Technologies and their applications. The three main functions of an organisation’s Supply Chains are Procurement, Operations Planning and Logistics. To improve the performance and productivity of supply chains, technology investments are made and typically justified within a capital expenditure (Capex). The requirement is for the investment to exceed the organisation’s return on investment (ROI) ‘hurdle’ rate. The justification process places … Read More
Electric powered vehicles and ‘last mile’ deliveries
Internal combustion engine has a limited life. Managing transport in an effective and efficient manner is a core requirement of an enterprise selling goods. While the physical part of transport operations will be undertaken by either a 3PL organisation or the in-house transport department, developing and implementing the strategy is a role for your supply chain group. Among the reasons … Read More
Changes that could be critical to your supply chains
Change is not just technologies. Three recent events emphasise that changes to supply chains over the next 10 – 15 years are unlikely to be driven by new technologies. Instead change will come from economic, political and environmental events and movements. The first event (economic) was an update about the three main shipping container alliances. These influence close to 80 … Read More
Agile supply chains require apps for Assemble to Order
IT applications which meet the need. Commentators are telling us that to be successful, manufacturers and distributors operating in an ‘on-demand’ economy will require to integrate the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing and multiple other technologies. But what they do not write about are the software requirements to plan the flow of materials and resources through an Agile supply … Read More
Innovations require effective planning of supply chains
Innovation and Continuous Improvement. Media articles and programmes that are focused on innovative technologies for business make much of the technical aspects, sometimes address the social (i.e employment) aspects, but rarely discuss the required integrated systems challenges. We have been there before in the 1980’s, with the advent of innovations associated with computer integrated manufacturing (CIM). It went through the … Read More