Supply Chain Monthly
Current News

In CSCMP's January Supply Chain Industry update, CSCMP President and CEO Mark Baxa shares how 2022 holds a lot of promise and a lot of hope, commending the supply chain industry for being responsive as a whole, doing what is necessary to meet the demand of consumers and references a great quote from American history by our 35th President, John F. Kennedy, "If this capsule history of our progress teaches us anything, it is that man, in his quest for knowledge and progress, is determined and cannot be deterred."

Mark Baxa goes on to say, "And how true that is today, when you think about the energy, the capability and well, for that matter, the competency we want to deliver within our supply chains, so that we can meet business expectations and satisfy the hungry demand of consumers around the world."

Click here to watch "The Year Ahead" with Mark Baxa.

 
Shortages Aplenty: Is Lean the Problem or the Answer? ︱Supply Chain Quarterly Q4
  
Each day it seems there is breaking news of a real or impending inventory shortage affecting consumers. The outrage is palpable and real. While inventory shortages are hardly a nascent phenomenon, they have been exacerbated and garnered much more attention during the COVID-19 pandemic, starting with personal protective equipment, then paper products, cleaning supplies, canned foods, meats, exercise equipment, and, more recently, semiconductors, building materials, and holiday gifts. It is a fact that some of these items have experienced unprecedented surges in demand as well as off-the-charts irrational hoarding and panic-buying behavior.
 
Regardless of their nature, business problems, described as supply chain problems, lead inevitably to finger-pointing and the blame game. A generous share of the blame for recent supply-demand disparities is now being directed to Lean Thinking, and more specifically, just-in-time (JIT) inventory techniques. The common critique is that companies in all industries have cut inventories below reasonable levels as a consequence of Lean initiatives with money-saving efficiencies as a desired outcome. As a case in point, a New York Times article titled How the World Ran Out of Everything asserts that companies have gone too far in paring down inventories through the use of JIT. In addition, other prominent news outlets have jumped onto this same bandwagon and railed against the widespread adoption of Lean Thinking.
Coming Soon: CSCMP and Supply Chain Quarterly 2022 Salary Survey
  
The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) and Supply Chain Quarterly will soon release the next annual salary survey for supply chain management professionals. This collaborative survey focuses on collecting data to analyze the current state of salaries and overall compensation for professionals working in supply chain. Survey questions will review data that spans salary by years of experience, position, education level, certification, title and job function, geographical location, and overall job satisfaction data. 
 
In the meantime, take a closer look at results from the 2021 Annual Salary Survey.

The 2021 survey results shared how the global pandemic shocked the world and brought the logistics and supply chain industries under the microscope. While the supply disruptions certainly put a strain on logistics and supply chain professionals, it wasn’t enough to sour them on the profession: A full 93% of the 386 respondents to CSCMP Supply Chain Quarterly’s Second Annual Salary Survey said they would recommend the field to someone entering the job market or contemplating a career change.
   
Red Classic Transportation Services, LLC
   
CSCMP Awards and Recognition
NOW OPEN: CSCMP's 2022 Awards Season!
We're accepting nominations and submissions for the DSA, ELA and SCIA now through March 16, 2022. Find out more information on each award below.
 
Distinguished Service Award (DSA)
The DSA is the industry's most prestigious honor, bestowed upon an individual for significant achievements in the logistics and supply chain management industry.
 
Any individual who has made significant contributions to the fields of logistics and supply chain management are eligible to receive the Distinguished Service Award. The DSA winner will be recognized on stage during Monday’s opening general session at EDGE 2022, September 18-21, in Nashville, Tennessee. Submit a nomination today!
 
Emerging Leader Award (ELA)
CSCMP's Young Professionals Emerging Leader Award recognizes up-and-coming leaders for their early yet meaningful contributions to the supply chain management and logistics industry.

CSCMP invites you to nominate a young professional member (32 years-of-age or under) in the supply chain community who is committed to her/his career and has the potential for a bright future, but who also deserves recognition now. Submit your nomination today!
 
Supply Chain Innovation Award (SCIA)
The SCIA recognizes teams that have demonstrated excellence, innovation, and return on investment for a significant supply chain challenge.

