Parallax View : New Lines of Insight

1/26/04–1/28/04 – Interlog Winter 2004
The Aftermarket Product Support & Service Parts Logistics Event of the Year
January 26-28, Eden Roc Renaissance Resort & Spa, Miami, FL
For information on Interlog Winter 2004, click here.

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11/17/03 – "Beyond Compliance: High Frequency Thinking"
Ann Grackin delivers Keynote Address at Vendor Compliance Federation Conference

A presentation by:
Ann Grackin, CEO, ChainLink Research, Inc.

Compliance yes! But these are just table stakes to get in the high rollers game in business today. As retailers get even more powerful with customer centric strategies, cross channel integration and private label brands, you have to be oh so much more to keep and grow your business. You have to apply some High Frequency Thinking! Ann Grackin will wrap up her Live and Unplugged season at the Vendor Compliance Federation Conference in Phoenix on November 17th. She will discuss such issues as:

Compliance is getting tougher. What you must do now-RFID and beyond
Grabbing more shelf space through supplier excellence
Quit your whining–Supplier Self Determination
Retailers! You can do win/win collaboration and make more money

For information on registering for the Vendor Compliance Federation Conference, click here.

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11/11/03 – Ann Grackin will deliver the keynote address at the Adexa Customer Summit, Las Vegas, Nevada

For information on registering for the 2003 Adexa Customer Summit click here.

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11/4/03 – Demanding Times are Here: "Next Generation of Demand Management Practices"
Bill McBeath, Partner, Founder of ChainLink Research speaks at the ESCA 7th Annual Winter Symposium

Abysmal forecasting accuracy has companies and their suppliers crying out for improvements. Hear the results of ChainLink's research into the next generation of Demand Management best practices. Learn from the leaders who have achieved results well above industry averages.

Supplier self-sufficiency–how the best suppliers are not waiting for their customers to improve forecast accuracy, but learning how to read the signals and respond
Network models for demand management–how n-tier network models are being effectively implemented
Market Assumptions–Using assumptions about the market, gleaned from various sources, to reality-check and adjust forecasts
Lifecycle Planning–Best practice in product ramps and EOL transitions
Risk Management–Advanced new methods to evaluate and mitigate demand-supply risks, such as structured contracts and real options

Discover how to improve your forecasting capabilities and match demand and supply, based on the experiences of the industry leaders.

For information on registering for the ESCA Winter Symposium click here.

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10/14/03 – "Effectively Managing the Outsourced Supply Chain"
Ann Grackin speaks at University of Texas at Dallas webinar for the Center for Intelligent Supply Networks. This webinar explores fundamental issues regarding the outsourcing strategy:

What are the business objectives behind the decision? How are they measured?
What are the trade-offs between an outsourced and a vertically-integrated operation?
How do you ensure the same level of visibility as an in-house operation?
How do you build closed-loop processes with your trading partners?
What framework do you use to evaluate performance of the outsourced supply chain?

The objective of the first session is to set the stage by defining the core issues, such as visibility, integration and sourcing, as well as to provide a framework for evaluating the effectiveness of the outsourced supply chain. Subsequent sessions will focus on each of the collaborative relationships, such as original equipment manufacturer (OEM)-supplier and OEM-distributor, within the hi-tech value chain.

To view playback of this webinar, click here.

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10/25/03 – "Winning at Global Logistics Means Being SmallSmartFast"
Ann Grackin is the Keynote Speaker at the 2003 OIPMAC Conference – The Nuts and Bolts of Supply Management

A presentation by:
Ann Grackin, CEO, ChainLink Research, Inc.

Increasing Globalization has created new challenges, new opportunities–and some significant threats. Globalization means mastering global trade and logistics. The winners will be firms who are Smaller, Smarter and Faster. They will leverage global partners. And they will deploy smaller smarter and faster business process and technologies. What are the processes I must master? What are the SmallSmartFast technologies? How can my firm continue to grow–and at the same time be a force for good in the markets we serve?

For information on registering for the OIPMAC Conference, here.

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9/22/03 – 9/24/03 – Global Logistics Track
ChainLink Leads Track at CLM 2003 Annual Conference

Ann Grackin leads the Global Logistics Track at CLM's 2003 conference at the McCormick Place-Lakeside Center in Chicago, 9/22-9/24/03. ChainLink also presents findings from our research.

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9/15/03 – Industry Best Practices and Supply Chain Management Trends
ChainLink leads panel at the National Defense Transportation Association Forum

ChainLink will lead a panel discussion on commercial best practice and techniques that have emerged as important forces in supply chain transformation at the DOD. What the defenese community can learn from the commercial sector, and just as importantly, what issues exist in the adoption of commercial approaches. NDTA 2003 Forum and Exposition, Kansas City, MO, 9/13/03–9/17/03. For more information or to register, visit the NDTA website

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9/11/03 – Future Technologies: How We Will Live, Work and Play
Ann Grackin at Massachusetts Women in Technology Speaker Series

Come and learn how future technologies will reshape our perception of what's possible (and permissible). Explore the social and ethical issues that will be raised as a result of emerging technologies. A panel of experts, including ChainLink's Ann Grackin, will share their thoughts on how technology will impact our professional and personal lives. Thursday, September 11th, 5:30 to 8:30 at Sun Microsystems, 1 Network Dr., Burlington, Mass. Click here for more information or to register.

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6/12/03 – "Retailer-Supplier Tug of War: Results from ChainLink Research's 2003 Retail Supply Chain Survey"
Retail Systems/VICS Collaborative Commerce 2003 Conference and Expo

A presentation by:
Ann Grackin, Partner, Cofounder, ChainLink Research, Inc.
Bill McBeath, Partner, Cofounder, ChainLink Research, Inc.

