efficiency and streamline their processes.

“As The Barcode Warehouse continues to expand with the recent opening of its third site, we look forward to continuing our partnership with them, and working closely together to set the industry standard for auto-ID services.”

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In the last financial year, for instance, The Barcode Warehouse recorded an impressive 20 percent growth on its previous year, and it has since announced expansion plans to cope with the unprecedented demand.

These significant commercial gains stand as a testament to The Barcode Warehouse’s robust and trusted product lines in the automatic identification and data capture (AIDC) space. The company offers one of the widest ranges of barcode scanners (handheld, wireless, and Bluetooth), rugged PDAs, tablet PCs, label printers, ID card systems, EPOS hardware, RFID equipment, and wireless network solutions.

Moreover, going back to its roots, The Barcode Warehouse is also the UK’s leading manufacturer of blank and custom-printed labels, producing more than a billion tags and labels per year.

In terms of delivering its technology, some of the company’s leading partners include Zebra, Honeywell, Datalogic, and Samsung, many of which have run for well over a decade. It’s a list that’s indicative of The Barcode Warehouse’s position as the go-to partner within its market niche.

“We’re known for our customer service,” explains Kevan. “That’s one reason why we’re ranked so highly by our clients. If they have a contract with us for our managed services to support their estate of devices, then they can

ring us any time – 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We have various European clients, and we will always answer their calls in their local language and, eight-or-nine times out of ten, repair their device over the phone. Our

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The Barcode Warehouse

services team constitutes around two-thirds of our workforce; whatever the issue, we’ve got the people who provide the service and support they need.

“The whole philosophy behind our device managed service is to ensure that all our clients have a working device in their hands at any one time,” he continues. “If there’s an issue with a device, then they get direct access to a trained service agent, who is then able to fix that device over the phone (for which we have

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a success rate of between 85 and 95 percent).

Whether you’re a DIY store in Poland or just round the corner in Newark, be assured that we will fix your device as quickly as possible.”

This keen sense of adaptability and pride in overcoming unforeseen obstacles meant that, during the pandemic, The Barcode Warehouse could strategically pivot its operations to mitigate commercial losses. As Kevan discusses in more detail: “There are parts of our business that we were able to

quickly translate into a home working setting, meaning that there was no loss of business or interruptions on behalf of our customers. This was particularly important for our transport and logistics clients; they were classified as essential workers and thus couldn’t afford any disruptions.”

Through strategic planning, The Barcode Warehouse actually saw an increase in business in certain areas. “For quite some time, we manufactured and provided labels

to supply chain of the technology we sell.

Right now, for instance, the shortage of semiconductors is a industry massive issue.

We currently have the biggest backlog of orders we’ve ever seen!”

However, that’s not going to stop The Barcode Warehouse. In fact, it’s already set on expanding further. “Going back to the original, founding vision of the company, we want to have technology that we can sell to an array of

for Covid-19 testing kits when they became available,” explains Kevan. “We were asked if we could help in manufacturing these labels and worked with a number of bodies directly and indirectly to ensure they had a fully trackable solution. It was an incredibly busy time, but it worked well for our customers. Of course, the pandemic has also brought about negative consequences for our business – in fact, they’re still affecting us today, particularly the impact scw-mag.com

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The Barcode Warehouse

Toshiba Keeping businesses productive and efficient with Toshiba printing solutions, from the Barcode Warehouse. Printers range from entry level to high performance, and are designed to be scalable, flexible, user-friendly and easy to integrate into existing systems. All of our products are built on unique technology, with a wide range of options and accessories, customisable to individual needs. Through our expertise and long-term partnership with The Barcode Warehouse, we can recommend solutions to solve business pain points, offering economic, cost-effective and sustainable products that help you to stay ahead of the market.

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companies across the T&L, retail, warehousing, manufacturing, education, and hospitality sectors,” comments Kevan. “To facilitate that vision, we’re opening our third building in Newark, which will be the home of our sales and marketing team, but more importantly, will also host our Innovation and Customer Experience Center.

“At the center, we want to create a friendly environment for our customers and partners with which we can come together to investigate and observe the range of best-in-class technology and solutions we have available,” he explains. “Clients will be able to book meeting

room to allow them to collaborate with ourselves, partners, and independent software vendors (ISVs) as we support them as their trusted advisor on their technological journey. Together, we can find solutions to overcome any problems in their business, and then delve into exciting new areas with them – artificial intelligence, robotics, and automation, for instance.”

Though The Barcode Warehouse typically works with other UK businesses, it wants to reinforce the cross-national links it holds in Europe. “After navigating our way round Brexit, we’ve found ourselves in a stronger position, allowing us to support international clients to a

high standard,” notes Kevan. “Going forward, then, we want to explore opportunities with our European partners. We’re known within our industry as the number one service provider, with the highest number of devices under management. Looking at our long-term future, however, we also want to be the number one Technology and Solutions Integrator within the entire industry.”

