Moving from a Just-in-Time to a Just-in-Case

1. Just-in-Time or JIT inventory management is a lean procurement methodology originally invented in Japan. By only ordering what they need, when they need it, companies reduce waste such as obsolete or expired stock, drive efficiency, and reduce holding costs (warehousing). Importantly, JIT frees up operational cash flow.

2. JIT management requires a constant stream of robust data, such as having accurate and frequently updated sales forecasts and knowing your peak demand periods. It also requires a sophisticated inventory system to tell you exactly how much stock you have on-hand in real-time.

3. Unfortunately, JIT only works properly in a seamless, well-oiled supply chain. As we all know, COVID-19 brought this crashing to the ground all over the world. The pandemic caused shipping delays, port congestion, panic buying, and shortages of crucial medical equipment and PPE. Businesses everywhere rapidly ran out of stock and had to scramble for alternative sources of supply, pay higher prices, and wait for the global supply chain to recover.

Malaysia’s Ratification of CPTPP to Help Increase Trade

1. Malaysia’s ratification of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) looks set to provide indigenous businesses with expansion opportunities around the Asia Pacific and even further afield. The pact, deemed highly beneficial for the development of Malaysian trade, removes as much as 95 percent of tariffs between member states.

2. The Malaysian government officially ratified the CPTPP on September 30, 2022. The trade deal was signed in 2018 but required years of careful deliberation and consultation by Parliament for final approval.

3. The agreement – originally called the Trans-Pacific Partnership – was signed by 11 countries on the Pacific rim in 2018. Signatories included Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. The pact removes 95 percent of tariffs between its 11 members.

4. Malaysia concluded in its “Cost-Benefit Analysis” that this free trade agreement would see the country’s total trade increase to US$655.9 billion by 2030 according to the government’s Statistics Department. Malaysia’s total trade stood at around 2.2 trillion ringgit (US$481 billion) in 2021.

Digitization vs. digitalization: Differences, definitions and examples, and Digital Transformation

1. In the case of digitization and digitalization, two letters make all the difference. This is not merely a matter of wordplay — it’s a matter of scope and potential value to your business. Understanding the distinctions between these two approaches is critical as the digital transformation gains momentum and businesses move toward digital technologies to enhance visibility and eliminate inefficiencies in their operations.

2. Here, we’ll give a straightforward explanation of both digitization and digitalization, offering examples of each. Then we’ll explore why we designed TruQC as a strategy for process digitalization.

Smart Container Market & E-Commerce Logistics Outlook & Forecast

1. The smart container market is projected to grow from USD 3.9 billion in 2022 to USD 9.7 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 19.6% during the forecast period. Increasing focus on end-to-end supply chain visibility, high demand for monitoring and control of internal container conditions, and increasing adoption of IoT devices by shipping companies are the key factors expected to drive the growth of the smart container market in the next five years.

2. The global e-commerce logistics market is expected to grow from $476.34 billion in 2021 to $568.85 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.4%. The Russia-Ukraine war disrupted the chances of global economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, at least in the short term.