Tag Archives: logistics

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 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”

Developing the Right Demand Fulfilment Strategy

A large fast-food chain hired executives from a fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) multinational.   The owners of the fast-food chain wanted the best and the brightest and they thought that the former executives from the multinational FMCG would best meet their expectations.  They were almost right. The former executives spent a lot of time revamping theContinue reading “Developing the Right Demand Fulfilment Strategy”

Supply Chain Engineers Have Much to Offer

‘There were nearly 2.2 million mentions of “supply chain” on Twitter in the fourth quarter of 2021, some five times more than in any quarter in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic…’     Global supply chains were a mess in 2022, so it seems when one reads any business news article or video that year. SinceContinue reading “Supply Chain Engineers Have Much to Offer”

The Pros & Cons of Steady-Stream Supply Chains

The two (2) managers of the large multinational consumer goods corporation coined it steady-stream.  Both managers, one from sales and the other in charge of orders processing, agreed that the constant volume rushes every month-end were not acceptable.   It would be more beneficial to have a smooth flow of supply rather than a spike atContinue reading “The Pros & Cons of Steady-Stream Supply Chains”

‘I Don’t Believe in Supply Chains’

The retail owner didn’t believe in supply chain management and I don’t blame her.     The retail owner runs a store that sells office supplies.  Her business was hit by the coronavirus pandemic that began in 2020 but which she recovered from as soon as infections subsided and the local government lifted restrictions.  The retailContinue reading “‘I Don’t Believe in Supply Chains’”

Scarcity and Abundance Depend on What We Need and Where We Are

My bedroom gets sunlight for only a few minutes every morning.  Because my room faces the north-east and because there are trees nearby, the morning sun’s rays shine through my window for only a moment, passing through a break between the tree branches.  Then it’s gone, for the rest of the day.  The sun’s raysContinue reading “Scarcity and Abundance Depend on What We Need and Where We Are”

About The Supply Chain Engineer

Supply chain management has figured prominently in organisational priorities since Keith Oliver in a reported conversation with a Philips manager, Mr. Van t’Hof, coined the term in the 1970’s, and it has become even more so at the onset of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.  Supply chains are operational relationships made up of activities that transformContinue reading “About The Supply Chain Engineer”

Problems are Doorways to Opportunities

Since the start of 2021, semiconductor chips, which are used in cars, trucks, computers, and smart-phones, have been in short supply.  Supply has been so short that automotive companies have shut down assembly lines and consumer electronics corporations have delayed roll-outs of new products.  Bloomberg reported in its September 22, 2021 Supply Lines newsletter thatContinue reading “Problems are Doorways to Opportunities”