The Barcode Warehouse www.thebarcodewarehouse.co.uk Products: Barcode and RFID solutions

BlueStar BlueStar is a true value-added distributor that offers top-notch pick, pack, and ship services and provides programs and services that add value to distributed products that increase their value or worth.

We offer a comprehensive service portfolio, which provides new opportunities to help differentiate yourself from your competitors and fulfill requirements for projects of any scope.

Our value-added service team will help you approach any size project, from bundling to custom packaging and labeling, including staging, kitting, and software configuration.

Or, if you are looking to serve your customer globally, our GlobalCare Initiative program helps partners scale their businesses worldwide. Whether you are expanding your business across a metropolitan area, over international borders, or to a new continent, our unique toolsets and services will aid you in your expansion efforts.

Moreover, if you need marketing help, our team can help drive brand awareness and generate demand. You can also benefit from our digital tools to be more efficient in your daily orders through our e-commerce platform.

We offer a unique world of services to help you differentiate from your competition. Ask Blue!

BLUESTAR IS THE LEADING GLOBAL DISTRIBUTOR OF SOLUTIONS-BASED TECHNOLOGIES THROUGHOUT THE CHANNEL.

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Winebow Fine Wine + Spirits

The home of fine wine and spirits

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With leading international brands, Winebow brings the finest wines and spirits to customers across the US

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Winebow Fine Wine + Spirits

W a h g w B p

y c g

B

ased in Virginia, Winebow is a national importer and distributor of fine wines and spirits. The company has a dynamic portfolio of offerings from around the world, which it delivers to customers with an exceptional quality of service. Built on the vision of inspiring a passion for fine wine and spirits across the nation, Winebow has seen enduring success throughout the United States.

Having recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, Winebow’s history goes back to 1980’s New York, where the company

was founded. Coincidentally, the Country Vintner was established in Virginia around the same time, and almost 35 years later, the two companies would merge to become a major industry player in both the import and distribution sectors. As an importer, Winebow serves all US markets, and as a distributor, it operates in 18 states that collectively represent over 60 percent of US consumption.

Winebow’s national import portfolio is comprised of leading wineries from around the world, including Argentina’s Bodega

Catena Zapata, Italy’s Zenato, Chile’s Casa Lapostolle, France’s Chateau de Saint Cosme, Spain’s Bodegas Borsao, Australia’s Yalumba, and New Zealand’s Villa Maria.

The company is always looking to elevate its product and service offerings, as Chief Executive Officer, Dean Ferrell, details: “In 2021, Winebow Imports partnered with Villa Maria to sell their industry leading New Zealand wines across the United States. This is a transformative relationship for both companies within the high growth category of Sauvignon Blanc.

Why BWS? The relationships we build with our customers and partners are the core foundation of who BWS is as a business. We will always provide best-in-class service, solutions, and technology to make the logistics experience as seamless as possible. Our customers are always first and foremost in our minds as we strive to continuously exceed expectations.

Our passion is solving complex problems for our customers. Through our services such as small order freight consolidation, we provide high level visibility from order entry through delivery. We always want our customers to feel comfortable in the fact that their small orders are picked up and delivered with care.

The team at BWS understands that the relationships we build with customers and vendor partners are critical to our success. We take nothing for granted and bring a proactive approach to finding solutions for our customers. Our attention to detail, persistence and problem-solving abilities set us apart. Great service begins and ends with experienced and friendly professionals. For this reason, we carefully select the people that make up our team. Our team becomes your team, and we consistently make sure that we drive your growth; personally, proactively and professionally.

BWS takes pride in all of the services we can provide, and continues to grow in commodity types handled. Daily, we move beer, wine and spirits, packaging materials, dry goods, non-hazardous lubricants, non-alcoholic beverages, machinery, auto parts, paper, and soft drink concentrates and flavorings. We have the ability to transport so much more, and look forward to getting the conversation started to do just that with our customers.

BWS will be your one source transportation solution provider, with a personal touch. We will optimize and grow your business, and own the process of shipping from start to finish. Our customers rest easy at night knowing that we will take care of everything.

At BWS, the customer is what matters!

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FO

With over 50 years combined experience, our people make all of the difference. Our Experience, Passion and Integrity help us exceed expectations, with a personal touch. This gives clients confidence in what we do and our dedication will allow you to succeed every day and rest easy at night.

BWS owns the process of shipping, start to finish, with proactive communication and on-time results. We will be your one source transportation solution provider that consistently goes the extra mile. Let BWS optimize and grow your business – one shipment at a time!

