Uncertainty and Risk Although organisations that supply materials and components are theoretically linked with their suppliers and customers through supply chains, actions taken by parties in a supply chain are typically independent from those of other enterprises. These outcomes from an event are both Emergent and Cumulative, which cannot be predicted with any certainty. And, little or no control over … Read More
Demand Flow and Supply Chains make a Value Chain
Value in a business The Aim of a business is (or should be) to provide value for customers and end users. Value is the benefits a product (or service) offers its users and the level of satisfaction for the money spent. The challenge is to build value against competitive offerings and to identify and implement an improved value proposition. To … Read More
Lower cost of ownership for AI use in Supply Chains
A news item about AI The recent news item that few people will have missed was the launch of DeepSeek, an artificial intelligence (AI) tool set for use in commercial environments. Its total cost of ownership is reported to be substantially lower than the cost of currently available AI products developed in America. This announcement provides a long-term benefit for … Read More
Political promises and decisions about Supply Chains
Forecasts are always wrong For any forecast, always attach probabilities of them occurring. A current forecast is the threat to increase tariffs on all goods entering the US and for very high tariffs on goods from China. This was mentioned many times in the recent US election campaign speeches and has received much coverage in the media. As a repeated … Read More
Decisions for Supply Chains require Analytical Approach
Are decisions better? Has decision making become more complex? Although the impact of decisions about supply chains can extend across enterprises, are suppliers and customers involved? And is there clarity about which are strategic, tactical and operational decisions for supply chains and who is responsible? Most important, are decisions considered to be ‘better’ than those made in previous times? Survey … Read More