Threat to Outbound Logistics. For most businesses, internal Logistics is where supply chain professionals maintain the balance between inbound and outbound Logistics. But what success can be expected from working independently from other functions? Inbound Logistics can experience change caused by the effects of decisions by suppliers, service providers, natural emergencies and external (i.e. government). However, an increasing threat of change … Read More
Availability is provided from within the Master Plan
Planning for Availability. Providing Availability is what Logistics does. The role of Logistics is ‘the time related positioning of items and resources that provide Availability of goods and services for customers’. Availability is achieved through four planning (thinking and calculating) functions: Customer Service logistics – planning inventory, distribution, storage and transport Conversion logistics – planning product manufacturing or the final assembly, … Read More
Manage eCommerce as another channel of distribution
Towards Omni-channel. The underlying processes and techniques of ordering from suppliers, moving and storing items and delivering orders to customers are well established. It is the progressive implementation and use of technologies which has enabled refinement and improvement through supply chains. Over the past forty years, the introduction and increasing use of home computers, mobile communications, warehouse automation and improved … Read More
An external decision can affect your supply chains
Decisions about imports and inventory. Holding inventory is one approach to reducing the sales risk of not satisfying customer demands. In most situations, inventory management (policy, planning and control) is based on internal organisation guidelines, but what about an external decision that could influence your inventory decisions? The blog Supply Chains can change but not for your reasons illustrates that … Read More
Know the promise of new technologies for supply chains
Perceptions and actual situations. If you were asked whether investment in Information and Communications technologies (ICT) was good for your country’s economy, it is likely the answer would be yes; but would you be correct? A recent evaluation of 59 econometric studies of developed and developing countries, by academics from Deakin University in Melbourne, identified that although ICT was in … Read More