LOCAL Same Day and Next Day Service 53' Dry Van 26' straight trucks, sprinter vans, lift gates Airport pickups and deliveries

HIGH VALUE SHIPPING Fully vetted CTPAT compliant carrier base Additional contingent cargo insurance availability Real Time Tracking Pallet tracker capability in trailer Light sensor alarm availability

DRAYAGE Availability at all port terminals in the continental US Availability at all rail ramps in the continental US 20', 40', 45', 48', 53' equipment handling Hazmat and overweight handling

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT US AT bws.logistics@bws-logistics.com

TRUCKING SERVICES

INTERMODAL

Solo and Team Drivers

Door to door service

Flatbed

Cross border

Specialized and Permit Loads Hazmat and Tanker

Drop and hook programs Multi-stop pickup and delivery

Cross Border to/from USA, Canada, and Mexico

TRANSLOADING Presence in all major port and rail ramp areas In/out handling pallets, slips, loose loads Short-term storage Re-labeling

BEVERAGE & FOOD INDUSTRY Beer/Wine/Spirits Packaging Supplies Refrigerated service Reverse Logistics Temp control transport

SPECIAL SERVICES

AIR FREIGHT

Hot shot/expedited/time-definite delivery

Domestic

Trade show/advance warehouse/show site pickup/delivery Inside delivery Store opening/closing

International Next Flight Out (NFO) Next Day Air 2nd Day Service Deferred Service

Winebow Fine Wine + Spirits

“Additionally, we launched an omni-channel ecommerce platform consisting of both marketplace solutions and a website based B2B ecommerce store that will elevate the customer experience with enriched content, heightened engagement, and best-in-class service.”

Making effective use of the latest technology sets Winebow apart from its competition.

Over the past few years, the company has seen enduring success with the support of its advanced supply chain planning software.

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Winebow’s Vice President of Supply Chain Management, Mike Donaldson, comments: “Prior to the pandemic, we made the decision to source an enterprise supply chain planning tool. We selected the Blue Ridge Supply Chain Planning software and launched the implementation project in 2019.

“The project required the creation of a master data management workflow process, and a data warehouse that could link our systems. Our IT, data governance, and supply chain teams worked to build the appropriate

integrations to feed the necessary data into the Blue Ridge software, and ensure a successful implementation.

“In May of 2020, just as the pandemic was taking hold, we went live with the Blue Ridge Supply Chain Planning software. While the pandemic did not afford us the opportunity to have a ‘normal’ break in period with the software, we immediately leveraged it to adapt to the changes that were occurring in the marketplace, such as channel and product shifts resulting from the closure of restaurants;

sales growth in retail sales, especially in chain retail; and increased volatility in production and lead time from our suppliers caused by the global supply chain disruptions. With the Blue Ridge software in place, we were able to pivot quickly and make systematic changes to our lead times and demand forecasts, helping to keep critical stock available for our customers.”

Recent efforts toward supply chain optimization have placed Winebow in a strong strategic position, as Donaldson affirms: “Our supply chain leadership team has focused on

supporting our day-to-day business, whilst also striving to continuously improve our tools, processes, and performance. One of our key objectives has been to transform the team from a purchasing function into a strategic supply chain management function. We have aligned job functions and accountabilities across all regions and provided our associates opportunities for training, career development, and progression.

“In parallel with making improvements to our systems and processes, we have worked to strengthen the partnership between our sales, portfolio, and supply chain departments through cross-department planning meetings.

These forums are driving greater alignment and advanced planning on key programs.

Similarly, we have established and streamlined our standard operating procedures for our logistics processes, and consolidated our freight business with key partners, meaning the company now has a more reliable support system.”

The dedication of Winebow’s people has been vital in carrying out these changes, Donaldson enthuses: “People are our most critical asset. They are the key to our success across every dimension of the business. We strive to create a culture of teamwork, learning, flexibility, and growth, which ultimately makes us the best partner for our customers and suppliers.

“At the company level, we have established several recognition programs, training modules, and award ceremonies to foster collaboration and a positive working environment. Within the supply chain team, we have instituted a set of core learning courses, conducted regular training sessions on Blue Ridge, and cultivated a coaching environment where we are all working to help each other learn and improve.”

Proving itself an equally valuable asset is the company’s trusted team of vendors and suppliers. “As a reseller, our relationships with our product suppliers, service vendors, and customers are critical to our success.

We consider them all trusted partners that we work closely with to find solutions to business problems even in the most challenging of times. They have all been amazing, especially over the last few years as we have navigated the global supply chain disruption.

“With our trusted partners, we understand that each party needs to be efficient and profitable. We are focused on working with companies that provide consistent and reliable services at a fair price. We want to work with those partners that will be there with us in the toughest of times as well as in the good ones,” Donaldson confirms.

