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”
Tag Archives: Supply Chain Engineering
I Build Supply Chains, So What?
“We do not share a common definition of supply chain management across the industry. Just take a look at the various professional associations to which you belong. Procurement organizations and logistics associations alike claim supply chain management as their expertise. And to be fair, APICS, which defines supply chain management from end to end, hasContinue reading “I Build Supply Chains, So What?”
Working What We Have vs. Changing What We Work With
We who are supply chain managers have their hands full doing their jobs. The problem is we work with what we only have. Executives of enterprises determine our scopes; executives also decide what resources & assets we will have at our disposal or have authority over. Supply chains extend beyond the borders of enterprises, andContinue reading “Working What We Have vs. Changing What We Work With”
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”
Supply Chains: IT’s Failed Frontier
I brought my family’s passenger van for repairs at the car dealership where we bought it from. The van had trouble accelerating especially going uphill. It would sometimes stall. The dealership’s engineer pulled out a portable device which he plugged into an electronic box under the van’s hood. When I asked what the device was,Continue reading “Supply Chains: IT’s Failed Frontier”
Engineering Supply Chain Productivity
We are only as productive as that of our vendors and customers. If vendors don’t deliver the materials we need when we need it, we wouldn’t be able to make available products no matter how efficient our manufacturing & logistics operations are. And if customers habitually cancel or change their orders which they booked withContinue reading “Engineering Supply Chain Productivity”
Engineering for Versatility, Not Resilience
When we analyse the gaps in our supply chain operations, it isn’t just about how wide the differences are in how we’re performing versus what we’re aiming for. It won’t only be about variances between targeted & actual results, but it will also be about how well we respond to and handle risks now andContinue reading “Engineering for Versatility, Not Resilience”
The Problem Map
When we undertake projects like constructing an edifice, assembling an airplane, installing new information technology (IT) systems, we first assess & plan the scopes & requirements. We confirm our vision for the project, do a reality check of what we have currently, and analyse the gaps we’d have to bridge or bypass. We identify theContinue reading “The Problem Map”
Understanding the Supply Chain Engineering Roadmap
We know what we want, i.e., we have a vision. We know where we’re at versus what we want, i.e., we did our reality check. We see the disparities between our present-state & future-state performances, i.e., we mind the gaps in our supply chain operations. The next step in building our supply chains is toContinue reading “Understanding the Supply Chain Engineering Roadmap”
Mind the Gap
We see the sign in many railway stations around the world: mind the gap. It’s a reminder, if not a warning, for us to watch our step as we cross the space between the train from the platform. As much as we may take it for granted, if we don’t watch our step, we canContinue reading “Mind the Gap”
Ellery's Essays 