Material losses happen in every industry. From the time a raw material is mined, extracted, or harvested, to the point where it finally is transformed and delivered as a finished product, there will be some loss along the way. Not all merchandise that comes into an operation comes out 100% intact in the finished product. Continue reading “Reducing Losses, Whatever the Type, Whatever the Scale”
Author Archives: Ellery
Hoarding and How to Discourage It
When people buy a little more than what they usually need, we call it speculation. When they buy much, much more, we call it hoarding. What happens when people hoard? Do the enterprises that supply the goods gain in sales and profits? Do hoarders make money? Hoarding happens when people perceive they might not beContinue reading “Hoarding and How to Discourage It”
Improving the Customer Experience and Gaining Higher Productivity
An automotive service centre in Manila, Philippines advertises that it opens at 8:00am. The doors actually open, however, around 8:15am. Employees time in before and after 8am but pass through the washroom before heading to their desks. A waiting client who would have arrived at 8:00am would probably be served earliest at 8:30am. The automotiveContinue reading “Improving the Customer Experience and Gaining Higher Productivity”
Why and How Banks Should Improve their Services
In the late 1990’s, Asiatrust Development Bank, a relatively newcomer to the Philippine banking industry, expanded its banking hours from 8:30am to 6:00pm. It was a break from the traditional 10:00am to 3:00pm schedule that was the mainstay of other Philippine banks. Many small businesses and individuals particularly those who worked until evenings, flocked andContinue reading “Why and How Banks Should Improve their Services”
Competitive & Non-Competitive Priorities and How to Deal with Them
In several firms I’ve worked with, I couldn’t help but notice that supply chain managers would sometimes be engrossed with priorities regarding compliance to government-mandated occupational safety & health standards. They would have long meetings and spend much time on the nitty-gritties of reports to be filed and procedures to follow. But in the followingContinue reading “Competitive & Non-Competitive Priorities and How to Deal with Them”
What Collaboration Is and Is Not
Collaboration denotes a cooperative working relationship between parties which leads to mutual benefits. It’s not commonly observed in industries and supply chains despite the potential benefits it can bring. This is because it’s not easy to do and in the first place, many business executives don’t think it’s worth the trouble. Many enterprises, small businessesContinue reading “What Collaboration Is and Is Not”
How Maintenance Can Make the Difference Towards Victory or Defeat
On October 6, 1973, Egyptian and Syrian military forces launched attacks on Israel. It was Yom Kippur, Israel’s holiest religious holiday and despite defensive contingencies, the Jewish state’s citizens were taken by surprise as thousands of tanks, artillery pieces, and soldiers invaded the Golan Heights at the north and at the Sinai Peninsula at theContinue reading “How Maintenance Can Make the Difference Towards Victory or Defeat”
The Three Capacity Types
How much can we make? How much can we buy? How much can we deliver? These are typical questions executives ask their managers all the time. Executives often want straightforward answers; they’d rather be spared the complicated assumptions behind any of them. Calculating capacities can be a headache. It’s never really as straightforward as aContinue reading “The Three Capacity Types”
The Nimble Supply Chain: Is It Even Possible?
Managers like things to turn out elegant. A well-laid out factory that produces flawlessly. A warehouse with more than enough storage space and material-handling equipment. A complete fleet of trucks that delivers all the orders without delay. A smoothly running purchasing system in which supplies and materials are bought at the best price and arriveContinue reading “The Nimble Supply Chain: Is It Even Possible?”
DRP, Deployment and the Role of the Supply Chain Engineer
Distribution Resource Planning (DRP) was my first assignment as supply chain planner for a large consumer goods firm. It was the late 1980’s and Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP 2) was at the height of popularity in the corporate world. The company I was working for was embarking on integrating MRP 2 in anContinue reading “DRP, Deployment and the Role of the Supply Chain Engineer”
Ellery's Essays 