As the Winebow brand continues to thrive, its team of supply chain experts keep the product flowing efficiently. “While our supply chain management team has made substantial contributions to the Winebow business over the past few years, we still have significant opportunities ahead of us.

“Supply chain management involves not just the team that is doing the forecasting, planning, and movement of product, but it is ultimately the vehicle that helps link and align sales, portfolio, operations, our suppliers, and the end customer, so that we can all thrive together. We look forward to continuing that journey,” Donaldson concludes.

Winebow Fine Wine + Spirits https://www.winebow.com Services: National importer and distributor

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BSN SPORTS

Investing

in service With a track record of successful growth, leading sports apparel and equipment distributor BSN SPORTS hopes that new investments in automation can help secure warehouse accuracy and efficiency, and faster delivery for its customers

I

t’s been four years since Adam Reynolds made the decision to join sports apparel and equipment distributor BSN SPORTS. But for the now Executive Vice President, Supply Chain & Customer Service of the company, it was an easy call. “Before my arrival, BSN SPORTS had demonstrated a deep bond with its growing customer base, thanks largely to really strong relationships between its over 1100-person field sales force and the communities they live in,” he reflects.

BSN SPORTS’ product range encompasses everything from soccer goals and football goal posts, the bleachers the fans sit in, the

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uniforms the players wear all the way down to the hot dog carousel for the concession stand for high schools, colleges, and clubs all across the US. Decorated apparel is by far the most sought-after product BSN SPORTS offers and certainly the one that adds the most complexity. For Adam, the focus of his tenure at the company has been to refine supply chain management, to better satisfy the demand and expectations of both BSN SPORTS’ customers and the employees serving them.

“Sixty percent of the products we sell are decorated,” Adam points out. “So, think about a uniform on an athlete and coaches’ practice

wear, or the moms and dads sitting in the stands wearing their son or daughter’s name and number on the back – all requiring detailed customization. One of the main areas of focus for BSN SPORTS has been to structure our teams in a way that enables us to be consistent across sales teams, multiple plants and support departments in terms of both process and results.

“A key step in achieving that consistency includes standardizing our use of data and systems across our plants, as opposed to having unique or varying set-ups,” he says.

“For example, that could mean introducing the same turn-time goals in order to ensure that all our products reach the hands of our customer as promised. We’ve then brought in the people, processes, and technology we need to facilitate that, whether it is for our internal plants or for our over 700 vendor partners who we are connected with.” Adam expands on that ongoing journey, and BSN SPORTS’ long road ahead to fully realizing these goals for its customers.

At its Indianapolis and Texas plants, BSN SPORTS has made significant investments in Receiving, Pick, Pack and Ship automation. For Adam, it’s an example of how the company is seeking to retain its position as the most consumer-centric team sporting goods distributor. “Nobody else in our industry houses the volume of inventory that we do,” he notes. “Automating the plants will enable us to keep up with the high demand for our services, which continues to accelerate with

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the resurgence of team sports. We then combine our automation with our sales and operations planning model in order to make sure that we’re bringing the correct amount and selection of inventory in at precisely the right time.

“It’s all about keeping up with the pace of our growing customer base, and being able to service it in an efficient way with our internal plants and amazing vendor partners,” he summarizes. “We don’t have to suddenly build another plant in the next two years.

Instead, we can use effective planning on the front end to increase the efficiency of the facilities we already have.” While the carousels and vertical lift modules give a jolt to BSN SPORTS’ throughput capabilities, it requires a more sophisticated team dynamic.

Adam explains that “automation alone isn’t enough, we’ve expanded our capabilities by building teams focused on engineering, continuous improvement and training. These

systems have to work with us, not just us working ‘in’ them.”

The primary focus of BSN SPORTS’ efforts, ultimately, is the customer. “We are undoubtedly customer-centric,” Adam agrees.

“Predominately, that means focusing all of our efforts on enhancing the purchasing experience of coaches, athletic directors and principals. However, we never lose sight of the opportunity we have to create memorable experiences for students, athletes and parents.

Often, we like to talk about the experience of a student who’s opening their uniform for their first game. The excitement of that moment is unrivalled, whether they’re receiving a bat, a baseball helmet, or a complete uniform with their name printed on the back.

“The experience we provide needs to match the significance of that moment – and not only because it’s something the athlete is engaged in and enjoys, but also because we’ve studied that when students are participating

in such activities at school, they excel in the classroom and in life. They graduate at higher rates, feel more involved and tend to feel an overall greater happiness. Therefore, we have a responsibility to contribute to that experience. Everything we do is driven by our desire to enable coaches to spend as much time on the field or court with their athletes, because that’s where the real impact occurs, not worrying about equipment and uniforms.

It’s a culture that resonates throughout our sales force, our customer service teams and our production teammates who are the last touchpoint before a customer receives their order.”

