There are many things we like supply chains to be. Popular examples are resilient, sustainable, and agile. For some of those at the end of the chain, they’d simply want them to be dependable or on time, especially when it comes to deliveries. And for many supply chain professionals, they’d want vendor supplies to beContinue reading “What the Supply Chain Must Be”
Tag Archives: management
The Benefits of Management By Walking Around
Some of us may remember Management by Walking Around. It was a buzz phrase from the 1980’s, credited to Hewlett-Packard executives and made popular from the book, In Search of Excellence, by Tom Peters and Robert Waterman. Management by Walking Around (also known as Management by Wandering Around) or just MBWA for short, is essentiallyContinue reading “The Benefits of Management By Walking Around”
Multi-Tasking: Burning the Candle at Both Ends
We work in a world where multitasking is the norm. If we don’t work on at least two (2) things at the same time, chances are we won’t get much done in a day. Some of us admire those who multi-task while some others frown on those who do. Those who are against multitasking argueContinue reading “Multi-Tasking: Burning the Candle at Both Ends”
It Always Takes Longer
The workout app said my morning exercise routine won’t take more than 60 minutes. It’s right; from when I start my first weightlifting set to my last, it’s about an hour. However, if I include the time to change to & from my gym attire, setting up & putting away my equipment, and the showering,Continue reading “It Always Takes Longer”
Why We Need Policies and Why They Can Make or Break A Business
A young businessman had set up a wholesale business selling consumer goods in downtown Manila. His competitors, however, told him he won’t succeed. Competition was indeed fierce. There were several wholesalers already established and they sold at cut-throat prices at razor-thin profit margins. To get market share, the new wholesaler would have to offer betterContinue reading “Why We Need Policies and Why They Can Make or Break A Business”
Beware the Balanced Scorecard and Other Buzzwords
Executives of a multinational corporation mandated the roll-out of the Balanced Scorecard (BSc) throughout the organisation. Departments such as Sales, Marketing, Research & Development (R&D), Human Resources, Manufacturing, Logistics, & Purchasing were required to present key performance indices (KPIs) to upper management and show corresponding targets & action plans. Department managers immediately attended BSc seminarsContinue reading “Beware the Balanced Scorecard and Other Buzzwords”
Are You Looking for a Problem?
In the 1980’s, Procter & Gamble had a cost improvement program dubbed “Deliberate Change.” The purpose of the program was to tap all levels of the P&G organization to find ways to reduce cost. The Deliberate Change program encouraged P&G employees to look for ways to reduce costs. There were extensive training programs focused onContinue reading “Are You Looking for a Problem?”
Thirteen (13) Do’s & Don’ts in Supply Chain Envisioning
Before we change, improve, or build our supply chains, we must first have a vision. We must first agree with our partners what we want our supply chains to become. Envisioning is not an activity of a single individual or enterprise when it comes to transforming our supply chains. It requires consensus between stakeholders ofContinue reading “Thirteen (13) Do’s & Don’ts in Supply Chain Envisioning”
Envisioning: The First Step to Building Supply Chains
Supply chains are big, long, comprehensive, and complicated. Managing them means dealing with multiple customers, vendors & service providers. We buy and deliver from and to distant places or just next-door. We sell many types of products and handle much more in raw & packaging materials and in-process inventories. We move merchandise via elaborate sea,Continue reading “Envisioning: The First Step to Building Supply Chains”
Strategic Planning as Problem Solving: Why Not?
We sometimes create problems more than we encounter them. A large conglomerate builds a huge packaging facility in the outskirts of Manila. When I visited the plant, I asked the operations manager why such a big facility was built? “We built the facility to attract customers,” the operations managers said. “So, it was built,Continue reading “Strategic Planning as Problem Solving: Why Not?”
Ellery's Essays 