To paraphrase an ancient philosopher: The only constant in supply chain is transformation. As markets progress, demographics shift, technologies evolve and the natural environment changes, businesses must update their practices to continue to meet customer needs and be successful. ......Read More

We are in the middle of some eventful weeks here at APICS. The Call for Entries for this year’s APICS Awards of Excellence launched on March 15, and more submissions are flowing in every day. Entrants represent corporations and professionals from around the world, eager to earn their place among the distinguished winners of this prestigious supply chain award.......Read More

As we embark on a new year that promises plenty of change for APICS and supply chain, it’s appropriate to reflect on how far supply chain management has come as a profession. Global business has transformed and advanced over the decades, and APICS has evolved with it — from the industrial age to the Information Age. As APICS celebrates its 60th anniversary, I think about where the profession is going and, more importantly, how it’s going to get there. How will APICS continue to play a vital role in supply chain and supply chain management professions? We all need to consider what the next generation will need to advance the supply chains of the future.......Read More

The past few months have been characterized by a string of natural disasters that have stopped communities in their tracks. Since late August, hurricanes and tropical storms have forced thousands from their homes, crippled infrastructures, halted business operations and created billions of dollars in damage. ......Read More

Back in 1957, a group of 20 production control managers in the U.S. Midwest gathered to form the American Production and Inventory Control Society. This is the humble beginning of the global supply chain management association you know today as APICS. ......Read More

In my tenure as CEO of APICS, I’ve had the pleasure of watching business leaders around the world elevate the importance of supply chain management. The fact is, there is nothing that a supply chain doesn’t touch and no one who it doesn’t affect. A successful supply chain can empower staff, improve customer relations and support the bottom line.......Read More

What do you remember from 2008? This was the year Beijing hosted the Summer Olympics, scientists at CERN in Switzerland first powered up the Large Hadron Collider— the world’s most powerful particle accelerator—and SpaceX sent the first privately developed liquid-fuel rocket into orbit around Earth.......Read More

For years, professionals have been analyzing the characteristics of good bosses and inspiring leaders. Back in 2004, Peter Drucker wrote in Harvard Business Review that the best executives follow eight similar practices: They think about what needs to be done, consider what is best for the enterprise, develop action plans, take responsibility for decisions, encourage communication, focus on opportunities instead of problems, run productive meetings, and embody a team mentality. More than a decade later, that same publication is revealing another key trait.......Read More

The start of a new year is the perfect time to look back, identify your met and unmet goals, set some new ones, and start on a different or reinvigorated path for the next 12 months. Look at this time as a fresh start, and use it to propel yourself toward success this year.......Read More

Each year on November 11, the United States celebrates Veterans Day, a public holiday honoring the efforts and sacrifices of former US military personnel. These brave men and women, like the troops serving their countries around the world, dedicated themselves to the work of protecting their country......Read More

This year, I am celebrating my 10th anniversary at APICS. The last decade has been a period of ever-increasing change. For example, 10 years ago, we were struggling to communicate the importance of supply chain management to realizing corporate goals. Today, companies recognize that supply chain strategy is at the very heart of corporate success.......Read More

Innovative research has been part of APICS’s value proposition for quite some time and has been accelerated by our merger with the APICS Supply Chain Council (SCC). Our efforts enable us to give our members cutting-edge insights into best practices and future trends. That is why we are excited to reveal the latest outcomes of our study with Michigan State University (MSU). Together, we’re investigating the trends that will influence the future of global supply chain management.......Read More

For Chinese supply chain professionals, 2016 is off to a turbulent start. Although the Chinese government continues to report overall growth, many experts say the nation is in a manufacturing recession. At the end of last year, its industrial production posted one of the weakest gains in the last quarter-century. Since then, the Chinese tin-producing industry, which has been one of the largest in the world, announced manufacturing cutbacks in late January. Chinese markets are in disarray, and near-term outlooks are less than optimistic as other Asian countries vie for shares of its production.......Read More

While preparing for the interactive APICS 2015 World Café session, which focused on corporate social responsibility, the APICS team and I were motivated by the work of comedian and political commentator John Oliver. In an April 2015 episode of “Last Week Tonight,” Oliver looked at supply chain management in the fashion industry, shedding light on working conditions at some subcontractors around the world.......Read More

Fortunately for those of us involved in research and professional education, humans tend to be naturally curious. Consider this quote from the inquisitive mind of Walt Disney: “We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious … and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”......Read More

Although summer often is a time of baseball, beach vacations, family barbecues, and more, this summer also is an exciting time for APICS, our members, and partners. I’m pleased to announce that the boards of directors of APICS and American Society of Transportation and Logistics (AST&L), as well as AST&L’s members, have approved an agreement through which AST&L will merge with APICS. ......Read More

As we prepare for APICS 2015, October 5–7, 2015, in Las Vegas, Nevada, I am thrilled to announce that we will welcome Jack and Suzy Welch as general session speakers.......Read More

Workforce development is a topic close to my heart, but also of growing interest among APICS leaders and volunteers. It’s not only about hiring qualified candidates for open posts.......Read More

With January and the dawn of a new year upon us, it’s a good opportunity to pause, reflect, and look forward to what’s ahead. Here at APICS, 2014 was a year of changes. ......Read More

Earlier this year, APICS and the Supply Chain Council (SCC) merged after a positive SCC member vote. The combination unites entities that were recently ranked #1 (APICS) and #2 (SCC) by SCM World. ......Read More