We are only as productive as that of our vendors and customers. If vendors don’t deliver the materials we need when we need it, we wouldn’t be able to make available products no matter how efficient our manufacturing & logistics operations are. And if customers habitually cancel or change their orders which they booked withContinue reading “Engineering Supply Chain Productivity”
Category Archives: The Supply Chain Engineer
Building the Entrepreneur’s Business via Supply Chains
All businesses begin from entrepreneurship, in which creative individuals turn ideas into profitable realities. There had been many who tried their luck as entrepreneurs. Many failed; some succeeded. It didn’t matter if the products or services entrepreneurs introduced seemed mundane or looked grandiose. What mattered was that entrepreneurs worked hard to develop their ideas intoContinue reading “Building the Entrepreneur’s Business via Supply Chains”
Who’s Responsible for Collections?
It’s a question that bothers many organizations. Who should be responsible for collecting debts from customers? Some people say it should be Sales, because a sale to a customer ends not with an order that is delivered but with an order that is collected. Others say it should be the Supply Chain, particularly Logistics, orContinue reading “Who’s Responsible for Collections?”
Why Does It Take So Long?
I looked at the bottom of a dog food can at the pet shop to check its expiration date. It said “10/26/2026,” but the production date said “10/27/2023.” I concluded the dog food was safe as I bought the can of dog food on May 25, 2024. I thought, however: why was the production dateContinue reading “Why Does It Take So Long?”
Flagships & Anchors
Every enterprise has a flagship. A flagship is an enterprise’s leading product. It’s the brand that customers identify with the enterprise or it’s the enterprise’s number one item in terms of customer popularity or sales. We know The Coca-Cola Company by its flagship namesake, Coca-Cola. Likewise, we know the Pepsico corporation from its Pepsi lineContinue reading “Flagships & Anchors”
It’s Not Only About ROI
The chief executive officer of a multinational consumer goods corporation handed down an edict: he won’t approve any project unless the proponent presents a justifiable return on investment (ROI). Whether it be an investment in new facilities, hiring of additional staff, or a promotion of a new product, the CEO won’t let an undertaking pushContinue reading “It’s Not Only About ROI”
Solving Problems Before They Become Calamities
Starbucks Corporation had reported lower sales in the second quarter of its fiscal year ending March 31, 2024. This led to the coffee chain company’s stock price tumbling by as much as 12% on April 30, 2024. Starbucks’ chief executive officer, Laxman Narasimhan, cited customers abandoning their app orders because of very long waiting timesContinue reading “Solving Problems Before They Become Calamities”
Solving Problems in the Midst of Crises
We who are supply chain veterans have encountered many crises in our operations. Over the decades since Keith Oliver (and Mr. Van t’Hoff) coined the term, supply chain management, we have had our share of challenging crises. But even as many enterprises recognise their critical importance, supply chains remained a not well understood branch ofContinue reading “Solving Problems in the Midst of Crises”
Engineering for Versatility, Not Resilience
When we analyse the gaps in our supply chain operations, it isn’t just about how wide the differences are in how we’re performing versus what we’re aiming for. It won’t only be about variances between targeted & actual results, but it will also be about how well we respond to and handle risks now andContinue reading “Engineering for Versatility, Not Resilience”
Engineering for Risk
The earthquake that hit Kobe, Japan in on January 17, 1995 lasted about twenty (20) seconds but with a magnitude of 7.3 on the Richter scale, it was enough to kill 6,400 people and damage up to 120,000 structures. The disaster disrupted the nation’s economy as the earthquake destroyed Kobe’s seaport, wrecked railways, roads &Continue reading “Engineering for Risk”
Ellery's Essays 