Many of our enterprises do Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP). And each of us does it differently. Because we each have our own way of doing S&OP, the results vary from one organisation to the next. It’s no surprise, then, that there would be criticism over S&OP. The absence of uniformity drives us to compareContinue reading “The Challenge of Working Together in Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP)”
Tag Archives: manufacturing
The Three (3) Supply Chain Cycles
Supply chains span from sources to users, passing from one enterprise to the next. And we cannot manage supply chains on our own. We need to work together with vendors, customers, and service providers in procuring, producing, and delivering the goods & services. We, perhaps, see supply chains and our individual place in them likeContinue reading “The Three (3) Supply Chain Cycles”
ESG is an Enemy of Productivity
Our enterprises are under a lot of pressure to comply with Environmental, Social, & Governance (ESG) mandates. Political leaders & activists have demanded that firms pursue sustainability of resources, climate change mitigation, cultural & social diversity, and ethical & legal responsibilities in our workplaces & professional relationships. So-called pundits (people who call themselves experts orContinue reading “ESG is an Enemy of Productivity”
What is Your Supply Chain Doctrine?
In our modern world of the 21st century, supply chains are the lifeblood of enterprises. We rely on the procurement, manufacture, and logistics for the supply of essential products & execution of services. Supply chains, given their breadths & complexities, are not easy to manage. We who work in them know that supply chains spanContinue reading “What is Your Supply Chain Doctrine?”
How Realistic is a Supply Chain Vision?
Many entrepreneurs have invented all kinds of applications for a variety of uses. We have apps to help in our finances, make music, learn new languages, find places we’ve never visited, make reservations, book rides, and buy tickets. The one app we (still) don’t have is the one that makes & delivers products. I wouldn’tContinue reading “How Realistic is a Supply Chain Vision?”
Five Characteristics of Supply Chains
Supply chains had become popular in the 2020’s, thanks greatly to the era of the coronavirus pandemic when our world experienced major economic disruptions in transportation, production, and deliveries. Because of aggravations such as missed deliveries, shortages, and overstocked inventories, we pledged we’d do better in managing our supply chains. But we hadn’t done muchContinue reading “Five Characteristics of Supply Chains”
A Primer on the Process of Order Creation & Fulfilment
The process of customer order creation and fulfilment is a core task of many enterprises. An order creation & fulfilment process in a business-to-business (B2B) relationship typically consists of the following steps: Propose: Enterprise via marketing & sales presents product or service (i.e. item) to customers. Request: Customer expresses interest Quote: Enterprise provides prices, terms,Continue reading “A Primer on the Process of Order Creation & Fulfilment”
The Science Behind Management & Why We Need Engineering
In March of 1911, Frederick Winslow Taylor’s The Principles of Scientific Management debuted to the public. It was the height of the Industrial Revolution in the United States of America. Corporations were mass producing items and many Americans were employed in factories. Mr. Taylor’s Principles couldn’t have come at a better time as when itContinue reading “The Science Behind Management & Why We Need Engineering”
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”
Value Chains, Supply Chains, & Our Wrong Mindsets
Michael Porter introduced the Value Chain model in his seminal book, Competitive Advantage,1 in 1985. The value chain broke down activities of the firm (the enterprise) and how they collectively contribute to the value of products & services. How well activities perform and interrelate would manifest in the margins, which are the difference between valueContinue reading “Value Chains, Supply Chains, & Our Wrong Mindsets”
