A multinational consumer goods corporation initiated a comprehensive information system project for all its departments, manufacturing & logistics operations included. The lead person of the project was Dana, one of the corporation’s up-in-coming IT managers. Dana convened a working group comprised of senior heads of respective departments of the multinational’s various departments, i.e., finance, sales,Continue reading “Lessons from an IT & Logistics Mess”
Author Archives: Ellery
Industrial Engineers Don’t Need to be Certified
Many nations require engineers to be certified & registered before they can practice, or at least be recognised as authorities in their fields. Given that engineers, such as civil, mechanical, & electrical engineers, design & construct equipment & facilities which the ordinary public uses, it makes sense that governments insist engineers undergo extensive education &Continue reading “Industrial Engineers Don’t Need to be Certified”
The Reality Check
It happens all the time. We go to an off-site strategic planning session (or a seminar or workshop), bond with colleagues in teambuilding exercises, creatively come up with new ideas, and commit to action plans to implement them. As soon as we return to our workplaces, we go back to doing what we have alwaysContinue reading “The Reality Check”
A Supply Chain Vision with Specifics Would be a Remarkable Feat
Building the supply chain which we & our partners want begins with envisioning. We define a future state for the operational links between our enterprises and our suppliers, service providers, & customers in which we aim to achieve mutually beneficial strategic goals. A vision for our supply chains is not only a narrative about whatContinue reading “A Supply Chain Vision with Specifics Would be a Remarkable Feat”
Thirteen (13) Do’s & Don’ts in Supply Chain Envisioning
Before we change, improve, or build our supply chains, we must first have a vision. We must first agree with our partners what we want our supply chains to become. Envisioning is not an activity of a single individual or enterprise when it comes to transforming our supply chains. It requires consensus between stakeholders ofContinue reading “Thirteen (13) Do’s & Don’ts in Supply Chain Envisioning”
Engaging Engineers in Supply Chain Envisioning
Engineers are accustomed to working with tangible things like machines, electrical circuits, infrastructure (e.g., roads, bridges), plumbing, and information & automated technologies. They don’t quite get involved with intangibles like supply chains. Nevertheless, there is a need for supply chain engineers. Supply chain engineers (SCEs) study the input & output of activities occurring within andContinue reading “Engaging Engineers in Supply Chain Envisioning”
Envisioning: The First Step to Building Supply Chains
Supply chains are big, long, comprehensive, and complicated. Managing them means dealing with multiple customers, vendors & service providers. We buy and deliver from and to distant places or just next-door. We sell many types of products and handle much more in raw & packaging materials and in-process inventories. We move merchandise via elaborate sea,Continue reading “Envisioning: The First Step to Building Supply Chains”
How We Look at Life in Four Ways
There are four (4) kinds of people: Pessimists see only the bad in life. Optimists look for the good in things. Realists balance both good and bad. Hypocrites don’t have a view about good or bad; they see life as a means to gain benefits for themselves. Pessimism, optimism, realism, and hypocrisy are howContinue reading “How We Look at Life in Four Ways”
Strategic Planning as Problem Solving: Why Not?
We sometimes create problems more than we encounter them. A large conglomerate builds a huge packaging facility in the outskirts of Manila. When I visited the plant, I asked the operations manager why such a big facility was built? “We built the facility to attract customers,” the operations managers said. “So, it was built,Continue reading “Strategic Planning as Problem Solving: Why Not?”
Why We Need to Collaborate & Not Accommodate in Improving Supply Chains
We formalise our supply chain relationships via agreements we forge with our partners, who are our vendors, 3rd party service providers, & customers. We manage our supply chain operations to ensure we perform to the agreed expectations of our partners. Most supply chains have existing infrastructure in place when we negotiate with our partners. OurContinue reading “Why We Need to Collaborate & Not Accommodate in Improving Supply Chains”
Ellery's Essays 