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Full-potential procurement: Lessons amid inflation and volatility

Procurement organizations are uniquely positioned to catalyze cross-functional actions that promote efficiency and resilience in rapidly evolving market conditions. Procurement leaders are facing one of the toughest market environments of their careers. A combination of macroeconomic factors—including COVID-19 shocks, trade policy shifts, workforce scarcity, energy transition, and even extreme weather events—have upended long-running trends that…

High inflation: uncharted waters for supply management

High inflation: uncharted waters for supply management

With a long period of price increases possible, a proactive approach can help procurement professionals weather the storm. A growing economy. A tight labor market. Two of the biggest telltale signs of inflation have been evident in recent months, and concerns have been further fueled by two factors: tariffs and trade turbulence stemming from the Trump administration’s…

What is supply chain inflation and why is it driving up consumer prices now?

What is supply chain inflation and why is it driving up consumer prices now?

The interconnectedness of global supply chains means that when one price goes up, others tend to follow. Increases in labour, energy and transport costs are contributing to inflation around the world, posing difficult policy challenges. Back when we could travel easily, a regular announcement at airports all over the world was: ‘The airline would like…

SUPPLYCHAIN DIVE

Furniture retailers forge new supply chain practices as backlogs, risks prevail

India, Turkey and Mexico are among the new sourcing destinations emerging as companies seek to mitigate risks. Last year — amid port backups, container shortages and other supply chain nightmares — retailers and brands turned to the skies, sending demand for air cargo in 2021 up nearly 7% compared to 2019 by one estimate. Shipping shirts and…

SUPPLYCHAIN DIVE

With Shanghai at a standstill, supply chain problems are compounding

Concerns are rising that Shanghai’s lockdown is only the beginning of months-long challenges. After just over two years of a largely successful “zero-COVID” policy, China is facing its biggest test to date in the metropolis of Shanghai and the supply chain headaches that come with a massive lockdown. On Monday morning, the city reported a…