Like all businesses, the last few years for BSN SPORTS haven’t been without challenges.

“We tried to keep our mission at the heart of what we do,” Adam reflects. “For clubs, schools, and players, it’s been a tough couple of years. While battling supply chain challenges, our warehouse teams stayed busy

Streamline Integrated Technologies Streamline Integrated Technologies is an expert in providing ‘right sized’ goods-to-person fulfillment solutions. It has a variety of goods-to-person high density fulfillment solutions, so it can select the solution that best fits your requirements, while providing the best return on investment. Most systems have at least a two-year return on investment, minimally double productivity, improve storage space utilization, improve order, and inventory accuracy. However, Streamline Integrated Technologies’ SRT™ Warehouse Execution System (WES), provides the glue to coordinate the automated and traditional material handling solutions to provide a Streamlined solution. If you’re ready to compete in the global market, improve productivity, maximize labor and space, and get a handling on your inventory, give Streamline Integrated Technologies a call for your free initial site survey, and Streamline-it™. www.streamlineit.com sales@streamlineit.com Ph: 877-310-3334

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throughout the pandemic by accommodating shifting sport seasons and quickly supporting delivery of new products like masks, PPE and signage sought by schools. For our employees, the pandemic highlighted the impact of team sports in uniting communities and that continually positioned our mission at the forefront for employees. Regardless, it has been a trying labor environment, and our warehouses and production spaces weren’t immune to turnover. Warehouse automation became a pressing growth driver, meaning getting carousels to achieve full capacity is key to enabling the heartbeat of the company (our people) to focus on the higher touch tasks this business demands.”

Continuing to keep automation at the forefront, Adam explains, “We’re also adding capability in the form of robotic processing automation (RPA). Historically, a new order

DM Transportation Barter 101. I bet you’re probably thinking right now, “Barter with… trade credits? What’s that?” Don’t worry, I hear it all the time. Bartering has been around since about 6,000 BC, and modern bartering using trade credits may be bigger than you realize. IRTA estimates the annual volume of corporate barter to be in the range of $12 billion-14 billion. This form of barter with trade credits is a successful way to increase the value of inventories, whilst lowering the cost of operations.

Think back to your days in school during lunch. Your parent packed celery as a snack, but your friend had your favorite cookies. You asked your friend to trade, expecting them to say no, but lo and behold, they say yes! You scored the much more valued cookies, and gave away your unwanted celery. That’s what you’re doing with barter; taking inventory you’re looking to liquidate and instead of getting, for example $.10 on the dollar, you can get a greater return of $.25 or more.

The right partner can help you navigate using higher value trade credits to pay for goods and services, like logistics, with companies that participate.

One perfect example of a successful transaction is a client who had discontinued boots. Their contract with the military had expired which left them with $1,000,000 (retail cost) of boots. Attempting to liquidate, they found they could only get $75,000 in cash, resulting in a write-off of $925,000. Luckily, they discovered an experienced partner to facilitate a barter, liquidating the boots for $300,000 in trade credits. Thanks to their logistics partner, they were able to utilize $100,000 in trade credits a year to lower the cash cost of their logistics.

So, the next time you’re looking to liquidate, explore barter as the alternative and get yourself a better cookie ;)

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“

By engaging our teammates to realize and appreciate their lasting impact, it will enable them to bring an even greater level of energy and excitement to their role

“

required the touchpoints of several employees across multiple days to start the movement of product. With the implementation of RPA, the system can execute these tasks and make any necessary changes within minutes instead of days. These little steps cumulate to massive

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improvements in speed and accuracy to begin the production process and ultimately get product in the hands of the customer faster.

“Looking externally with our vendor partners, we’re looking to grow deeper connections,” he goes on. “All the vendors we onboard fulfill a

need for our customers, and it’s through their eyes that we assess the vendors we have and consider how new vendors might fit into our models. For instance, does a vendor require us to undertake inventory positioning ourselves?

Are they willing to hold the inventory, and to have a connection through our web services so we can maintain transparency with our customers and sales teams?

“We look at all of our relationships through a multi-layered lens, whether through the financials of any relationship – be it cost, or things like rebates, returns, or credits – or how quickly are they able to deliver for our customers. But enabling transparency in

information is the most important priority of all in this fast-paced time,” Adam emphasizes.

“It’s our duty to ensure our sales professionals are empowered to make the best decisions for the customer. Particularly given the current fragmentation of the supply chain, that knowledge is crucial for coaches who have committed themselves to serving their communities. Improving that transparency throughout our internal teams and sales teams is a big focus for 2022 and beyond.”

