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”
Tag Archives: crisis
We Need Engineers to Solve Supply Chain Problems, Not Managers
We encounter lots of problems with supply chains. Customers complain about late and incomplete deliveries; Vendors charge higher prices for materials; Some products turned out defective; Manufacturing didn’t follow the production plan; Trucks didn’t show up to load for delivery; Expenses are running over budget; We don’t have enough skilled people for our operations. ButContinue reading “We Need Engineers to Solve Supply Chain Problems, Not Managers”
Negotiations Won’t Solve Our Supply Chain Crisis
During a Philippine Senate hearing conducted on June 21, 2023, the chief commercial officer of Cebu Pacific Airlines apologised for recent passenger service disruptions in which he added: “We recognize that global supply chain issues are further worsening the situation and causing additional delays in aircraft deliveries. As a result, we have experienced delays rangingContinue reading “Negotiations Won’t Solve Our Supply Chain Crisis”
Challenges & Crises: The Two Types of Problems We Tackle in Business
We encounter all kinds of problems every day. And they go by different names, such as: Dilemmas Situations Emergencies Obstacles Opportunities Illnesses Chaos Curiosities Puzzles Conflicts Projects Competitions Controversies Complaints Burning Platforms These problems, especially while managing our enterprises, end up as either of two types: Challenges Crises We categorise the issues clamouring for ourContinue reading “Challenges & Crises: The Two Types of Problems We Tackle in Business”
Burning Platforms and How to Prevent Them
A proprietor who sells electrical products was experiencing a dramatic drop in sales. He hires a consultant who comes from a large multinational corporation and asks him what can be done. The consultant suggests that the proprietor develop a vision, mission, objectives, and strategies (VMOS) for his business. The consultant conducts a team-building session withContinue reading “Burning Platforms and How to Prevent Them”
How NOT to Manage a Crisis
My manager apologized for coming in late for the meeting. She came from her home at Marikina but got stuck in traffic because she couldn’t use the LRT-2 commuter train. The LRT-2 station nearest to her home has been closed since October when two (2) rectifier transformers tripped and caused a fire. (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/four-4-starting-points-getting-reliability-you-want-ellery-samuel-lim/) The LightContinue reading “How NOT to Manage a Crisis”
