A Few Thoughts This Veterans Day
As we get closer to Veterans Day, I like to reflect on why we observe the holiday and what it has become. Veterans Day shares a distinction separate from Memorial Day in many countries (learn more about the differences here). Originally coined as Armistice Day,…
AI Blind Spots? Here’s What Retailers May Miss About Artificial Intelligence
When does confidence become overconfidence? That’s a question retailers should consider when they think about artificial intelligence (AI). A new survey by Blue Yonder found that almost all retail executives feel confident in their command of AI. Executives overwhelmingly say they know a lot about…
Just How Resilient Is Your Supply Chain?
It’s time we face it: As supply chain professionals, we’re working in an environment of perpetual chaos. Inflation continues unabated. Labor shortages are only getting worse. Both consumer confidence and business confidence graphs look like rollercoasters. After 20 months, the Russia-Ukraine conflict shows no signs…
Insights From the Store Operations Council
If you are a retailer and have never attended a Cathy Hotka & Associates’ Store Operations Council meeting, you are missing out! Julie Hunt (VP of Sales) and I had the recent privilege of attending this year’s version in Washington, D.C., in October. This is…
It’s Time To Unlock Our Supply Chains
People often only realize the importance of something when it breaks, right? The supply chain is finally having its zeitgeist moment, and budgets are shifting because it’s becoming a top priority. We’re living in an extraordinary time. There are secular trends of inflation and labor…
Transforming the Automotive Supply Chain: It’s Time to Be Brave
The automotive industry has shown itself to be brave in recent times, in all areas but one: the supply chain. In order for logistics, procurement and distribution to align with the general advancements of the industry itself, these critical areas must give in to a…
Winning Together: Key Insights from the NACS Show
National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Show is the “can’t miss event of the year” in convenience; it continues to be a place for the industry to gather, learn, connect, and innovate. This year’s theme of “Winning Together” was on full display in Atlanta in…
Highlights From Blue Yonder’s Global Week of Giving 2023
The week of Oct. 16, 2023, was Global Week of Giving at Blue Yonder, and our associates contributed more than 700 hours of volunteer time helping local communities!! With World Food Day taking place on Oct. 16, food insecurity was a primary focus for several…
All In on AI: Why 95% of Retailers Already Use This Game-Changing Technology
Retailers have gotten the message: Optimize or die. That’s a clear takeaway from a new national survey on artificial intelligence. The survey, conducted by Blue Yonder, found that the vast majority of retail executives: These results underscore a crucial point: Retailers that don’t embrace AI…
How Making Friendship Bracelets Helped Me Understand the Benefits of Generative AI in Supply Chain
In the week before “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” film debuted, I needed to make dozens of friendship bracelets to trade with fellow Swifties at the movie theatre, just as had been done during the ground-breaking tour by the same name. There was one problem…