tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-133949802009-11-12T21:47:48.159+01:00Whenever I tell a friend, colleague or family member about my job as soon as the words "supply chain" are muttered I immediately see glassy eyes followed by a yawn or two. Little do they realize that every time they purchase a CD or a carton of milk they are completing the end of the supply chain cycle. Without supply chains consumers would be stuck using products that they had to make or grow with their own two hands. Still not excited, well visit often and eventually you will be.Christopher Sciaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00780044156231457785cia@zurich.ibm.comBlogger141125This is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site.tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13394980.post-91807760325140771772009-10-27T14:52:00.002+01:002009-10-27T14:55:39.418+01:002009-10-27T14:55:39.418+01:00

Trucks, Technology & Twitter: the Hybrid Truck Convoy and the Truck2020 StudyOn Tuesday, Oct. 27th, a convoy of dozens of hybrid trucks will be rolling through Atlanta on their way to the Hybrid Truck 2009 National Conference at the Georgia World Congress Center. As part of the conference, IBM will also be publishing its new study, Truck2020, which examines the critical role that next

Christopher Sciaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00780044156231457785cia@zurich.ibm.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13394980.post-25375415094766284702009-10-12T17:28:00.006+02:002009-10-12T21:06:25.651+02:002009-10-12T21:06:25.651+02:00

While not entirely supply chain related, check out Wordle. A fun tool that takes text from your website, blog or whatever and makes word art. Back to supply chain news, this weekend I had the random opportunity to speak with a recently retired supply chain executive from a leading petroleum company. Once I get his permission, I'll post some outtakes.http://www.wordle.net/. Images of Wordles

Christopher Sciaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00780044156231457785cia@zurich.ibm.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13394980.post-59656514360677114872009-09-27T11:31:00.002+02:002009-09-27T11:41:36.448+02:002009-09-27T11:41:36.448+02:00

Apple just launched a new set of web pages dedicated to proving that they have a socially responsible supply chain. While it is very open and informative, to really "account for everything" as the website declares they need to go back further then just manufacturing and logistics. For example, what about the carbon emissions released when the trees are cut down and turned into pulp to make

Christopher Sciaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00780044156231457785cia@zurich.ibm.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13394980.post-48223770336691171652009-09-01T20:21:00.002+02:002009-09-01T20:24:58.216+02:002009-09-01T20:24:58.216+02:00

Interesting new report out that contains the results from a comprehensive survey of hundreds of industry professionals, including executives from IBM.Among the key findings were that 76 percent of companies have yet to consider carbon footprint or greenhouse gas emissions across their extended supply chain, yet two-thirds of these companies expect customers to demand this within the next year.

Christopher Sciaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00780044156231457785cia@zurich.ibm.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13394980.post-47677995832093920582009-08-10T19:52:00.006+02:002009-08-10T20:12:20.506+02:002009-08-10T20:12:20.506+02:00

Fresh back from vacation with a new supply chain story for you. As per my last post I took holiday in Tuscany, Italy. While I certainly took the chance to visit the vineyards I also squeezed in a side trip to Carrara, Italy, which as anyone in the area will tell you is world famous for it's marble.While it seems pretty obvious, the supply chain to bring this rock to your kitchen table or

Christopher Sciaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00780044156231457785cia@zurich.ibm.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13394980.post-10698969112667636712009-07-07T14:27:00.003+02:002009-07-07T14:50:26.069+02:002009-07-07T14:50:26.069+02:00

From polluting the environment to creating sweat shops, poorly managed supply chains can tarnish the reputation of any company - not only that it makes good business sense. Many global corporations realize this, which is why they have been so progressive in maintaining supply chains that hold themselves accountable for everything from the labor they employ to the eco-friendliness of the parts

Christopher Sciaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00780044156231457785cia@zurich.ibm.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13394980.post-6035472460569273772009-06-22T16:08:00.002+02:002009-06-22T16:16:26.381+02:002009-06-22T16:16:26.381+02:00

With summer now in its first official days I long for tasty sweet watermelons, particularly on those hot days. And while I never thought much about how much space they took up in my parents refrigerator when I put on my supply chain hat I can see where the trouble lies -- they are not easy to store, pack or ship. Until now.Not only do they weight a lot, but they are oval, making stacking them

Christopher Sciaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00780044156231457785cia@zurich.ibm.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13394980.post-62700632312367126492009-06-14T17:48:00.002+02:002009-06-14T17:50:30.635+02:002009-06-14T17:50:30.635+02:00

On the heals of AMR's Top 25 supply chain ranking, which lists Apple at #1 the rumor mill is reporting that AT&T is already sold out of the new iPhone 3Gs. Which begs the question, this is now the 3 iPhone version, market data should be readily available, forecasting should be easy, so why the sell out for the #1 supply chain?

