GAINS | Supply Chain Planning & Performance Optimization

Supply chain relationship management — commonly called supplier relationship management, or SRM — is the practice of strategically managing a company’s most important suppliers to maximize long-term value, reduce cost, and cut supply risk. Unlike vendor management, which handles day-to-day transactions and contract compliance, SRM turns key suppliers into strategic partners.<...

AI is finding its way into nearly every part of procurement, but not always in the ways getting the most attention. For manufacturers and distributors, some of the most useful applications are fairly practical: improving forecasts and lead times, automating routine PO work, and helping buyers get to the exceptions that actually require their expertise.

Demand, inven...

Over the past several years, supply chain disruptions have fundamentally changed how organizations think about inventory.

Port congestion. Labor strikes. Geopolitical instability. Weather events. Shifting customer demand. None of these are new challenges. What’s changed is how often they happen—and how quickly one disruption can ripple through an entire supply chain...

Supply chains have become remarkably good at generating data.

Organizations can monitor inventory levels in real time, track supplier performance, forecast demand with increasing accuracy, and analyze transportation, pro...