It’s hard to find a supply chain success story. Either there isn’t any or enterprises would prefer to keep it private, not wanting to share any secret they consider proprietary. Some so-called experts (ones like me who write blogs and claim they are) say companies like Apple, P&G, Walmart, and Toyota are supply chain successes. Continue reading “Collaboration: The Secret to Supply Chain Success”
Author Archives: Ellery
My Phones Die Once a Month
Every month, like clockwork, the telephones at my office and warehouse die. As in no dial tone. As in no one can call in and no one can call out. Sometimes they are dead for a few minutes; sometimes they are dead for a week. The point is they die at least once a month,Continue reading “My Phones Die Once a Month”
A Recap of Insights
From all that has been said and written about supply chains, perhaps a recap of insights is in order: Every enterprise, every organisation, and every firm have some sort of supply chain within it and beyond it. Enterprises procure ‘input,’ convert them to ‘output,’ and deliver the latter to customers. Enterprises which trade with oneContinue reading “A Recap of Insights”
Burning the Midnight Oil & the Work-Life Balance Myth
Not a very long time ago, people avoided working at night because they didn’t have enough light. But for those who did have to work at night, they had to make do with whatever source of light they had. Up to the early 20th century, people had little in the way of light after dusk. Continue reading “Burning the Midnight Oil & the Work-Life Balance Myth”
I Build Supply Chains, So What?
“We do not share a common definition of supply chain management across the industry. Just take a look at the various professional associations to which you belong. Procurement organizations and logistics associations alike claim supply chain management as their expertise. And to be fair, APICS, which defines supply chain management from end to end, hasContinue reading “I Build Supply Chains, So What?”
Working What We Have vs. Changing What We Work With
We who are supply chain managers have their hands full doing their jobs. The problem is we work with what we only have. Executives of enterprises determine our scopes; executives also decide what resources & assets we will have at our disposal or have authority over. Supply chains extend beyond the borders of enterprises, andContinue reading “Working What We Have vs. Changing What We Work With”
Shifting the Supply Chain Management Paradigm
Supply chains consist of interdependent relationships within and between enterprises. No one enterprise dominates an entire supply chain, though many have tried. And because we who work in supply chains participate in these relationships, we need to learn to work with each other, if not together. We, therefore, require a paradigm shift. Most of usContinue reading “Shifting the Supply Chain Management Paradigm”
The Last Squirrel
There was a time when every early morning, I’d see a family of squirrels scamper on the treetops above our yard. The squirrels would leap from one branch to the other, from one tree to the next, searching for something to eat. The squirrels ate anything they’d find edible, from small fruits & seeds toContinue reading “The Last Squirrel”
Climate Change vs. Pollution: Collaboration Comes First
When I was in elementary school, I had an assignment to write & present a report on pollution. It was the 1970s and pollution was a global issue; politicians and the press were talking about it as a crisis that needed to be addressed. My report to the class explained what pollution was and IContinue reading “Climate Change vs. Pollution: Collaboration Comes First”
Pets Are Worth It…I Think
Having animals for pets help us stay healthy and happy. Or so we say. My family household adopted four (4) birds, ten (10) cats, and four (4) dogs. We clean the bird cages and feed the pets every early morning and late afternoon, with periods of snacks in-between. Our big dog, Lucas, always vies forContinue reading “Pets Are Worth It…I Think”
Ellery's Essays 