The Inovis Blog

ASC X12 has made significant strides in repositioning their go forward strategic focus to ensure support for every industry over the past year. Recent changes has included sponsoring conferences, partnering on best practice models for secure data exchange and focusing on automating processes, not just exchanging data.

The June Trimester acknowledges the 50th Anniversary of the Berlin Air lift, which was the first real use of electronic data exchange, albiet less structured. The change in X12’s mission is in direct response from industry requirements and the changes which have happen in business since the organization was originally launched in 1979 due to the increasing requirements for B2B automation and standardization of messages.

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I was finishing up my daily reading for the day, and came across this interesting post on Supply Chain Digest. It seems that as a green initiative, Con-Way Truckload is lowering the maximum speed from 70 to 65 for its fleet of 2700 tractors as a means to save fuel. The carrier is hoping to save 2.8 million gallons of diesel fuel annually and reduce carbon emissions by approximately 62 million pounds per year through this plan.

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I was watching TV this weekend and came across a “Designed to Sell” episode where an engaged couple was trying to sell their house. Here’s the funny part: the house they were trying to sell was originally purchased from a Sears catalog in 1929. I find it very interesting that the original owners of the house decided to purchase one of the biggest investments of their life through a catalog.

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Read an interesting post today by Jackie Huba on one of her favorite topics - J. Crew and the turn-around they have pulled off. Like a lot of other cutting edge retailers, they are truly listening to their customers, and with social computing, like blogs, looks like that attention to detail and customer focus is paying off with happy online commentary. Hey! I paid attention.

One of the really cool things about my job is that I get to hear various stories around innovation, and one of the industries that is really smack in the middle of all the Web 2.0, e-commerce, supply chain innovation is retail. Terry Lundgren, chairman of Macy’s, recently talked at a University of Arizona school of retailing conference about the My Macy’s initiative to tailor inventory in each store to the realities of each state and region. Gloves and scarves don’t sell well in Atlanta, but milk and batteries do when local weather forecasters mention the word “snow!!” I’ve been here since the late 70’s. I know! Talk about a responsive and flexible supply chain. Check out the Philip Alexander’s column in Ad Age about the My Macy’s initiative. An interesting read.

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