In January 2013, Walmart announced a ten-year plan to spend an additional $250 billion on U.S. made products. A key upcoming event for this initiative is the 2014 U.S. Manufacturing Summit, to be held August 14-15 in Denver, Colorado. The Summit addresses the challenges that some suppliers have identified in finding key domestic "value chain providers" – those that make and sell materials, components, technologies, or services to manufacturing possible – for their products.
According to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 28th annual survey, the average cost of a classic Thanksgiving Day dinner for 10 people declined $0.44 from 2012. Now, there just has to be effectiveness and efficiency in those supply chains for that to occur. As you're enjoying the upcoming holiday celebrations, bite into your pumpkin pie and festive jellies and contemplate these questions posed by our MEP supply chain expert, Terry Weiner.
When was the last time you really looked at how effectively your supply chain is performing? I mean, really looked into all of the aspects of cost, performance, quality, and value.
Is the supply chain performing to the specifications of your Supply Chain Strategy?
Do you even have a Supply Chain Strategy, and if so, is it in alignment with your corporate strategy?
Are your suppliers aware of the supply chain strategy and do they know what their part is in helping to achieve it?
