Birds have inspired countless innovations; the airplane being the most obvious case. Called biomimicry, this concept focuses on finding sustainable solutions to challenges by emulating nature’s time-tested patterns and strategies.

In “Apollo 13,” NASA ground engineers create a replica of a system of parts currently in outer space to save the astronauts from carbon dioxide poisoning. Though there was nothing particularly digital about this endeavor, it was a clear precursor to current digital twin technology.

I was having dinner with a good friend recently, and I mentioned to her that Netflix Cofounder Marc Randolph was speaking at our annual conference and I had interviewed him for APICS magazine earlier that day.

The 2018 APICS Awards of Excellence deadline is fast-approaching, so I thought it would be useful to share some tips on what really makes an entry stand out. To do so, I first asked our judges what they’re looking for.

As a writer and editor, word choice is critical to what I do. Often, I want to confirm that I’ve selected the best possible term for an APICS magazine article or blog post, so I look to Merriam-Webster. (Unless I’m verifying the correctness of a supply chain expression; in which case, I obviously check my trusty APICS Dictionary!)

The supply chain skills gap is a real crisis. There are literally millions of open manufacturing jobs, and this number is only going to escalate as more Boomers retire. The good news is that more and more organizations are beginning to tap into a vast, highly skilled talent pool: women.

Stephen Bernard is senior sustainability manager in global supply chain at AT&T and winner of the inaugural APICS Individual Award of Excellence-Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Catalyst. The award recognizes consistent integration of CSR and reduction of environmental impact throughout the supply chain.

APICS keynote Derrek Kayongo shares how results-driven partnerships and supply chain strategy repurpose soap into lifesaving global health initiatives.

While interviewing industry experts for my March/April APICS magazine feature article, “Logistics Trends and Transformation,” I learned that parcel shipping is on an upward trajectory. In fact, according to the Pitney Bowes Parcel Shipping Index, more than 31 billion parcels were shipped around the world in 2015.

APICS magazine has changed quite a bit in the 12 years that I have been an editor here. As the supply chain field has transformed and advanced, many subjects that once dominated our pages have evolved into different methodologies and solutions; others simply dwindled in popularity.