I was recently flipping channels and came across the classic scene in “Apollo 13” when NASA ground engineers create a replica of a system of parts currently in outer space to save the astronauts from carbon dioxide poisoning. To do so, these scientists must quite literally figure out how to fit a square peg in a round hole.......Read More

I was having dinner with a good friend recently, and I mentioned to her that Netflix Co-Founder Marc Randolph was speaking at our annual conference and I had interviewed him for APICS magazine earlier that day. After chatting with her about Randolph, she asked me what other interesting people I had interviewed during my time at APICS. I was compelled to sit down and assemble the following list, along with a key takeaway from each of the interviews. I was truly inspired along the way, and I hope you will be too.......Read More

It’s the start of 2018, and this time of year often inspires change and growth. In this issue, you will observe some exciting changes within APICS magazine that reflect a new approach. First, if you are holding a paper copy of the magazine, you might notice it feels heavier. Instead of our regular four feature articles, we have expanded our content to include six stories.......Read More

Making your mark professionally is a significant undertaking. It demands long workdays; a clear focus on both business and personal objectives; cultivating relationships, often with colleagues on the other side of the world; and much more. ......Read More

I am lucky to work with a great team of editors here at APICS magazine. Elizabeth Rennie, the magazine’s managing editor, and Jennifer Storelli, our associate editor, keep this magazine fresh and relevant issue after issue. They work hard to ensure the high caliber of content our readers have come to expect and regularly challenge me to think beyond what’s typical and push content toward the future of supply chain. That future is exciting.......Read More

Lately, for my work writing the APICS magazine department “The Rise” and other APICS projects, I’ve been studying how the workplace is changing. In large part, millennials—which Merriam-Webster defines as those born in the 1980s or 1990s—are driving that change. In fact, last year, the Pew Research Center analyzed data from the US Census Bureau and declared that millennials have surpassed baby boomers as the nation’s largest living generation. ......Read More

I love listening to the news in my car. It helps me stay informed while running errands or taking my kids where they need to go. On “Marketplace,” I recently heard an interview with Leigh Gallagher about her new book, The Airbnb Story: How Three Ordinary Guys Disrupted an Industry, Made Billions … and Created Plenty of Controversy.......Read More

As we take on 2017, I’m thinking about my professional New Year’s resolutions, which I’ll refer to as goals so I don’t forsake them after January. I’m inspired by something Business Insider did last year, highlighting the resolutions of 31 successful people, including Barbara Corcoran, Tony Robbins, and Arianna Huffington. I might copy my 2017 goals straight from the 2016 goals of Randy Garutti, CEO of Shake Shack. ......Read More

The beautiful blue water on the cover of this month’s magazine reminds me of a recent interaction. While sitting in a conference room full of association media professionals, I found myself discussing member engagement. The facilitator had asked us to think about it from our own perspectives and ask ourselves in what organizations do we feel really engaged.......Read More

I recently had the opportunity to attend my third STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Production) Ahead Awards, which honor the important achievements of women in all areas of manufacturing. The keynote address was delivered by Debbie Sterling, founder and CEO of GoldieBlox. Her name or company might be unfamiliar to you, but for me—a mom aiming to nurture my daughter’s love of science, math, and technology—seeing Sterling was better than seeing my favorite band.......Read More

When Target decided to cull through its store shelves and pare back some of its selections, it may have been taking a cue from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and US President Barack Obama.......Read More

About 20 years ago, when I was in college, I took a class called “The Sociology of the Future.” I remember both important and trivial things we discussed in that course: the “hive mind,” or the concept of community thinking that has grown even more relevant; Soylent Green, which was an old movie even then; and artificial intelligence.......Read More

After recently ringing in the New Year, I'm curious about how many of you incorporated Uber or Lyft into your party plans. Don't know about Uber or Lyft? According to The New York Times: “Uber, founded in 2009, and Lyft, founded in 2012, helped ignite the ride-sharing craze in the United States, promoting themselves as a superior alternative to owning a car or using public transportation. Uber and Lyft users are able to hail a ride with little more than a few taps of their smartphone.”......Read More

My collegiate sons must be on the cutting edge of the sustainability movement when it comes to their jeans. They latched on to the "wash less, wear more" philosophy years ago.......Read More

Earlier this year, APICS Vice President of Strategy Sharon Rice had the opportunity to attend the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) conference, which promoted the theme “Business as a Force for Good.” The UNGC, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, works with businesses to create a sustainable and inclusive global economy that delivers lasting benefits to all people, communities, and markets. ......Read More

Does anyone really love his or her cable provider? I think mine is fine, until I get the bill. Then, I remember it is charging me an outrageously ridiculous sum of money, and I hate to utter its name.......Read More

Do you ever have one of those weeks when you are rushing to get to events and meet deadlines, and you feel so tired that you might fall down? That was me not too long ago, but to look back on that time, it was actually one of the most energizing and inspiring work weeks I’ve ever had. It was all about the future of supply chain and operations management.......Read More

The prevalence of data hacking is wending its way into everyone’s daily lives on the job and at home. Finding an acceptable new password for a joint banking account has led to a tiff at our house.......Read More

My family and I just got back from an epic trip to Disney World. (Aren’t all Disney experiences epic, at least for the wallet?) Three of the parks, in four days, with two adults, and children ages 10 and 2.......Read More

Last year, I was at a party in my neighborhood when I saw a woman who looked very familiar to me. I scanned my brain: Is she a parent from my daughter’s school? Had I worked with her before? ......Read More