Christopher Sciaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00780044156231457785cia@zurich.ibm.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13394980.post-11192091395048173392009-06-03T20:13:00.002+02:002009-06-03T21:00:56.884+02:002009-06-03T21:00:56.884+02:00

It's become almost an annual ritual, similar to the Fortune 500, the top billionaires and the AMR Top 25 Supply Chain report. No joking, what AMR has done with the top 25 over the years has done plenty in getting supply chains the recognition it deserves. Here are some of the highs and lows from my view.Putting on my IBM hat, it's great to see we are still in the top 5. This year we climbed a

Christopher Sciaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00780044156231457785cia@zurich.ibm.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13394980.post-3803053120868813952009-05-18T20:50:00.005+02:002009-05-20T11:04:23.588+02:002009-05-20T11:04:23.588+02:00

This weekend I indulged and bought myself an expensive present that I've had my eyes for for about a year. The gift was a pair of Bang & Olufsen earphones. And as I imagined they sound as good as they look. Really, remarkable. On opening the package just past the instruction manual (why headphones need instructions is beyond me), I found a 10 page guide stating that the headphones are WEEE

Christopher Sciaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00780044156231457785cia@zurich.ibm.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13394980.post-60965457206648936612009-05-04T22:54:00.003+02:002009-05-04T22:59:38.094+02:002009-05-04T22:59:38.094+02:00

In the past I've shared how shipping containers can be turned into funky apartments and now I've found wooden pallets that make great deck furniture. Just in time for the summer BBQ season here are some photos that show the progression of pallets into benches.

Christopher Sciaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00780044156231457785cia@zurich.ibm.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13394980.post-40347949074258577622009-04-16T22:40:00.004+02:002009-04-16T22:56:17.063+02:002009-04-16T22:56:17.063+02:00

My last post generated quite a bit fuss, which is always a good thing. I received several emails and even another blogger posted commentary on the challenges for US retailers to ship overseas. Part of it was my own fault. Sometimes, when I write, I forget that my sense of humor and/or sarcasm doesn't always get conveyed. For example when I wrote a general statement that "retailers don't get

Christopher Sciaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00780044156231457785cia@zurich.ibm.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13394980.post-36956132853331618022009-03-25T19:13:00.002+01:002009-03-25T19:28:11.328+01:002009-03-25T19:28:11.328+01:00

Sometimes I mock Apple and sometimes I gush about them. This is a post where I will gush - a little. For some reason retailers in the US haven't figured out that they can build up their consumer base simply by allowing consumers to order products online and have them shipped globally. You would be surprised, by the number of leading clothing retailers like JCrew and Banana Republic that won't

Christopher Sciaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00780044156231457785cia@zurich.ibm.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13394980.post-82485344915629208912009-03-12T12:05:00.002+01:002009-03-12T12:22:19.499+01:002009-03-12T12:22:19.499+01:00

Whenever I promote something related to IBM, I always first disclose that I work for IBM. So consider yourself disclosed. A few weeks ago IBM released a new study based on interviews with 400 supply chain executives from the Americas, Western Europe and Asia called the Supply Chain of the Future. The report boils down to 5 major challenges including cost containment, supply chain visibility,

Christopher Sciaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00780044156231457785cia@zurich.ibm.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13394980.post-18290155114187096052009-02-27T13:14:00.004+01:002009-02-27T13:25:10.056+01:002009-02-27T13:25:10.056+01:00

Well, you won't see this sitcom on NBC after Heroes on Thursday nights, but that shouldn't stop you from checking out the new series from Kinaxis.  More specifically, the folks at Kinaxis, are using social media to get some name recognition in the clouded field of supply chain solutions with a new, amusing and entertaining online sitcom called Married to the Job.  The show revolves around four

Christopher Sciaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00780044156231457785cia@zurich.ibm.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13394980.post-16589420411923690832009-02-19T11:44:00.003+01:002009-02-19T12:20:00.293+01:002009-02-19T12:20:00.293+01:00

When I started this blog several years ago my intent was to give it a good effort for a few months, but I never thought that I would still be doing it to this day. Besides my passion for supply chains and the hits that the blog continues to generate, I am also driven by this blogs ability to generate new interest in the supply chain profession. For this reason I was thrilled to get a package

Christopher Sciaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00780044156231457785cia@zurich.ibm.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13394980.post-47137744353169481952009-02-05T09:22:00.004+01:002009-02-05T09:31:58.106+01:002009-02-05T09:31:58.106+01:00

