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”
Tag Archives: products
Building the Entrepreneur’s Business via Supply Chains
All businesses begin from entrepreneurship, in which creative individuals turn ideas into profitable realities. There had been many who tried their luck as entrepreneurs. Many failed; some succeeded. It didn’t matter if the products or services entrepreneurs introduced seemed mundane or looked grandiose. What mattered was that entrepreneurs worked hard to develop their ideas intoContinue reading “Building the Entrepreneur’s Business via Supply Chains”
Flagships & Anchors
Every enterprise has a flagship. A flagship is an enterprise’s leading product. It’s the brand that customers identify with the enterprise or it’s the enterprise’s number one item in terms of customer popularity or sales. We know The Coca-Cola Company by its flagship namesake, Coca-Cola. Likewise, we know the Pepsico corporation from its Pepsi lineContinue reading “Flagships & Anchors”
Discerning What We Can Change versus What We Cannot
A long time ago I tried to start a business in which I’d deliver basic consumer products to small provincial stores. I’d buy products from major wholesalers and sell them at small profit margins. I’d offer my customers products at close to wholesale prices and I’d deliver items as soon as there were ordered. AsContinue reading “Discerning What We Can Change versus What We Cannot”
Managing Inventory
One common priority we have as supply chain managers is managing inventories. We make items available when needed but at the same time make sure we don’t have too much that ties up our enterprises’ money. Sometimes, inventory management takes so much of our time that it dominates our job more than anything else. InventoryContinue reading “Managing Inventory”
We are Consumers in a Take-It-or-Leave-It World
I’ll never fly, Emirates, the Dubai-based airline, ever again. At least I’ll avoid it as much as I could. The Emirates flight I took from Manila to Dubai was horrible. I had a economy seat in which I could not get the in-flight entertainment system to work. The flight attendants ignored my requests for assistance. Continue reading “We are Consumers in a Take-It-or-Leave-It World”
Products & Services: What’s the Difference and How Do We Maximise Their Value?
What’s the difference between a product and a service? A product is an item of value that benefits a user. A service is an activity that leads to the benefits for those availing of it. Products are tangible, i.e., as in solid, liquid, gas, or energy, or as virtual (e.g. software, streaming videos, speeches,Continue reading “Products & Services: What’s the Difference and How Do We Maximise Their Value?”
Why Redundant Systems are Out-of-the-Question Necessary
We expect nothing less from those who provide what we feel we deserve.
Just About Every Enterprise is a Supply Chain Enterprise
I and ten million people in Manila have the same problem every day. Mobile phone reception—it’s lousy. It would take several tries to call someone on my mobile phone and when I do, chances are the conversation would stop in the middle. Poor cellular reception is a norm in the Philippines. It’s just so hardContinue reading “Just About Every Enterprise is a Supply Chain Enterprise”
What Organising Really Means
There are four (4) basic functions to management: planning, organising, directing, and controlling. We can picture what planning, directing, and controlling are. They’re kind of straightforward and self-explanatory. Organising, however, is not. When we “organise,” what’s the first thing that comes to mind? We perhaps think of putting our stuff in order, like filing awayContinue reading “What Organising Really Means”
Ellery's Essays 