Introducing SUPPLY CHAINS

Covering the Latest and Greatest in Logistics

“Amateurs talk strategy. Professionals talk logistics.” The last American 5-star General, Omar N. Bradley, is said to have made this declaration after leading the Allies to victory in World War II. Since then, logistics has become more important than ever.

In the military, successful logistics has proven the difference between winning and losing. Hitler’s debacle began when he overstretched his supply lines during the winter of his Russian invasion. General Tommy Franks’ lightning defeat of Saddam Hussein hinged on his success in creating a logistics infrastructure that supported a rapid strike force executing his motto: “Speed kills… the enemy!”

In business, logistics skill has been the royal road to career advancement. Before he became CEO of Apple, Tim Cook ran Compaq’s supply chain. Before she became the CEO of General Motors, Mary Barra was its Executive Vice President of Global Product Development, Purchasing & Supply Chain. And before he ran Procter & Gamble, A.G. Lafley was a U.S. Navy supply officer.

In technology, logistics plays a more important role than ever. There are at least 28 unicorns in logistics today. They include:

· Passenger transportation — Uber, Lyft, Didi Chuxing

· Last-mile delivery — DoorDash, Postmates, InstaCart

· Enterprise software — Infor

· Global freight forwarding — Flexport

· Food logistics — ezCater, iFood

· Fleet management — KeepTruckin

· Drones — Zipline

· Digital freight — Convoy

Powerful logistics, previously considered a stepchild of industry, is now recognized as a key success driver. How did we get here, and where are we headed?

The first wave of supply chain value creation came in the 19th century, with the advent of the steam engine-powered railroad.

In 1869, Leland Stanford drove the Golden Spike into the ground in Utah, completing the track for the first coast-to-coast railroad. Stanford’s breakthrough ushered in an era of wealth creation for those who early on recognized the value of railroads to…