Relationships and power in Supply Chains are critical

Roger OakdenLogistics Management, Procurement, Supply Chains & Supply Networks

Negotiation concepts

Relationships and power. Relationships in Supply Chains are not static; as corporate policy and the broader business environment change, so will the dynamics between buyer and seller. My previous post ‘Business strategy decisions and Supply Chain outcomes’ discussed the effect on Logistics from a change to a retailer’s pricing policy. But changing the pricing mechanism is also an example of … Read More

Business strategy decisions and Supply Chain outcomes

Roger OakdenLogistics Management, Procurement, Supply Chains & Supply Networks

Department store view

Decisions and costs. Your CEO makes an announcement about a change in policy. The statement may sound straightforward, but must Supply Chains be changed to meet the new objective? And does the CEO understand what the Supply Chain professionals will need to do and by when? These questions were highlighted by the actions of a major discount department store chain … Read More

Better decisions – is more and better data the answer?

Roger OakdenLogistics Management, Procurement, Supply Chains & Supply Networks

Make a decision

Data and decisions. Put more and ‘better’ Supply Chain data in the hands of decision makers – does it result in better decisions? In articles written about big data, internet of things and other such technology advances, there appears to be an underlying acceptance that the hypothesis is proven  – but is this correct? The question was asked in relation … Read More

Position your Logistics Service Provider firm for growth

Roger OakdenLogistics Management, Supply Chains & Supply Networks

Trucks at a distribution centre

The LSP market. What business development options does a mid-size Logistics Services Provider (LSP) have, given the forecasts for growth in world trade? Is it a ‘glass half full or half empty’ scenario – plan for growth or continuing slowdown? These thoughts occurred recently when a large 3PL in Australia (although mid-size in world terms) announced their intention to commence … Read More

Steps in developing a successful Supply Chain strategy

Roger OakdenLogistics Management, Procurement, Supply Chains & Supply Networks

Strategy Pyramid Stack

Who knows your Supply Chain strategy? The Supply Chain strategy of your organisation could be a hidden surprise to most employees or even managers. To understand the situation, consultants with a brief to identify improvements in areas such as profitability, productivity and new product introduction may often commence their assignment with an exercise. A blank card is given to a … Read More