The Supply Chain Matters blog continues with our annual listing of our most read blog commentaries that were published and of keen interest to our readers during the year 2021
The years of 2020 and 2021 presented unprecedented pandemic and other related challenges to industry and global supply chains. as well as select opportunities. For these reasons, we elected to expand our profile from ten to the top twenty-five blogs of most interest in the prior year.
This series of three separate parts will countdown from number 25 to number one.
In our Part One posting in these series, we counted down from number 25 to number 16 of our most accessed blogs last year.
In this Part Two posting, we countdown from number 15 to number 6, and our Part Three posting will unveil the top 5 most read.
As readers review these listings, focus on the topics as well as the timing during the year. Notice the patterns, the industries of specific interest and the implications being drawn. Some topics were prevalent in 2020, some became more pertinent and meaningful in 2021, while others are ongoing, and some have since refined. For some readers, the listing will provide a flashback memory to an incredible year of non-stop developments or whack-a-mole actions.
The Countdown of Most Read
Number Fifteen
Airbus Tackles The Challenges Of Renewed Production And Aircraft Delivery Plans
October 8, 2021
The Supply Chain Matters blog highlighted reported candid remarks from the CEO of aerospace manufacturer Airbus regarding the challenges of revised production and aircraft delivery plans on the company’s global supply network partners. The remarks made to Bloomberg were in the context of the pandemic induced aircraft demand contractions after two years of disruptions and setting the context for 2023 and beyond monthly production rate goal setting. We additionally shared Supply Chain Matters perceptions of the need for rethinking and new directions that may be implied.
Number Fourteen
Supply Chain Matters Top 25 Most Read Blogs During 2020- Part Two
March 30, 2021
This commentary featured Part Two our annual listing of our most read blog commentaries that were created and published during the year 2020. The posting included the countdown to the five most popular blogs in that year.
Number Thirteen
Supply Chain Tech Deals Off To An Accelerated Start- Project44 Again In The News
March 4, 2021
In this posting for our featured column This Week in Supply Chain Tech, we highlighted the accelerated start in 2021 of supply chain management technology focused acquisition, IPO and investment funding. Highlights included highlights of the project44 acquisition of Ocean Insights, the planned IPO of autonomous trucking tech firm TuSimple, the $150 million added funding round of Locus Robotics, and the coming together of two supply chain risk assessment firms Resilience360 and Risk Pulse under the rebranded name of Everstream Analytics.
Number Twelve
January 28, 2021
The Supply Chain Matters blog provided added depth to a 2021 prediction for multi-industry supply chains: The need for fostering more connected manufacturing and supply network synchronization.
Number Eleven
Apple Supplier Luxshare Makes Additional Strategic Moves
February 1, 2021
Supply Chain Matters highlighted additional strategic moves announced by China mainland-based manufacturing services provider Luxshare Precision Industry. In a securities filing, Luxshare had indicated that it would take a stake in Pegatron’s Casetek Holdings. This unit produces advanced metal casings, a crucial component in producing Apple iPhones. We further cited CMS provider Pegatron’s announced manufacturing investment in India, and expansion in Vietnam. Our stated belief was that these moves were the likely precursor to a decoupling of high-tech and consumer electronics supply networks, and that high tech and consumer electronics supply management teams need to continue to pay close attention to such developments and their implications.
Number Ten
Auto Industry Semiconductor Shortages- The Challenge Of Supply Resiliency And Risk Mitigation
February 11, 2021
This posting provided additional commentary related to the ongoing global shortage of semiconductor components utilized in automotive manufacturing. Noted was that the digital transformation of Lean practices requires new definition and direction for just-in-time inventory management flows. In the “new normal” of Lean, information is constantly changing, and the flow of supply will be interrupted because of market, supply, or logistics network disruptions. Opined was that the rethinking of Lean has to context added risk factors, including required service levels, existing, or changing supplier lead times, known risks of potential disruption, and consideration for impacts on connected factories.
Number Nine
2021 Prediction: Escalating Global Transportation And Logistics Costs Require New Thinking
February 4, 2021
The Ferrari Consulting and Research Group, via the Supply Chain Matters blog, highlighted a specific 2021 prediction for industry supply chains: Escalating Global-Wide Transportation and Logistics Costs Require New Thinking. Our prediction was that such trends cannot be sustained without new thinking on the part of global logistics, financial management, product sourcing and procurement teams. As readers are now acutely aware, global supply chain transportation and logistics cost inflation continued at double-digit levels for the remainder of 2021, and carryover into this year.
Number Eight
Report Of Pending Sale Of Supply Chain Applications Software Provider Blue Yonder
March 9, 2021
In a breaking supply chain management technology news context, Supply Chain Matters called attention to multiple published reports indicating that Panasonic was set to acquire supply chain planning software applications technology provider Blue Yonder for a reported sum of upwards of $6.5 billion.
Number Seven
Further Senior Executive Changes At SAP
January 16, 2021
Supply Chain Matters highlighted the latest senior executive shuffling occurring at global ERP software applications provider SAP SE. Developments included the departure of Global Success Manager Adaire Fox-Martin, the appointment of former Microsoft executive Julia White to the role of Global CMO, and the appointment of ten-year SAP field executive Scott Russell to the role of Global Success Manager. The executive changes came after the unexpected departure of former CEO Jim McDermott and later, dissolution of a co-CEO leadership model with the announced departure of Co-CEO Jennifer Morgan in April 2020.
Number Six
More Evidence Of Oracle’s Cloud Applications Momentum
March 25, 2021
In this Supply Chain Matters technology market education commentary, we highlight enterprise ERP and SCM technology provider Oracle’s ongoing technology and applications strategies, the consistency of strategy and messaging and the consequent customer momentum. We communicated that this is a technology provider that is much more attuned to communicating the value proposition of combined capabilities of both Cloud based platform and data management infrastructure married to Cloud based software applications, and what that implies for businesses.
This concludes Part Two of this series. Stay connected to Supply Chain Matters as we unveil the top five most read blogs in our concluding posting.
In the meantime, provide your comments as to the most meaningful industry and global supply chain developments that impacted your organization in 2021.
Bob Ferrari
Founder and Executive Editor
© Copyright 2022, The Ferrari Consulting and Research Group and the Supply Chain Matters® blog. All rights reserved.