As BSN SPORTS looks to the future, its attention is turned very much towards building an enhanced customer experience. “Within five years’ time, it’s my hope that we’ll have

been able to achieve a sustained delivery of products in which best-in-class dependability and transparency are a feature of every order placed at BSN SPORTS,” Adam tells us. “We want to be more reliable, and to be more predictable than anybody else when it comes to delivering unique, customized product – and we want to do it faster.”

Despite BSN SPORTS’ customer-centric approach to business, Adam understands that for the company to achieve its goals, it relies upon the hard work and dedication of its employees. Therefore, committing to increase their satisfaction is another key objective for the years ahead.

“What they do from day-to-day has the power and potential to add real, tangible value to a child’s life,” Adam concludes. “By engaging our teammates to realize and appreciate their lasting impact, it will enable them to bring an even greater level of energy and excitement to their role. That in turn will bring benefits to the coaches who are impacting kids’ lives every day.”

BSN SPORTS www.bsnsports.com Products: Sports apparel and equipment

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QST Industries Inc.

Quality from

the inside out For almost 150 years, QST Industries Inc. has been working to perfect every product behind the seams of the clothing textile industry, making it the world’s largest supplier of quality components for apparel

ST Industries (QST) is a family owned and operated company that dates back to 1880, where it began as a horse and cart business in Chicago, selling textiles to local tailors. Today, it operates in 24 different countries and sells to an additional 40

NAVEENA GROUP OF INDUSTRIES

Based in Pakistan, Naveena produces yarn and fabric, and offers full-package solutions to traders, importers and major brands. The company was founded in 1967, and has been exporting its products all over the world since then.

The company’s vision is to weave, evolve, grow and be an important link in the global textile supply chain, while its mission is to remain an undisputed leader in providing a wide range of customized superior quality and environmentally friendly products and services to its customers.

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Est. 1969

OVER 50 YEARS EXPERIENCE PROVIDING QUALITY YARN AND FABRICS • Pocketing/interlining • Home textiles • Apparel/ workwear • Shirting fabrics • Down proof • Technical textiles

• Sustainable textiles • Working closely with leading brands • Efficient Workforce • Pioneers in textile revolution • Fabrics with over 1200 thread count • Customized products

Yarn and fabric full-package solutions for traders, importers and major brands.

Naveena House, 21 Banglore Town, Shahra-e-Faisal, Karachi-75350, Pakistan +92 21 111-667-66 naveena@naveena.net www.naveena.net

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countries around the globe, bringing it to a total of 64 countries, as we learn from Michael and Alex Danch, Co-Presidents and CEOs of QST Industries. “We have over 700 employees around the world that make up our extended family, and we are the world’s largest supplier of quality components to the apparel industry.”

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The company specializes in everyday items for the interior construction of clothing garments, including but not limited to pocketing, waistbands, interlinings, linings, elastics, and embroidery backing. “We have products for every type of garment, and shoes as well,” Michael elaborates. “We even supply

paper and chemical cutting room supplies as a one-stop-shop. What sets us apart from everyone else is our global footprint, which allows us to deliver a consistent quality product across the world. We have manufacturing facilities strategically located to service every apparel manufacturing market, and we follow the process of our customers’ supply chain from start to finish. Our core tenets remain the same as the day we opened – we offer our customers innovative product, global service, competitive value and consistent quality.

“We have experienced professionals who call directly on the brands and work with garment designers and merchandisers. From the design stage, they choose a product and we follow the process all the way to local tech support teams who ensure the quality of our product meets the standards required as it goes into the garment.”

As Michael alluded to, because QST manufactures in many different countries, it has had to implement measures that ensure its customers receive the same quality of product wherever they produce. “If they are manufacturing the same garment in Mexico and Vietnam, we can deliver identical products locally warehoused in both those markets,” he says, adding that it is one of the core advantages that sets QST apart from the competition.

One can imagine that having a global operation this wide-spread had its challenges during the pandemic, but not surprisingly,

Covid-19 played a huge role in transforming the whole apparel industry. “One of the biggest changes that was brought about by the pandemic has been the de-globalization of manufacturing. We have seen so many customers moving their production to manufacturing regions closer to home after the pandemic created much longer lead times as a result of the global supply chain crisis,” says Michael.

Although these issues still exist, QST has succeeded in refining its processes to maintain its Just-In-Time delivery. “Asia continues to be a challenge to be in the pandemic-stricken world, and as a result, a lot of the manufacturing has moved back to this hemisphere, but we have been able to respond to this evolving market because of our global footprint,” he continues. “As I mentioned, many of our customers have shifted their manufacturing from Asian countries to regions much closer, such as the Western hemisphere, where we are able to provide the same product that they were getting in other markets.

“QST has factories in the North Carolina, Los Angeles, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic, to cover our customers’ needs in this hemisphere. We also have factories in Romania and Morocco that are servicing our European customers who are moving production back closer to their home. Then, we have factories in China and Vietnam that continue to service our customers across Asia,” Michael expresses.

