Category Archive

Applications for Supply Chains Software tools and applications are enablers for gathering and storing data, then analysis and calculations; the output assists to assess options and make decisions. The most effective use within supply chains comes from tools and applications that are ‘fit for purpose’ and not a module that happens to reside in a corporate ‘integrated’ system. The previous … Read More

Managing S&OP A recent blogpost by Lora Cecere at Supply Chain Insights, identified reasons for companies failing to gain benefits from Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP). The main challenge is a lack of leadership to manage change in organisational culture. that recognises, plans and measures the business in an environment of flows within a complex, non-linear system. However, it is difficult for … Read More

Planning for disruptions Your successful enterprise cannot be ‘demand driven’ if it is not ‘supply supported’. Although your business is built on serving customers, they cannot click their finger (or keyboard) and everything just happens to satisfy the demand. A few years ago, an approach was promoted as ‘demand driven supply chains’. This implied that the supply chains group (Procurement, … Read More

One Plan for your Supply Chains The previous blogpost discussed how uncertainty and disruptions in supply chains are likely to be experienced for the foreseeable future. Reacting to events by ‘putting out fires’ looks good as a ‘can do’ attitude to impress others, but is an ineffective and expensive way to operate. As an alternative, your business can build a … Read More

Questions for a government This first blogpost for 2022 will note some changes that could occur, but over a longer horizon, than one year. These are not ‘trends’, but matters for consideration concerning how, if they gain momentum, they may affect your supply chains. For 2022, national governments have limited strategy options. Over the past two years it has become … Read More