There is no straightforward answer to this question. Supply chains have multiple stakeholders. These stakeholders consist of individuals and enterprises which serve as the links of the supply chains. Every enterprise also has an internal supply chain, which makes the people of the enterprise stakeholders to the larger supply chain. Stakeholders, therefore, would differ onContinue reading “What Do You Want from Supply Chains?”
Tag Archives: products
The Need for Clarity Before AI in Supply Chains
It’s near the end of 2025. Just about everyone is talking about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how technology firms are racing to capitalise on it. Executives want AI to be integral in just about every business area. That includes supply chains. Aside from all the automation firms are installing into their operations, executives are aimingContinue reading “The Need for Clarity Before AI in Supply Chains”
What’s the Metric for Resilience?
Many executives insist their organisations need to be resilient. Given all the adversities and disruptions businesses had experienced, it’s understandable to believe resilience is vital. Resilience is “an organization’s ability to adapt to and recover from disruptions, such as natural disasters or market shifts, while maintaining core operations and continuing to function.” But how doesContinue reading “What’s the Metric for Resilience?”
The Supply Chain Surrounds Every Product
The enterprise sells, its customers order, and the enterprise delivers. This constitutes the basic process of demand fulfilment. As the enterprise creates demand through marketing & sales, it fulfils it. The enterprise and the customer agree on the terms and conditions of the latter’s order. Delivery of the order should arrive at the right place,Continue reading “The Supply Chain Surrounds Every Product”
The Need to Change the Supply Chain
When a parcel arrives at my doorstep, I see myself at the end of a supply chain process—a process which involved multiple operations from procurement, manufacturing, to logistics. But I could care less. What mattered is I got my parcel and the items I ordered. The individuals in the respective supply chain processes which enabledContinue reading “The Need to Change the Supply Chain”
The Benefits & Pitfalls of Commodities Trading
A commodity trader at a food company observed that prices of coconut oil, an ingredient in most of the company’s products, was forecast to trend higher. He, therefore, ordered more than two (2) months’ supply of coconut oil, buying from several vendors who offered the lowest prices. When the coconut oil price indeed increased daysContinue reading “The Benefits & Pitfalls of Commodities Trading”
Avoiding the Wrong Supply Chain Strategy
One mistake enterprise owners make is to use the wrong supply chain strategy for their products. The effects can be costly. The following are some true-to-life cases: Many enterprise owners hire executives or engage consultants that have no knowledge or experience about the products they will work with. In many cases, the executives or consultantsContinue reading “Avoiding the Wrong Supply Chain Strategy”
Supply Chain Improvement Doesn’t Start with Fixing One’s Own Operations
It’s a popular notion that we fix our operations before we think about collaborating with our partners, i.e., vendors, service providers, & customers. We, after all, would like to show a position of productive strength when we negotiate with our partners as we try to convince them to enrol into whatever agenda we have (e.g.,Continue reading “Supply Chain Improvement Doesn’t Start with Fixing One’s Own Operations”
A Recap of Insights
From all that has been said and written about supply chains, perhaps a recap of insights is in order: Every enterprise, every organisation, and every firm have some sort of supply chain within it and beyond it. Enterprises procure ‘input,’ convert them to ‘output,’ and deliver the latter to customers. Enterprises which trade with oneContinue reading “A Recap of Insights”
Shifting the Supply Chain Management Paradigm
Supply chains consist of interdependent relationships within and between enterprises. No one enterprise dominates an entire supply chain, though many have tried. And because we who work in supply chains participate in these relationships, we need to learn to work with each other, if not together. We, therefore, require a paradigm shift. Most of usContinue reading “Shifting the Supply Chain Management Paradigm”
Ellery's Essays 