Wasp Barcode Technologies: The Barcode Solution People

The Ultimate Supply Chain Reference Guide


supply-chain-reference-guide-0415-banner As it is with any type of business, staying up-to-date on current news, trends, and best practices in logistics and supply chain management is a crucial step to maintaining success. Fortunately, there is a wealth of information available online to help you keep up with the latest and greatest in the supply chain field. This guide is packed with accessible, frequently updated supply chain references you can follow to stay on top of what’s hot, what’s trending and what’s working for others in logistics.

Blogs, Trade Publications & News Aggregators

There are plenty of industry experts out there keeping up with supply chain management news and delivering it frequently to a growing audience. Some of the best blogs to follow include:
  • About.com, Logistics/Supply Chain: About.com guides are maintained by industry experts, and are updated regularly with news, trends and insightful articles. This guide, located in the About Money section, is no exception.
  • Supply Chain Matters: Maintained since 2008 by Bob Ferrari of The Ferrari Consulting and Research Group, Ltd., this blog delivers independent and unbiased views, insights and education on topics relating to global supply chain management and deployment.
  • Talking Logistics: Led by industry expert Adrian Gonzales and frequently featuring executives and thought leaders in the field, this blog and bi-weekly online talk show provides a wealth of insight and news across the logistics and supply chain industry.
  • Supply Chain Shaman: This frequently updated online journal is run by Lora Cecere, the founder and CEO of research firm Supply Chain Insights.
  • Supply Chain Digital: A digital magazine, this is the leading source of logistics, procurement, warehousing, and supply chain management news for supply chain professionals around the world.
iStock_000025505559Trade publications also offer an invaluable source of information for keeping up with supply chain and logistics trends and news. Some of the most popular logistics publications in the industry include:

Logistics & Supply Chain Management on LinkedIn

With a network of more than 330 million professionals and two new users per second, LinkedIn is much more than a platform for job seekers. There are currently more than 300,000 supply chain professionals and nearly 6,000 logistics and supply chain groups on LinkedIn, making this platform a rich resource for anyone in the supply chain industry. If you’re looking for discussion, news and insights on supply chain management, a few of the most active and supportive LinkedIn groups include: Following company pages and industry pros on LinkedIn is also a great way to gain insights and information on the logistics and supply chain industry. Top LinkedIn companies to follow include:
    • Cerasis: A top freight logistics company and truckload freight broker, Cerasis regularly shares industry news and articles via their LinkedIn page from the company’s blog, which was recently named the best blog in the logistics and supply chain industry.
    • Transplace: This 3PL and technology company is committed to helping companies reduce costs and enhance services through improved supply chains and logistics. The company’s LinkedIn page provides a wealth of industry information.
    • Quintiq: Follow this global leader in supply chain planning and optimization software for valuable, relevant news and insights into the logistics and supply chain industry. Quintiq also operates the number one “must-follow” Twitter account for the industry.

Related Article: What is Inventory Management Software?

Twitter is a fast-moving social network that’s dedicated to trending topics and the rapid spread of information. There are up to 228 tweets per hour and an average of 2,400 daily tweets that include the hashtag #supplychain delivering links, insights, and the latest news to thousands of industry pros. In addition to Quintiq (@Quintiq), here are some must-follow Twitter accounts for logistics and supply chain professionals, along with their Twitter bios:
      • @lcecere (Lora Cecere) – Founder of Supply Chain Insights. Focused on helping clients improve value in their value chains. Second Book, Metrics That Matter, published in December 2014.
      • @SC_Matters_Blog (Supply Chain Matters) – Bob Ferrari's blog on global supply chain business process and technology developments. One of the top ten blogs in supply chain management.
      • @Fronetics (Fronetics) – We are a management consulting firm which focuses on strategy and inbound marketing for the logistics and supply chain industries. We help businesses grow.
      • @SpplyChainROSCO (Gary Marion) – Life is a metaphor for supply chain. Logistics/Supply Chain Expert for @Aboutdotcom. Seriously.
      • @supplymgmt (Supply Management) – The world's best procurement and supply chain magazine, published on behalf of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply.
      • @EuanGranger (Euan Granger) – Procurement and supply chain background, now a Partnerships Manager for http://www.procurious.com . Socially - cricket, AFL and F1 and a full-blown coffee-holic!
      • @SupplyChain247 (Supply Chain 24/7) – Supply Chain 24/7 is the ultimate online business resource for Transportation, Distribution, Logistics and Supply Chain professionals.
      • @cscmp (CSCMP) – Educating and Connecting the World’s Supply Chain Professionals.
      • @inventoryninja (Inventory Ninja) – Inventory Management Best Practices for Small Businesses #inventory #supply chain #logistics #smallbusiness #ninja.
      • @smallbizbrian (Brian Sutter) – I Tweet @strategy and #technology info to help #startups and #smallbiz. Published in Huffington Post, Washington Post, etc. Marketing Director @waspbarcode.