Enhancing Supply-Chain Resilience with Tech | High-Paying Jobs sans Degrees | 'Long Ties' Value Proven | Assessing Critical Thinking in Interviews

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Using Technology to Improve Supply-Chain Resilience - Harvard Business Review

The Covid-19 pandemic brought many global supply chains to a halt. And as we emerged from the pandemic, many companies overcorrected by adopting “just-in-case inventory management.” What’s more, when consumer confidence varies widely from month-to-month and demand remains volatile, it is difficult for businesses to plan. In the apparel sector, for example, buyers must place peak-season orders six months in advance. With high volatility, demand forecasts in June can be completely different than actual demand in December. This raises the overall risk of either missing the season by not having enough, or facing enormous markdowns in January. To move forward, supply chain managers need more flexible, dynamic connections between trading partners to replace their current point-to-point, static connections that are unable to adapt to sudden, unexpected supply chain disruptions. What they need is a more modern, more responsive supply chain platform. This article discusses how today’s supply chain technology can help businesses build more resilience into their supply chains moving forward.

The Covid-19 pandemic shook global supply chains to their core, and they have not yet fully recovered. What’s more, many managers who had previously followed “lean” principles, including “just-in-time inventory management,” have overcorrected by adopting “just-in-case inventory management.” This tendency to simply overcorrect (and overstock) with an ad-hoc and ill-defined “just-in-case” inventory strategy has resulted in soaring global inventories in the retail, wholesale, and manufacturing industries at a time when the Business Confidence Index and Consumer Confidence Index both show unusual volatility. When consumer confidence varies widely from month-to-month, it is difficult for businesses to plan. In the apparel sector, for example, buyers must place peak-season orders six months in advance. With high volatility, demand forecasts in June can be completely different than actual demand in December. This raises the overall risk of either missing the season by not having enough, or facing enormous markdowns in January.

To move forward, supply chain managers need more flexible, dynamic connections between trading partners to replace their current point-to-point, static connections that are unable to adapt to sudden, unexpected supply chain disruptions. What they need is a more modern, more responsive supply chain platform.

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6 Six-Figure Jobs That Don't Require College Degrees (And How To Break In) - Forbes

I loved my college years at UC Irvine. I met some of my favorite people who are friends for life, got connected to blue-chip companies, and eventually landed my first job in consulting making $70,000 after graduation. With all that said… it’s been over a decade since I was back in school, and times have changed.

In today’s day and age, college is not the requirement it used to be and there are so many more opportunities to get education in other ways. Some prefer a broader range of experiences over specialized fields. And others thrive outside traditional schooling, chasing unconventional, unexplored ideas. Also, did I mention the costs? College is a big investment that not everyone is ready for.

So with all that said, let's dispel the myth that a college degree is the only path to success. I'd like to introduce you to some thriving careers that offer both financial stability and upside for the future. Here are 6 six-figure jobs you may never have considered before and how you can break in.

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Study demonstrates the value of ‘long ties’ | MIT Sloan - MIT Sloan

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How to Evaluate a Job Candidate’s Critical Thinking Skills in an Interview - Harvard Business Review

The oldest and still the most powerful tactic for fostering critical thinking is the Socratic method, developed over 2,400 years ago by Socrates, one of the founders of Western philosophy. The Socratic method uses thought-provoking question-and-answer probing to promote learning. It focuses on generating more questions than answers, where the answers are not a stopping point but the beginning of further analysis. Hiring managers can apply this model to create a different dialogue with candidates in a modern-day organization.

Hiring is one of the most challenging competencies to master, yet it is one of the most strategic and impactful managerial functions. A McKinsey study quantified that superior talent is up to eight times more productive, showing that the relationship between talent quality and business performance is dramatic. Organizations seeking growth or simply survival during difficult times must successfully recruit A-list talent, thought leaders, and subject matter experts. This is often done under time constraints as you must quickly fill a key position. Essentially you are committing to a long-term relationship after a few very short dates.

Now let’s consider the typical process of hiring talent. The primary tool we use to assess talent is a set of job interviews. The typical interview process is a Q&A format where some version of the common questions are asked of the candidate: Tell us about your background. Why do you want to work for us? Share a challenge you faced at work and how you dealt with it. What are you most proud of? What impact have you had? Why are you the best person for the job? What is your greatest achievement? What are your weaknesses?

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