It Is HERE!

September 4, 2012
9:09 pm

Six months ago, I founded a new firm with a promise to redefine the industry analyst market. Today, with the launch of the SCI Community, we have taken an important step in realizing our vision.
The SCI Community is open and global. It is free and available for supply chain leaders and teams everywhere. We have tried to make it fun!
It is designed specifically for the supply chain professional. We at Supply Chain Insights LLC have worked for the past six months to deliver what we think is a set of unique services:

Financial Supply Chain Benchmarking. It is just too hard to get meaningful financial supply chain data. We have built a database on financial ratios that go back over 20 years. Want to understand how your company stacks up against a peer group on Working Capital, Inventory Turns, Free Cash Flow, Altman Z, or Return on Assets? Ask us to run a custom cut on the data for you.
Technology and Consulting Ratings and Reviews. We go to YELP for a rating on a restaurant, check out Expedia for a hotel recommendation; but up until this point, there was no place for supply chain leaders to rate software or consulting partners. The SCI Community gives supply chain leaders a place to share.
Industry Events Ratings and Reviews. There are a lot of events. How do supply chain leaders know which are the good ones? The community allows ratings and reviews of the events so you know which ones to attend.
Ask an Industry Expert. Want to ask an industry analyst a question? The SCI Community is a place to go. Pose a question to our panel of experts and engage in discussion.
Supply Chain Wiki. Need help getting your group on the same page on supply chain terms? Check out our Supply Chain Wiki.
Meaningful Discussion Groups. Follow the tags and the discussion groups to get in on the action.
Blogs, Videos, and Webcasts. Listen, share and learn.
Open Content Research. It is part of our strategy to redefine supply chain research. We believe that it should be open and actionable. On our community today, there are nine research reports, three new surveys and the opportunity for you to tell us what should be on our future research agenda.
Posting of Content. The community allows supply chain leaders everywhere to post and share content. If you have an article that you are proud of, post it for others to rate and review.
Meaningful Networking. Connect with supply chain leaders like you. Network with supply chain leaders you respect. Do you have a question? Ask another supply chain professional directly in the SCI Community.

I believe that research sells and relationships renew. It is my goal to deliver deep research that is actionable. The community is part of my vision.
Check it out today! Let us know what you think.

Reflection and Celebration for the Supply Chains to Admire Methodology

October 19, 2026 12:00 am

The Supply Chains to Admire to is an objective, data-driven standard for measuring supply chain excellence and moves beyond industry reputation, anecdotal evidence, and technology claims. Using revenue growth, operating margin, inventory turns, and return on invested capital (ROCE, the research evaluates how companies perform relative to industry peers over time. Here Lora shares information on an upcoming event to celebrate the Supply Chains to Admire Award Winners.

Five Things I Don’t Understand

October 13, 2026 6:25 pm

Solutions that we never imagined years ago are emergining, but I pause when companies are unwilling or unable to roll up their sleeves and redefine work. Historic practices are not best practices, and there is a wealth of opportunity for those that do challenge the existing status quo. .

My Answer to Joe. The Future of APS

October 1, 2026 12:47 am

Traditional Advanced Planning Systems (APS) are unlikely to become true enterprise platforms because organizations remain functionally siloed, metrics are misaligned, and current APS architectures were designed for an environment that has fundamentally changed. Here I share how I think that APS systems can adapt to drive more value.

Teaching Your Organization to Jump

September 25, 2026 11:18 pm

Remember the story of the frog in the pot of water? If the water temperature rises slowly, the frog doesn’t recognize the danger until it is too late. Put the frog directly into boiling water, and it jumps.

I think the analogy applies to today’s supply chains.

Companies are absorbing increasing volatility and complexity without fundamentally redefining how work gets done. Companies have confused historic practices with best practices. They are now taking those same processes and attempting to automate them with agents and agentic AI—without first stopping to ask a more fundamental question: Is it time to jump? Here I give a five-step action plan.

Navigating Supply Chain Economic Downturns

August 30, 2026 5:28 pm

In 2007, the average company took six months to sense market shifts and adapt its supply chain. My estimate, based on work with clients, is that if a downturn happened today, the average company would take 20-30% more time to adjust than in 2007. Here I give insights on preparedness.

Warning: Sidestep the Narrative of the Misguided Goldiggers

August 10, 2026 4:58 pm

Ten years ago, I started writing a book titled Stories of the Misguided Gold Diggers. The book was a collection of stories from two decades of stories of technology leaders perpetuating the myth of integrated end-to-end supply chain planning.

I dusted off the manuscript on Saturday. I think that we have a new chapter. Companies focused on putting Artificial Intelligence (AI) on top of existing architectures are putting AI Stupid on steroids.

Supply Chain Shaman