Sue Doerfler

Phoenix, Tempe

Senior Writer at Inside Supply Management

I'm the senior writer at The Institute for Supply Management, covering supply chain issues and trends for our bi-monthly magazine, Inside Supply Management.

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Articles

Supply Chain News Roundup: Bracing for Impacts of Latest Conflict

1 week ago | ismworld.org | Dan Zeiger |Sue Doerfler

Perhaps the two biggest supply chain-related news stories of the week were intertwined by President Donald Trump departing the G7 meeting in Kananaskis, Alberta.
Logistics Dos and Don’ts During Volatile Times

1 week ago | ismworld.org | Sue Doerfler

Given the volatility of tariffs, an uncertain economic environment and other disruptions, logistics companies face a variety of challenges, the biggest of which is learning to manage unpredictability. Uncertainty is impacting sourcing decisions, delivery timelines and shipping costs, says Oswaldo Villanueva, CEO and president of VR International LLC, a logistics provider and commercial broker in Houston. It has also caused friction between retailers, manufacturers and logistics providers, he says.
Strategies to Strengthen Procurement Amid Tariffs Turbulence

1 week ago | ismworld.org | Sue Doerfler

On a global level, tariffs and trade restrictions aren’t new. Protectionist policies globally have become more prevalent and, in 2023, numbered about 3,000 — three times more than the 2019 amount, according to International Monetary Fund data. “Then, add tensions between the U.S. and China,” said forecaster Jason Schenker, chair of The Futurist Institute and president of Prestige Economics.
ISM World 2025: Innovation Park Offers Disruption Solutions

3 weeks ago | ismworld.org | Sue Doerfler

The ISM World 2025 theme of “Sparking Genius” has shone brightly at the Innovation Park, the exhibitor trade show featuring vendors, a technology hub, presentations by supply management startups and more. The Innovation Park features companies with solutions pertaining to risk and environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards, technology and innovation, and logistics and delivery as well as minority-owned businesses and startups offering a variety of innovations.
ISM World 2025: Awards Gala a Celebration of the Profession and Its People

3 weeks ago | ismworld.org | Sue Doerfler

Craig Reed, CPSM, vice president, global procurement and CPO at Thermo Fisher Scientific, is the 2025 recipient of the J. Shipman Gold Medal Award, presented by Institute for Supply Management® for career achievement. (Yannick Apers Photography)A packed room of talent — practitioners, executives and students — celebrated the supply management profession on Monday night at the ISM Awards Gala.
Today at #ISMWorld2025: Richter Scholar Class ‘Raises the Bar’

3 weeks ago | ismworld.org | Dan Zeiger |Sue Doerfler

Attendees at the R. Gene Richter Scholarship luncheon raise their glasses to toast the members of this year’s class at ISM World 2025 in Orlando, Florida, on Monday (Yannick Apers Photgraphy)For budding supply management students to seasoned and accomplished veterans, one of the most treasured events at an Institute for Supply Management Annual Conference is the luncheon honoring the R. Gene Richter Scholarship winners.
Today at #ISMWorld2025: Charity Challenge Builds Playhouses and Teamwork

3 weeks ago | ismworld.org | Dan Zeiger |Sue Doerfler

Having completed their shift in the ballroom at the Rosen Single Creek resort on Sunday, the team from Fortive Corporation made sure to pose for a picture in front of their handiwork. The five employees of the industrial technology company typically work on projects more complex than the pink playhouse behind them, but they nonetheless were satisfied in a job well done during the Team Charity Challenge at ISM World 2025, Institute for Supply Management®’s (ISM®) Annual Conference.
Supply Chain News Roundup: Employ ‘Plasticity’ to Respond Ahead of Disruption

1 month ago | ismworld.org | Sue Doerfler

Move over, resilience: Plasticity may well be the new buzzword supply management organizations need to concentrate on to have healthy supply chains amid tariffs and economic uncertainty. According to researchers at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and Texas Christian University (TCU), plasticity is the ability to respond ahead of unknown threats.
Tariffs: Two Companies, Two Approaches

1 month ago | ismworld.org | Sue Doerfler

Tariffs — and their on-again, off-again, up-and-down-and-up volatility — are causing companies to rethink where they manufacture and source from, their pricing strategies and bottom line. The lash industry is reliant on manufacturers in such countries as China, Korea and Indonesia. Sabeen Mian, New York-based president of Performance Beauty Group’s lash division, says tariffs will result in higher prices for consumers and potential product shortages.
U.S.-China Trade Deal: Supply Chain Implications

1 month ago | ismworld.org | Sue Doerfler

Supply management organizations and professionals — as well as consumers — can sigh in relief, at least for now: The U.S. and China have agreed to slash tariffs. “In reaching an agreement, the United States and China will each lower tariffs by 115 percent, while retaining an additional 10 percent tariff. Other U.S. measures will remain in place,” the White House said in a statement.