There I was. The shipping manager of a multinational consumer goods corporation. Pending orders were piling up. Sales & marketing managers were calling, asking, and following up why shipments weren’t arriving at stores. The manufacturing lines were running. The warehouse was full. The shipping department was loading trucks. Why weren’t orders being served? There wasContinue reading “Seeking Success from Order-to-Delivery Systems”
Author Archives: Ellery
What is the Aim of Serving Orders?
The CEO of the consumer goods multinational put me on the hot seat. “Why aren’t we serving these pending orders?” He pointed to the pages of computer printouts on the conference room table. I didn’t understand why I was the only one there. Where was the chief supply chain officer or the logistics director? ItContinue reading “What is the Aim of Serving Orders?”
Don’t Underestimate an Old-Fashioned Manual Inventory System
Ben (not his real name) was the warehouse-in-charge person at a printing press company. His job, as the title suggests, was to receive, store, and issue materials and products going to and coming from the printing press’s production lines. Ben tracked the inventories of items via his Daily Warehouse Status Report (DWSR). It essentially wasContinue reading “Don’t Underestimate an Old-Fashioned Manual Inventory System”
Inventory: When It’s More of a Problem Than It is an Asset
Inventory consists of items owned by enterprises and which flow through supply chains. Items include raw & packaging materials, ingredients, parts, components, assemblies & sub-assemblies, work-in-process, and finished products. People aren’t inventory nor are equipment or assets which enable the transformation, storage, handling, or conveyance of items. Inventory typically also does not include operating supplies,Continue reading “Inventory: When It’s More of a Problem Than It is an Asset”
What Makes a Supply Chain Visible?
This is the third (3rd) time I’m correcting myself regarding Supply Chain Visibility. I erred in my first essay published on June 01, 2020, We Need Better Monitoring Systems, when I said: “two things comprise a monitoring system: visibility and guidance.” And I erred again in my second essay dated December 09, 2025, Supply Chain Visibility:Continue reading “What Makes a Supply Chain Visible?”
Both Hard Work and Luck are Essential to Success
There are self-proclaimed experts who would tell you to “do what you love” and “follow your passion.” They’d say that the financial rewards would come naturally. I had been hearing these lines for years and I can tell you they’re hogwash. What I did learn was that hard work and luck were essential to success. Continue reading “Both Hard Work and Luck are Essential to Success”
Waiting for My Car’s Licence Plates—A Case of Urgency vs. Importance
I bought a new car on April 29. The dealer via the Philippines’ transportation bureau, the Land Transportation Office (LTO), gave me the registration papers twenty-seven (27) days later on May 26. The licence plates were finally released on June 17, twenty-two (22) days after the registration papers and forty-nine (49) days total from theContinue reading “Waiting for My Car’s Licence Plates—A Case of Urgency vs. Importance”
Goodbye, Sky
My home’s solar panels don’t start generating until 8am every morning. A nearby high-rise building to the east of my home obstructs the rays from the rising sun, preventing my house’s roof-mounted solar panels from generating electricity. The same happens at 4pm when another high-rise to the southwest blocks the sun. My home, therefore, onlyContinue reading “Goodbye, Sky”
Avoiding ‘We’ in Writing
I had been using ‘we’ in my essays and in conversations. Priests & pastors after all use them often in their sermons. I had surmised that using ‘we’ provided an interpersonal connection with the audiences I address. Some advice gleaned from the Internet, however, tell me to avoid using personal pronouns and that I shouldContinue reading “Avoiding ‘We’ in Writing”
Solving Urgent Problems in Supply Chains
A shipping manager of a medium-sized consumer goods company is dispatching deliveries one morning. One of the company’s trucks unfortunately won’t start. The driver says the battery is dead. The truck is loaded with products a customer ordered and is waiting to receive. The truck is twenty (20) years old, and the manager already securedContinue reading “Solving Urgent Problems in Supply Chains”
Ellery's Essays 