“Operational Excellence” has been used for decades across the supply chain industry. No matter your organization’s specific definition, Operational Excellence is the ability to serve your customers at the right time and at the right cost. At the 3PL I worked for, operational excellence was defined as a roof supported by five pillars – safety, communication, financials, talent development, and quality. The most common failure point of operational excellence has always been poor labor management.
Read the entire article on page 54 in SupplyChainBrain’s 2026 Resource Guide: Girding for the Future: It’s a Job for Humans.