To participate in this esteemed competition, your team needs to submit a case study on your innovation. If selected as a finalist, your supply chain innovation will serve to educate and provide valuable insights, lessons, and applicable takeaways via a dedicated presentation at EDGE 2022, and be featured on the CSCMP and SupplyChainBrain websites. Submit your case study!
Congratulations to CSCMP SCPro™ Level One Passer: Rafael Teixeira, Ph.D. (College of Charleston)
  
SCPro™ Certification is a three-tiered program that assesses progressive knowledge and skills across integrated supply chain activities. This process validates an individual’s ability to strategically assess business challenges and effectively implement supply chain improvements through the analysis of real-world case studies and developing a comprehensive project plan to achieve results such as a positive ROI.
How to scale up for peak fulfillment
6 River Systems, Inc®
It’s never too early to start thinking about peak preparation, especially if your business experiences several seasonal spikes throughout the year.

To get ready for peak season, it’s now time to evaluate processes, from hiring seasonal labor to managing accurate inventory.

Read on to learn how you can:
  • Implement flexible labor strategies to meet demand
  • Stay ahead with “just in case” inventory
  • Achieve customer satisfaction
Learn More
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CSCMP Featured Members
Become a CSCMP Featured Member in 2022 ─ Apply Today!
Would you like to be showcased on the CSCMP website as a “featured member”? Each year CSCMP selects 24 members to take advantage of this highly visible member benefit. It is a great opportunity to share your background, build your profile in the CSCMP network, and grow your own network. Don’t miss out on this crucial annual opportunity! Complete the application by January 31, 2022 to be eligible. Direct any questions to membership@cscmp.org. See this month's featured members below.
Brandon Marugg, Chief Technology and Privacy Officer, ALOM
  
San Francisco Roundtable
"I originally joined CSCMP in 2017 after being invited to be an EDGE conference presenter discussing IoT and sensor driven supply chain technology applications. I have been familiar with CSCMP for many years through our local roundtable participation and company sponsorship. Best advice I have for new members is twofold: 1. Participate in local roundtable events. This is a great way to meet other members, stay current on industry topics, and expand your professional network. 2. Read the excellent content published by CSCMP. In addition to meeting highly knowledgeable content experts when I attend events, I find the industry research and report data in CSCMP publications to be highly relevant and insightful in helping me roadmap ALOM's technology development strategy."
Thomas Moore, Chief Solution Finder, Transportation | Warehouse Optimization.com
  
"As a young analyst, I joined in 1984 to get exposed to new ideas. And boy did I get some new ideas! I'd leave the annual conference and start trying to get them implemented in my company. Talk to everybody: practitioners, vendors, CSCMP staff. There is a lot of value in these conversations and the personal connections that can come from them. Having been to a few annual conferences, I see great value in reconnecting with the thought leaders each year. (See you in Nashville.)"
CSCMP Corporate Spotlight ─ BlueGrace
  
With a passion for logistics, BlueGrace believes in making every business better by being prepared and proactive in logistics strategy and service execution. BlueGrace improves business value and success through their national network of offices and team of supply chain professionals. They serve over 10,000 customers annually and their technology platform, BlueShip®, has connectivity with more than 250,000 carrier suppliers. BlueGrace is part of the technology portfolio of Warburg Pincus, a leading global private equity firm.
CAREER CENTER
Share Your Supply Chain Story with CSCMP
It’s no secret that for the first time ever the supply chain industry is now in the spotlight. This has brought a heightened need for qualified supply chain professionals. The path to become a supply chain professional is often unique. Whether you are just at the beginning of your career or have been through all the twists and turns and are nearing the end of your path, CSCMP would love to hear about your journey.
 
Share your story about how you found supply chain and the lessons learned along the way with us at careers@cscmp.org. Your story could be in the next CSCMP Supply Chain Monthly Newsletter.
Connect
Succeed with CSCMP in the New Year!
Your professional network is more important than ever and now, in addition to our new Basic Membership, we're offering more access with monthly payment options to provide an affordable way to gain the support, inspiration, and advice that comes with being a part of CSCMP’s 9,000+ member community!

Choose the CSCMP Membership Adventure that's right for your supply chain career journey and get access to member-only resources, like webinars and the member directory, career resources, networking opportunities, mentorship, volunteer, and leadership opportunities, and preferred pricing on SCPro™ Certification materials.
 
Elevate Your Team in 2022 with a Custom CSCMP Corporate Membership
Welcome to NEW CSCMP Enterprise Members: Los Angeles Community Colleges and Bath & Body Works and NEW CSCMP Corporate Members: Columbia Sportswear Company, CoreTrust, and Covariant!

