In November 2022, this happened: One month earlier, in Manila, Philippines (and similarly in other places around the world), this also happened: And from mid-year 2022 to April 2023, as demand for travel spiked after many countries lifted three (3) years of coronavirus pandemic restrictions: When demand for products & services and enterprises are unableContinue reading “What Should We Do When There’s Clamour?”
Category Archives: The Supply Chain Engineer
What Our Superiors Expect
Customers expect perfection in service. But what do our superiors expect? For those among us who are supply chain professionals or managers, we answer to our employers, our superiors or bosses, the owners and executives who rule the enterprises we work for. And as much as customers expect us to be perfect in serving them,Continue reading “What Our Superiors Expect”
What Our Customers Expect
What do our customers expect from us? The Total Quality movement from the 1980’s preached that the people we work with are either “suppliers” or “customers.” We played the role of either one. The idea of TQM was to do the right thing right the first time when we, as “suppliers,” serve our “customers.” WeContinue reading “What Our Customers Expect”
Three (3) Real-Life Cases of Demand Fulfilment
We fulfil demand in different ways. For instance, we make products available such as at store shelves. Another example is we customise and deliver based on what our customers order. We encounter challenges in fulfilling demand, however. And we sometimes don’t know we do. I went to a newly opened convenience store one SundayContinue reading “Three (3) Real-Life Cases of Demand Fulfilment”
Demand Fulfilment Begins Before the Order, Not After
As managers of our enterprises. we entice our customers to select our products & services. Once our customers show interest in the items we are selling, the demand creation process comes closer to ending, and the demand fulfilment comes closer to beginning. Hence, we don’t wait for customers to order when we start the fulfilmentContinue reading “Demand Fulfilment Begins Before the Order, Not After”
The Order-Winning Operations Strategy
We, whether we are executives, entrepreneurs, or employees, face challenges and disruptions every day. Most of us have goals or at least have things we want to realise or get done. We hate it when we run into obstacles. We therefore develop strategies to anticipate and overcome them, if not get around them. Goals areContinue reading “The Order-Winning Operations Strategy”
Formulating the Operations Strategy
Every enterprise has a strategy. Not all have an operations strategy. A strategy is not a vision nor is it a mission. A strategy is also not a goal and nor is it an action plan. A vision is a desired future state. Where do we want to be 1 to 5 years from now?Continue reading “Formulating the Operations Strategy”
Dissecting Demand and Its Four (4) Stages
What do we think of when we discuss demand? We tap it, capture it, deliver it, and get people to pay for it, but do we really know what it is? We equal demand with how long a line is at a restaurant, or by the sheer number of customers at a shop. We sayContinue reading “Dissecting Demand and Its Four (4) Stages”
The Supply Chain Orchestra
In August of 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait. The United States of America led a coalition of nations to counter the invasion via a military campaign that started with Operation Desert Shield and then with Operation Desert Storm. In November 1990, General Fred Franks, Jr., commander of the US Army VII Corps, deployed the Corps’ fiveContinue reading “The Supply Chain Orchestra”
What to Do with Unserved Orders
A global fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) corporation had set up a contact centre in Singapore to centralise sales orders management in the Asia-Pacific region. Customers and field sales of the Southeast Asian market of the FMCG company would inquire or send their orders via email, SMS, or via internet calls to the Singapore office. TheContinue reading “What to Do with Unserved Orders”
Ellery's Essays 