Suppliers, before you read any further, I need you to do some self-introspection by answering yes or no to this question: Are you paying attention?

 Now let me clarify. Often, I present a topic called “Demand” at ASQ and APICS meetings. At one of those meetings, a member said to me that he is “very concerned about his suppliers not paying attention to the demand because it’s a break-or-make situation for his company.”

In a previous Quality Digest Daily article, I wrote about the need for companies to mine their existing workforce for economic sustainability and increased market share. Suppliers, are you paying attention to workforce planning to help identify gaps in certain jobs and geographies? That’s a big part of your supply chain demographics.

Supply chain professionals are experts in managing functions such as transportation, warehousing, inventory management, and production training. But what about managing the workforce?

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