First, some exciting news. After nearly two years of exciting work at IBM's Global Delivery Center in Brno, Czech Republic I am on the move again. This time I am planting my feet just outside of Zurich, Switzerland in the town of Ruschlikon where I will be working at IBM's fabled Research Lab. But don't worry, I'll still be supporting this blog because after all supply chains certainly don't

Christopher Sciaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00780044156231457785cia@zurich.ibm.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13394980.post-9961787416305883892009-01-19T09:59:00.003+01:002009-02-02T11:59:01.015+01:002009-02-02T11:59:01.015+01:00

This weekend I watched "Transporter 3" the action movie about an ex-military expert that uses his superior driving skills and an Audi A8 to deliver "packages" for clients in remote areas in record time. He guarantee's 100% delivery success, I wish all 3PLs could say the same.Anyway, in the opening sequence a giant cargo ship is loaded with containers. The camera pans down to two guys in the hull

Christopher Sciaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00780044156231457785cia@zurich.ibm.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13394980.post-27631896995786019762009-01-05T10:55:00.005+01:002009-01-05T11:32:13.685+01:002009-01-05T11:32:13.685+01:00

By plane, of course. I realize the holidays have just passed, but this was just too good not to share. I recently reconnected with an old friend from high school via Facebook and she posted the following photos of some charity work she organized in December. Basically, her organization worked with a nursery and collected 400 trees from Long Island, New York and 100 from California and had them

Christopher Sciaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00780044156231457785cia@zurich.ibm.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13394980.post-62449264641147263152008-12-20T13:49:00.000+01:002008-12-20T13:49:00.296+01:002008-12-20T13:49:00.296+01:00

Every holiday season I share a few supply chain blunders that I personally experience. This year I am picking on The GAP. More specifically, The GAP's more formal chain called Banana Republic. I've been a loyal customer for many years. This year was no different and my girlfriend ordered a dress online, which was then shipped to my parents house in NY (sadly, the company still doesn't offer the

Christopher Sciaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00780044156231457785cia@zurich.ibm.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13394980.post-22995828393012874862008-12-04T13:27:00.004+01:002008-12-04T13:39:26.716+01:002008-12-04T13:39:26.716+01:00

The outsourcing of logistics is really nothing new, corporations have been doing it since the 1800's choosing to use the US Pony Express over their own internal resources to ship parcels. But since the days of cowboys and Indians, we've gotten more global and things often need to be delivered in hours rather than days and weeks. With this logistics outsourcing has become more complex, which is

Christopher Sciaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00780044156231457785cia@zurich.ibm.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13394980.post-30546899011135186082008-11-15T17:00:00.000+01:002008-11-15T17:00:00.499+01:002008-11-15T17:00:00.499+01:00

I recently came across a new IBM advertisement that brought me back to those puzzle book games I played as a child. You may recall as well. You are presented with two or three drawings side by side and you have to find what is different. Well if I played that game with the photos of Yantian Port, Guangdong Province, in China, the entire page would be covered in circles. The ad compares the port

Christopher Sciaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00780044156231457785cia@zurich.ibm.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13394980.post-2318929511968589532008-10-30T09:27:00.003+01:002008-10-30T09:50:02.320+01:002008-10-30T09:50:02.320+01:00

For this post I'd like to share a best practice. For the past month I've been working with IBM's internal supply chain security and compliance team. They came to me for help to promote the importance of their work to the IBM employees around the world. The result was internal memos, postings on our intranet a wiki to share best practices and a series of videos. The videos were shared more

Christopher Sciaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00780044156231457785cia@zurich.ibm.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13394980.post-58627700783048991232008-10-15T13:21:00.005+02:002008-10-15T13:35:25.922+02:002008-10-15T13:35:25.922+02:00

So Apple announced it's new laptop updates yesterday and a significant portion of the buzz was focused on how they are manufactured. Apple's design aesthetic is know for being seamless and the main casing of the new Macbook's benefit as they are created out of a signal piece of aluminum that is cut down using a milling process from a brick of metal to the footprint of the laptop - all one

Christopher Sciaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00780044156231457785cia@zurich.ibm.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13394980.post-12654094128531827602008-10-01T11:32:00.002+02:002008-10-01T11:52:04.218+02:002008-10-01T11:52:04.218+02:00

Many months ago I blogged about some new services that were being created to help shippers track cargo using wireless technologies. Well a new one has recently gotten my attention by a little known company called arviem. One of the founding partners of arviem is a former colleague of mine Stefan Reidy. I only had the chance to work with Stefan for about 6 months and he had a passion for

Christopher Sciaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00780044156231457785cia@zurich.ibm.com4