The Sad Demise of the Food Industry
For the period of 2016-2025, the industry average was 11%...
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Hooey /hoo͞′ē/: Phooey /foo͞′ē/
This post aims to shed light on a dark, automated...
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SAAS: A Prescription for Success
In the first quarter of 2026, the value of the...
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Let’s Form a Coalition to AI Smart
The supply chain is knotted. It is unruly. It is complex....
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Meet the New Dr. No.
The buyer today for supply chain planning is more conservative....
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Move Your Own Mountain
The journey of AI automation is a path of carrying...
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Don’t Forget To Question First Principles and Design the User Experience
The industry need state requires the redefinition of the current...
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Failure: a Building Block for Success
As I enter my fifteenth year of trying to help...
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My Answer to Vijay
My answer to Vijay on techniques to try to improve...
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The Beat Goes On
A reflection of how we need to unlearn to rethink...
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The Re-Tread Dance with Late Adopters
Building innovation in supply chain requires a new approach and...
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Supply Chain Engineer Apply Here
Definition of a Supply Chain Engineer to Orchestrate.
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Beyond Rabbit Ears on a Black & White TV
When I was a young girl, we received one television...
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Digital Transformation: Where Was the Beef?
Where is the Beef? is now a colloquialism. The phrase...
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Zac, Don’t Waymo My Supply Chain
Companies use the term autonomous supply chain planning often as...
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AI is Everywhere, but Nowhere. An Unfortunate Reality for Planning.
A discussion on why we cannot gain value by putting...
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Planning Through the Bubble
Getting ready for a market downturn. Steps planning teams should...
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The Orchestration Shuffle
As approaches in Artificial Intelligence mature, we have the opportunity...
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Mistakes and Opportunities
Discussion of the barriers in moving from traditional planning platforms...
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Native-AI Supply Chain Planning: A Blueprint for Success
Sharing of a blueprint to adopt Native-AI Platforms in the...
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Pattern Recognition: the Cape for the Unsung Supply Chain Hero
I started Supply Chain Insights as an open research company...
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The Deserted Mall is an Important Symbol for Supply Chain Leaders
Thinking about the pervasive shifts in the technology landscape.
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Welcome a Breath of Fresh Air to Supply Chain Planning
Rethinking supply chain planning
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Band-Aid Needed Here
A discussion on the use of Lyric as a band-aid...
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If Only 2020 was 2020
The pandemic is in our rearview mirror. Many of the...
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Lean Into Agentic AI
As an old gal, I sidestep hype cycles. I watch...
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The Saga of Stale Data and Stalled Innovation
This morning, I threw away three loaves of moldy bread....
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Turn Off the Fog Machine: Move Past Groupthink to Drive A Positive, Data-Driven Narrative
In this blog post, Lora Cecere, Founder of Supply Chain...
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Reflection: The Journey to be Market Driven
In 2002, I had the opportunity to work with General...
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Managing Supply Chain Planning in the World of Scarcity
Historically, supply chain leaders managed supply chains in a world...
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Lora Cecere is the Founder and CEO of Supply Chain Insights , the research firm that’s paving new directions in building thought-leading supply chain research. She is also the author of the enterprise software blog Supply Chain Shaman. The blog focuses on the use of enterprise applications to drive supply chain excellence. Her book, Bricks Matter, published in December of 2012.
As an enterprise strategist, Lora focuses on the changing face of enterprise technologies. Her research is designed for the early adopter seeking first mover advantage. Current research topics include the digital consumer, supply chain sensing, demand shaping and revenue management, market-driven value networks, accelerating innovation through open design networks, the evolution of predictive analytics, emerging business intelligence solutions, and technologies to improve safe and secure product delivery.
She comes to the stage with over thirty years of diverse supply chain experience. She spent nine years as an industry analyst with Gartner Group, AMR Research, Altimeter Group and is now the founder of her own firm Supply Chain Insights. Prior to becoming a supply chain analyst she spent fifteen years as a leader in the building of supply chain software at Manugistics and Descartes Systems Group, and twenty years as a supply chain practitioner at Procter & Gamble, Kraft/General Foods, Clorox, and Dreyers Grand Ice Cream (now a division of Nestle).
The Sad Demise of the Food Industry
For the period of 2016-2025, the industry average was 11% operating margin and 7.82 inventory turns, with a 35% decline in industry inventory performance. Few companies were aware of or adapted to the shift in industry potential.
Today, the shifts are faster as consumers trade down to cheaper brands and retail private label gains market share. Major inflationary spikes in protein, especially beef and eggs, due to supply shortages and disease-related disruptions in 2025, continue the never-ending ride in commodity volatility. Yet, companies are insular to adapt their supply chain practices. Putting AI on top of traditional supply chain processes is a recipe for disaster.
Hooey /hoo͞′ē/: Phooey /foo͞′ē/
This post aims to shed light on a dark, automated world where supply chain leaders believe they have answers and are busy automating outdated processes but not driving value.
SAAS: A Prescription for Success
In the first quarter of 2026, the value of the companies offering Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) fell by 25-30%. The sell-off occurred as investors worried that Artificial
