RILA Report: Supply Chain 

Volume 6, Issue 2

Volume 6, Issue 1

Volume 5, Issue 5

Volume 5, Issue 4

Volume 5, Issue 3

Volume 5, Issue 2

Volume 5, Issue 1

Volume 4, Issue 4

Volume 4, Issue 3

Volume 4, Issue 2

Gary Adams, Vice President of Sam's Club Logistics and Supply Chain, began his career with Walmart in 1989 and has held various positions within the company over this 24 year span. Gary worked in Walmart International for 13 years then transitioned from the position of vice president of international logistics to regional vice president of domestic operations, divisional vice president and most recently vice president of Sam's Club logistics and supply chain. Gary holds a BSBA in Accounting from the University of Arkansas.

Charlie Armstrong, vice president of distribution for The Home Depot, has had a surprising career path leading him to the field of supply chain. In his executive profile, he discusses the biggest challenges for The Home Depot, new trends that will impact the industry, and his favorite past time.

The culture at Target has allowed Mike to let his personality shine as senior vice president of distribution operations, while also focusing on new opportunities in supply chain.

From a drive through worker at McDonald's to 7-Eleven's Vice President of Logistics, Christi Clinger has spent her career focused on getting high quality products to customers.

S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.'s Director of North America Supply Chain, Michelle Schutte, discusses recent trends in supply trend, what is new and exciting in the industry, and her idea of a perfect day.

On March 14th, the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) and the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) released a joint statement that they have set a ratification date of April 9th for the six-year master contract that will affect all major ports along the East and Gulf Coasts. This announcement followed the news that the New York Shipping Association (NYSA) and the ILA had tentatively agreed on a local contract for the Port of New York/New Jersey – a contract that was considered one of the more difficult of the local agreements.

Trucking, shipping interests, and consumer advocates alike recently urged the U.S. Court of Appeals to overturn the latest truck driver hours of service (HOS) rule issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The new rule requires a 34-hour restart provision and a new 30-minute break requirement to take effect July 1, 2013. Drivers will only be allowed to use the restart once in a seven-day period, which is expected to decrease the maximum time they can spend behind the wheel from 82 hours to 70 hours a week. RILA participated in the joint filing of an amicus brief (along with other trade associations) in support of the American Trucking Associations (ATA) legal challenge on the required rest periods of the 34-hour restart provision.

Sequestration: What does this mean to the general public? As the impacts of these drastic government spending cuts are happening, the typical citizen views this as an issue for the military and for government, but with a nervous eye toward their own job security. The public sees the job cuts happening to the military and government officials without too much concern or fanfare. Given the recent issues and confusion with impact of the Fiscal Cliff, the typical consumer recognizes that spending cuts in these areas as a prudent move to reduce big government spending. However, what people do not see is the potential and real impact upon retail and stores that were poised to capture more of the consumer dollars given the sluggish recovery to date.

Can I retain the valuable managers running my company’s supply chain? What network and technology changes are necessary to integrate customer direct order fulfillment into my operations? What regulatory changes will impact retailers in the coming months? There are a few of the questions to be answered by the fourth annual State of the Retail Supply Chain report. The Auburn University / Retail Industry Leaders Association study addresses the strategies, challenges and capabilities involved in managing retail supply chains.

With this being my first column, I thought I would share my perspective as I transition to my expanded role at RILA. As you may have heard, Casey has handed over the baton to me and – in addition to managing RILA’s asset protection offerings - I have assumed responsibility for driving RILA’s supply chain initiatives.

My mom told me to always avoid politics, religion and professional wrestling in conversations. She said that people are going to passionately believe what they want to believe regardless of the facts! But since this is my last column, I would like to briefly disregard her motherly advice. No, I'm not going to start quoting scripture or tout the athleticism of Superfly's Splash or the power of the Undertaker's Piledriver...or even more uniquely, combine scripture and wrestling with an Austin 3:16 reference. In this case, I'm going to talk about politics! Living in DC, I know firsthand this can be dangerous territory, but since I'm not choosing sides or discussing the merits of certain views, I should be safe. I want to talk briefly about the recent inauguration and, even more specifically, the changing of the guard that happens every four years after a presidential inauguration.

The holiday season brings a unique time for those of us in the retail industry. It is a time of intense competition, with retailers focused on marketing, sales, customer service, order fulfillment and store replenishment.

The GOAT Debate - It is hard to believe that summer is now over and fall is in full swing. Looking back over the past few months, one event stands out as the highlight of the season: the Summer Olympics in London.

I recently participated in the Journal of Commerce's webcast to discuss the release of their "Top 100 Importers in 2011"

Bracketology and Supply Chain Analytics

It's All About the Attitude: The NFL vs. the NBA within the Supply Chain

As a new father, I quickly am becoming immersed in the long days and nights of life with a newborn.