However, in addition to that, transportation and logistics still continues to be a major obstacle, and container pricing remains exorbitant compared to its pre-pandemic level. This has caused a significant shift in where the company’s customers are choosing to produce.

“Shipping is up 500-to600 percent of what it was two years ago, and it’s also become very unreliable, as shipping times have become erratic and delayed. It’s very hard to predict when containers will make it across the water and to their final destination,” Michael elaborates.

We then go on to discuss exciting ventures taking place within the company, such as new areas of development with the ever-evolving world trade. “One of the responsibilities at QST is to be well-versed in trade regulations scw-mag.com

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and requirements around the globe. Trade laws are constantly changing, and new agreements are put into place all the time. We recently organized a round table discussion led by industry and political experts with some of the biggest US apparel companies to discuss trade embargoes, and the purpose of the meeting was to educate our customers on the potential impact of changing rules, and find ways to avoid a crisis. QST works with trade attorneys, the US department of trade, Customs and Border Protection and the likes, to help keep the industry and our customers informed on regulatory changes.

“The US recently ratified the US MexicoCanada Free Trade Agreement (USMCA) to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Subsequently, it has been up to QST to make sure we keep our customers informed about the requirements, and provide products that are in compliance.

Of course, the pandemic has made everything a bit more challenging because manufacturing in the US has slowed as part of the ongoing labor crisis. One of the requirements with USMCA being ratified has meant that pocketing fabric must be produced in the region, and the US, Mexico, and Canada were not ready to handle the demand, which spiked instantaneously. So, it has been a considerable effort to make sure we keep our customers supplied with the fabric they need to keep their production running and to stay within compliance of the trade regulations, which I believe we have achieved very successfully,” Michael highlights.

These days, innovation can be clearly seen in some of the more technical fabrics, and another way in which the company contributed to combating Covid-19 was through the development of PPE. “When the pandemic started, we pivoted our

manufacturing and responded with a full range of PPE fabrics for the medical industry.

We also started producing masks out of our facilities for a number of large retailers.

“Now, we don’t see much demand for that PPE production anymore, but we continue to innovate with technical fabrics, and stretch and comfort continue to be in high demand as work from home has created a trend towards comfortable clothes and expanding waistlines too! Uniform business is also a very large sector for QST, and recently fire retardancy fabrics have seen significant increase in demand. Oil facilities around the US have grown as part of the deglobalization and push for energy independence in the US, which, has meant a growing need for FR uniforms, and our fire-retardant fabric line has really grown along with it.”

In the coming years, Michael and Alex plans to continue to keep up with the ever-changing trends necessary for the construction

garment sector, and we look forward to seeing QST Industries continue to expand upon its sustainability initiative. “In addition to what I’ve mentioned, eco-friendly fabrics have become increasingly important. We continue to see increased demand and obviously it’s in the spotlight today with climate change and global warming. There has been a spotlight on the waste that is created from fast fashion and the industry is about to take a major turn toward higher quality clothing that will last for years, and QST components will help to keep these garments looking good and performing well for many many years,” Michael concludes.

QST Industries Inc. https://www.qst.com/ Services: Supplier of quality components to the apparel industry

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CESCO (Crescent Electric Supply Company)

One man’s vision By removing friction from the supply chain, Crescent Electric Supply Company proves that, for the most part, business really can be plain sailing

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I

t began in 1919 with one man tired of waiting. Titus B. Schmid founded the Crescent Electric Supply Company, commonly shortened to Crescent, in response to the common frustration felt by many electrical contractors who, like himself, are left at the whim of inefficient distributors.

What began as a small enterprise, distributing an inventory of cable, wire, outlets, switches, and other electrical items to alleviate the burden for sole traders incumbered by supply chain delays, has since grown into an industry heavyweight. More than a century later, Crescent has over 130 branches located in 26 states across the US. Though growth has been rapid and exponential, the electrical distributor is still family held and its founding vision, first laid down by Titus B. Schmid, remains evident: Crescent earns customer trust through its consistent delivery of a comprehensive and dedicated supply service, which is propelled by the latest technological and

industrial developments. Whether dealing with wire, conduit, boxes, fittings, lighting, or automation equipment, Crescent prides itself on its customer-centric business plan. As the company website puts it: ‘A strong past, a powerful present, and a bright future.’

Looking towards that future, while in part glancing at the past, is Jeff Buxton, Senior Vice President, Supply Chain at Crescent. “Our job here at Crescent, as it always has been, is pretty simple in the end: remove friction from the supply chain. Distribution, warehousing, transportation, procurement, inventory planning, field operations management – our area of responsibility is vast. But, ultimately, it all boils down to one job, carried out well: removing the friction,” explains Jeff. The Crescent Distribution Transformation Team is currently in the middle of re-engineering their supply chain with a series of distribution centers, that provide their customers with same-day and next-day access to thousands of products and services.

