Category Archive

A major change Although circumstances around the world are always changing, there are periods of time when more dramatic change occurs. Such a period could be now, with ‘Globalisation’ as a geopolitical objective being replaced in some countries by ‘Nationalism’ and ‘Security’. Articles and podcast express concern about the increasing uncertainties in the world that could affect commercial decisions in … Read More

Uncertainty in supply chains a reality The three broad inputs to Uncertainty are Complexity and Variability, discussed in previous blogposts and Constraints. As an input to Uncertainty, Constraints have been a minor factor, but increasing geopolitical tensions and threats from climate change will make Constraints more visible. A Constraint (also called a bottleneck) is defined as ‘something that controls what … Read More

Complex and Complexity in Supply Chains The current disruptions in some supply chains provides Uncertainty for businesses concerning the future state of international trade and its effect on operating and investment decisions. But Uncertainty in supply chains contains three elements: Complexity, Variability and Constraints, which are closely linked, with Variability discussed in the previous blogpost. Being complex means that a … Read More

Lead Time has a cost Lead Time variability should be an important input for Operations Planning and Scheduling. However, although lead times are a factor in MRP calculations, few companies update lead times as they change, using the same values inputted when the ERP system was installed. As discussed in the previous blogpost, the lead time from a supplier is … Read More