Utilize your end-of-year budget to invest in your team with a custom CSCMP Corporate Membership Package. CSCMP has membership, education, and event opportunities to help develop your team and remain competitive in today’s disruptive supply chain industry. Get access to best practices, up-to-date trends, and solutions to challenges from the people who know it best. Improve productivity, build skills, network, and increase your team’s supply chain knowledge.
CSCMP Corporate Member Wagner Logistics Partners with LongueVue Capital
  
CSCMP Corporate Member, Wagner Logistics, a third-party logistics company, announced that it has partnered with LongueVue Capital (LVC), a New Orleans-based private equity firm to recapitalize the business and provide growth capital to fund the Company's continued expansion. Headquartered in North Kansas City, MO, Wagner is an asset-light third-party logistics (3PL) provider focused on contract warehousing, fulfillment, and related transportation services to customers across a variety of industries, including paper & packaging, heavy industrials, aerospace and defense, outdoor equipment, automotive, and direct-to-consumer, among others.
Training and Development
Mark Baxa Presents at Manifest January 26 ─ Register Today!
The world of logistics is changing faster than ever, and global supply chains are in critical condition. Manifest, January 25-27, 2022, in Las Vegas, is the premier global gathering for industry leaders, innovators, and investors who strive to find solutions to the problem and identify cutting-edge logistics & supply chain technologies. On Wednesday, January 26, CSCMP President and CEO Mark Baxa will present:

Moving from Manual to Automation – Efficiencies Within the 4 Walls
Automation does not always mean robotics! Often, we think of robotics when we hear the word automation and this misunderstanding leads to warehouse strategies not being clearly defined or developed, further exacerbating challenges such as labor shortages and capacity constraints. Join us as our panel gives their take on it, and how you can take a phased approach to full automation, design for scale and analyze the tradeoff between cost, labor and efficiency.
 
CSCMP Member Onboarding | Welcome Webinar January 27
  
Join CSCMP's Member Engagement Manager, Timothy Pajak, to learn about member-to-member relationship building, professional development, local Roundtables, the annual EDGE Conference, the Career Center, how to access the Member-Only directory, volunteer opportunities, and more.
LMI® at 70.1
  
According to the December Logistics Manager’s Index Report®, the overall index is 70.1, down from November’s reading of 73.4. This continues the streak of readings over 70.0 to 11 months extending back to February. In the previous 12 months, December 2020 and January 2021 were the only months in which the overall index came in below 70.0. Given the continued lack of capacity and large levels of inventory that remain in supply chains, it will be interesting to observe whether January’s reading remains above 70.0. Much of this month’s growth is driven by high inventory and warehousing readings upstream, and high transportation readings downstream. This is the most bifurcated these two groups have been in the history of the LMI, likely representing the highly differentiated roles upstream and downstream firms play during the December holiday rush.
Edge Conference
  
 
EDGE 2022 Call for Sessions is February 24 – March 24
Start your planning now! Do you have a topic that speaks to our broad attendee base of professionals spanning the end-to-end supply chain? We want to hear your challenges, interests, and ultimately who you think will benefit from attending your session.

The committee is seeking original and innovative insights that will enable attendees to share with and learn from one another based on the theme: Supply Chain in the Spotlight: Positioned to Win.

Go to the official landing page for the Call for Track Chairs to learn more about the theme and each education track. Upon submitting your session idea starting February 24 through March 24, you will be asked to match your session to the most appropriate track. No third-party submissions are accepted, and you must be a member to submit.
 
Register today to join us in Nashville, Tennessee, September 18-21, at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, for the CSCMP EDGE 2022 Supply Chain Conference & Exhibition.
 
Get $600 off registration with promo code NEWYEAR now through January 31, 2022. Terms and conditions apply.
 
Showcase Your Products and Services at the EDGE 2022 Supply Chain Exchange!
  
Become an official EDGE 2022 Supply Chain Exchange Exhibitor today to position your brand as a global innovator and leader in the end-to-end supply chain.
Roundtables
Explore a CSCMP Roundtable
San Francisco Roundtable: Oh Ship! Dealing with a New Parcel Capacity Reality
January 19, 2022 | 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm PST | Santa Clara, CA
Register Now
 
Cleveland Roundtable: 2022 CSCMP CLE Kick-off & Networking Event
January 20, 2022 | 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm EST | North Olmsted, OH
Register Now
 
Eastern Michigan Roundtable: The New Age of Supply Chain
January 27, 2022 | 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm EST | Troy, MI
Register Now