What Happened May 13 in Supply Chain History.
Same as the Cheat Sheet Above:
🛒 1910: Woolworth’s Expands Its Retail Supply Chain with Ice Cream Cones
On May 13, 1910, Woolworth’s became one of the first retail chains to successfully test and distribute ice cream cones in stores. By leveraging early cold chain logistics, this retail innovation marked a significant shift in product distribution and perishable goods supply chain capabilities.
Supply chain insight: Early cold storage solutions revolutionized how food was handled in retail environments.
⚖️ 1947: Labor Legislation Shapes Supply Chain Operations
The U.S. Senate passed the Taft-Hartley Act on May 13, 1947, reshaping labor relations and union activities across industries, including logistics and supply chain management. The legislation restricted certain union powers, affecting warehouse operations, transportation, and manufacturing.
Supply chain insight: Labor policies continue to be a critical factor in managing operational risk and workforce logistics.
🚛 2024: Labor Shortages Disrupt Global Supply Chains
On May 13, 2024, industry leaders discussed widespread labor shortages in the supply chain industry. Companies across logistics, warehousing, and transportation sectors began adopting automation and retention strategies to mitigate workforce gaps.
Supply chain insight: Talent acquisition and workforce optimization are now essential components of modern supply chain resilience.
Why Supply Chain History Matters
Understanding the events that shaped the supply chain industry helps businesses and professionals anticipate trends and avoid past pitfalls. From cold chain innovation to labor regulation and workforce challenges, May 13 highlights how critical changes have influenced global logistics and distribution networks.
Supply Chain Quotes
- “Time is your most important resource. You can do so much in ten minutes. Ten minutes; once gone is gone for good.” ~Ingvar Kamprad, founder of IKEA.
- “Apple has a culture of excellence that is, I think, so unique and so special. I’m not going to witness or permit the change of it.” ~Tim Cook, CEO of Apple.
- “Self-driving vehicles, automatically choosing the most efficient route… Artificial Intelligence will dramatically improve logistics.” ~Dave Waters
- “Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection.” ~Mark Twain
- “Plan for what it is difficult while it is easy, do what is great while it is small.” ~Sun Tzu, The Art of War.
- “Nothing can do you so much harm as a lousy competitor. Be thankful for a good competitor.” ~W. Edwards Deming
- “Artificial intelligence will permeate all aspects of supply chain creating capabilities once thought impossible. The metaverse will provide simulation capabilities to SCM that were only in science fiction movies.” ~Dave Waters
- “Only three things happen naturally in organizations: friction, confusion, and underperformance. Everything else requires leadership.” ~Peter Drucker, Father of Modern Management.
- “If you are going to do TPS (Toyota Production System) you must do it all the way. You also need to change the way you think. You need to change how you look at things.” ~Taiichi Ohno, Father of the Toyota Production System.
- If supply chain had an arch enemy it would be called ” bad communication”- EverythingSupplyChain.com
- “I don’t look to jump over 7-foot bars: I look around for 1-foot bars that I can step over.” ~Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway.
- “Supply chains are everywhere. From the biggest company in the world to running your household. We all have SCM experience even if we don’t know it.” ~Dave Waters.
- “We’re going to make shopping with us faster, easier and more enjoyable. We’ll do more than just save customers money and you, our associates, will make the difference. Looking ahead, we will compete with technology, but win with people. We will be people-led and tech-empowered.” ~Doug McMillon, CEO of Walmart.