Learn what's happening on the battlefront between retailers and their suppliers. Gain Insights into the power game—winners and losers in the struggle for projects, profits, customers, and market share. Discover what trading partners can do to win a stronger power position in the supply chain. This talk describes findings from ChainLink Research and Chain Store Age's survey of 140 leading manufacturers and retailers, comparing and contrasting their perspectives on:

Key performance measurements - rewards and penalties for suppliers
Promotion management - problems, causes, technology adoption
Merchandizing - evolution in replenishment and category management decision-making processes
Inbound logistics - adoption of emerging technologies and practices
VMI - Motivation and criteria
e-Procurement - sea change vs. just another ripple

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4/30/03 – "Supply Chain Transformation: Translating Vision to Reality"
Transform Your Supply Chain Seminar

A presentation by:
Ann Grackin, Partner, Cofounder, ChainLink Research, Inc.

Over the last 10 years, companies have invested significant money and time to improve their supply-chains and have received limited return on that investment. Three challenges held these companies back: 1) enterprise systems were designed to manage processes within the four walls of an enterprise, not the multi-node supply chain network of the real world, 2) lengthy planning cycles resulted in a planning horizon that limited the responsiveness of supply chain networks, and 3) the sales and implementation model employed by vendors put the risk solely on customers' shoulders with high up-front costs and no accountability for the results. This presentation will provide a roadmap for realizing the vision of supply chain transformation through a supply chain network solution that integrates all partners in the network and synchronizes transactions across the network. Additionally, by engaging only vendors that employ a Pay-for-Performance model can companies mitigate their risk and ensure tangible results.

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4/8/03 – "VMI Revelations and Recommendations: Findings from the ESCA/ChainLink Research 2003 VMI Research Project"
Electronic Supply Chain Association's 2003 Spring Symposium

A presentation by:
Bill McBeath, Partner, Cofounder, ChainLink Research, Inc.

Lessons learned from an in-depth study of Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) practices in the high tech industry:

What contractual agreements, business processes, and technology are being adopted, by whom, and how?
What metrics are being used to measure the success of VMI programs?
When and where is VMI working well and when is it not working?
What limitations and obstacles hinder the effectiveness of VMI?
When does VMI actually lower the inventory in the whole supply chain vs. simply transferring inventory burdens to suppliers?

This talk explores dynamics of VMI in both up and down markets including the contentious issues of liability, freshness, and forecast accuracy. Differences in standard/commodity vs custom/sole-source parts. Recommendations are given on how to use VMI to reduce inventory across the supply chain, while improving flexibility and service levels.

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4/2/03 – "Managing the Links: Winning the Game in Global Supply Chain"
Presentation at Delivering the Goods – Breaking Down Boundaries in the Soft Goods Global Supply Chain, conference co-organized by ChainLink Research and [TC]2

A presentation by: Ann Grackin, Partner, Cofounder, ChainLink Research, Inc.

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1/24/03 – "Retailer-Supplier Tug-of-War: ChainLink Research’s 2003 Survey Preliminary Results"
University of Denver's Supply Chain Executive Forum

A presentation by:
Bill McBeath, Partner, Cofounder, ChainLink Research, Inc.

Preliminary results of our 2003 Retailer-Supplier survey. What’s happening on the “battlefront” between retailers and their suppliers? Are they thinking the same and working towards the same goals? Alignments and discontinuities in current strategies and priorities:

Key performance measurements - rewards and penalties for suppliers
Promotion management - problems, causes, technology adoption
Merchandizing - evolution in replenishment and category management decision-making processes
Inbound logistics - adoption of emerging technologies and practices
VMI - Motivation and criteria

We also use ChainLink Research’s “Holding-the-Bag Quotient” (HBQ) to look at the distribution of inventory burdens—who is left holding the lion’s share of inventory—in the retail supply chain, and for comparison in High Tech.

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11/19/02– "Distribution of Inventory Burden Across the Supply Chain: Who's Left Holding the Bag?"
Electronic Supply Chain Association's 2002 Winter Symposium

A presentation by:
Bill McBeath, Partner, Cofounder, ChainLink Research, Inc.

In order to reduce inventory levels while improving service, companies have moved to just-in-time and build-to-order production models. However, the question arises whether the inventory burden is just being pushed further down the supply chain. In this session, ChainLink Research’s “Holding-the-Bag Quotient” (HBQ) is used to look at the distribution of inventory burdens—who is left holding the lion’s share of inventory—in selected High Tech and CPG/Retail supply chains. The affect of various business practices on inventory burdens, as well as the consequences of even or uneven inventory distribution are explored.

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8/14/02 -- "The Supply Chain Strategy Challenge Speaker Roundtable"
Panel at TOTALsupplychain.com Supply Chain Strategy Challenge webinar

Panel participation by: Bill McBeath, Partner, Cofounder, ChainLink Research, Inc."

ChainLink Research participated in a roundtable discussion on the common elements and unique differences between the three leading Supply Chain models used to drive supply chain strategies:
        •   The SCOR Model
        •   The ChainLink Inter-enterprise Model
        •   Enterprise Commerce Management Blueprint

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8/13/02 -- "The ChainLink Inter-enterprise Model"
Presentation at TOTALsupplychain.com Supply Chain Strategy Challenge webinar

A presentation by Bill McBeath on the ChainLink Inter-enterprise Model and it's framework for understanding how links between companies in a supply chain
evolve and what are the most important considerations in the design and configuration of inter-enterprise supply chain relationships. The audio and graphics of this presentation can be played back over the web by clicking here and
doing the following:
        1.   Scroll to bottom of page and enter email address (not reused or distributed)
        2.   Click the "Submit" button
        3.   Click the "View" button

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