Plan your business. With most countries of Europe and America in a situation of either recession or no growth, many businesses will not experience an increase in sales. But for businesses in all regions of the world, profitability can be improved through a focus on improving business flows. Flows consist of items, money and information and too often they are … Read More
Forecasting seasonal sales
Its that time of year again. In some countries the Christmas season can be make or break for retailers selling discretionary merchandise (the stuff we might like to own but do not need). In the few weeks of December retailers can generate as much as half their annual sales and a quarter of their profits, so it is a big … Read More
Economic forecasts and supply chains
A recent forecast. When reading forecasts of economic effects on the performance of countries, logisticians are looking for indications of trends that may affect the flow of items and importantly, the business models of logistics service providers (LSPs). A recent forecast is the Manufacturing Competitiveness Index study, developed by Deloitte, in which 550 CEOs from around the world responded to … Read More
Taxes paid and your supply chains
Tax effective supply chains. Does the design of your supply chains have an impact on corporate taxes paid? If your business is a multi-national, it certainly does. For those who imagine that supply chains and logistics is solely about moving and storing things, the recent French government demand for U$252m in back taxes from Amazon and the Australian tax office … Read More
Disruption to your supply chains
Analysing risks in operations. The disruption caused in the north east states of America by the super storm once again illustrates how vulnerable are long supply chains. An integral part of senior roles in supply chains and logistics is to have answers for the ‘what-if’ questions concerning business risks. The areas of vulnerability for your business can be identified under … Read More