The Crescent Distribution Center Transformation Team: From left to right. Kirk Vandenberg, Seth Erickson, Kristi Dahlke, Edwin Ojeda, Scott Teerlinck, Jen Acker, Jeff Buxton, Joe Callahan, Suzette Licari, Jeff Nagel, Phil McGrath, Aaron Quinn, Deb Swambar, Bob Colbrook, Bryson Schilt, John Guinn, Angie Beutler, Joe McDermont, Jordan Mudge, Leighann Duve, Jo Auth, Laura Fleener.

Serving contractors and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), as well as attending to maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) for commercial, industrial, institutional, and utility customers has kept Crescent busy. So much so that Crescent is now one of the ten largest electrical suppliers in the US, and a goto partner for innumerable institutional and industrial customers.

As Jeff highlights, becoming a trusted electrical supply company requires faith in company processes and strong internal and external relationships. “Key supplier partnerships help both parties to grow and succeed with their own objectives,” he comments. “We each succeed by doing more and doing better. We help each other grow along the way while, at the same time, finding better solutions for our customers. By keeping our employees engaged, we are able to grow, teach, and share. Quarterly town hall sessions, scw-mag.com

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employee check ins, resource centers, and our annual employee survey all help to create an engaged workforce. For every leader in the company, it remains a top priority.”

Due to its status as one of the foremost electrical suppliers in the US, Crescent understands that as a company it must meet high expectation consistently. However, as the company declares on its website, ‘It’s what you’ve come to expect. It’s how we’ve worked for 100 years. It’s how we’ll keep working for the next 100.’ That’s not to say that problems and delays do not occur. Nothing is seamless across a century. Indeed, the advent of an unprecedented crisis in the form of the Covid-19 pandemic had to be met with a measured and determined response by all distributors.

“Crescent is considered an essential business as it serves contractors and project managers working specifically on Covid-19 related facilities like hospitals and lab stations,” observes Jeff. “As a team, we worked to find the right balance of distance, safety protocols, and staffing levels to create a work force that could cope with multi-layered issues in the supply chain, including stock-outs, long lead times, and the disappearance of whole planning cycles due to extensive backorders.

By creating such a robust team, Crescent didn’t miss a day due to Covid-19. Our CEO, Scott Teerlinck, has done an outstanding job building our strategy with our employees – not to our employees. Not enough can be

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said about the impact that has had on our company’s overall performance.”

As the pandemic begins to pale, Crescent is looking ever-ahead at its evidently bright future. As Jeff observes, doing so means creating a fluid and dynamic strategy that can weather any future storms. “As an executive team, we consistently challenge our models and assumptions,” he says. “Topics of those discussions include technology investments and their strategic impact on the business.

These discussions must always be fluid and future orientated. Conversations like that bring a lot of spirited debate – and that’s what moves us forward. Progress towards our goal of transforming our business over the next 100 years remains our top priority.”

Naturally, however, you can’t think about the next century, or indeed the next 20 years, without thinking about sustainability. ‘Crescent is committed to being a good corporate citizen,’ its website proudly states. That means recognizing and implementing best practices to reduce waste and conserve energy in various facilities and warehouses. By making a discernible effort to recycle, implement fuelefficient delivery vehicles, and high-efficiency fixtures in its buildings, Crescent aims to assure its customers that sustainability is indeed a shared mission.

There is no better way to illustrate this point than to observe the sustainable moves that Crescent has been making in the past few years. In 2018, for instance, Crescent joined

forces with Mitsubishi Electric Power Products Inc (MEPPI) to distribute its portfolio of power supplies and associated lines of battery and switchgear solutions. MEPPI’s battery energy storage systems are an essential facet of delivering wide-scale renewable energy deployment across periods of low and high demand. As Steve Holdsworth, Vice President, Strategic Initiatives at Crescent, commented in a press release: “The addition of MEPPI products to the Crescent Electric Supply Company’s portfolio further reinforces our commitment to both critical power applications and energy saving solutions for our customers. MEPPI’s world-class products, coupled with Crescent’s network of application engineers, creates a win-win partnership.”

Future-forward partnerships like that between Crescent and MEPPI highlights the fact that the right business strategy and the right partnerships allows distributors to make positive impacts upon both the supply chain and the wider world. Indeed, as the company website contends, ‘Working together, we’re convinced we can all make a difference – that means a brighter future for everyone.’

CESCO (Crescent Electric Supply Company) https://www.crescentelectric.com Services: Supplier of electrical products

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FOR LEADERS IN THE BUSINESS OF LINKING THE GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN

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