Ellery

In Cost Reduction, Context Matters

It’s a commonly asked question from business leaders. ‘How can we reduce costs?’ Answers arrive almost immediately. Reduce head counts. Buy cheaper stuff. Cut overtime. Save energy. The list goes on. A large multinational corporation initiated a ‘cost improvement program.’ Departments were asked to submit reports on cost improvement projects they initiated and implemented. ThoseContinue reading “In Cost Reduction, Context Matters”

I am an Engineer Even If People May Not Think So

In a meeting of a building association’s board of trustees, the building administrator recommended purchase of a flange-type water sub-meter to monitor the loss of water from the building’s cooling towers. I suggested the engineer look at other ways to measure the water flow as the water meter would cost PhP 40,000 ($USD 666 approximately). Continue reading “I am an Engineer Even If People May Not Think So”

How Many Depots Does Your Business Need?

The large consumer goods company where I used to work as shipping manager had a central warehouse which served customers via distributors in different regions of the country. My former boss boasted then that the company saved plenty of money from not having depots. A company that sells laptops & printers utilises a 3rd partyContinue reading “How Many Depots Does Your Business Need?”

Central vs. Depots: A Case of a Seemingly Straightforward Solution to a Seemingly Straightforward Problem

My boss at the consumer goods corporation in the Philippines where I worked a long time ago told me the company didn’t need warehouses in the provinces. A central warehouse in the national capital, Manila, would be enough. The field salespeople in the provinces disagreed. Having provincial depots assured on-hand inventories of finished products forContinue reading “Central vs. Depots: A Case of a Seemingly Straightforward Solution to a Seemingly Straightforward Problem”

Seeking Success from Order-to-Delivery Systems

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”

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?”