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”
Tag Archives: vendors
Deliberate Scarcity
Whenever I go see my doctor at her clinic at the hospital, I always would find myself waiting in line with other patients. The clinics adjacent to my doctor’s would also have patients waiting, in which sometimes the queues would overflow into the corridor. Even if I had called ahead and set an appointment, IContinue reading “Deliberate Scarcity”
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”
What Our Customers Expect
What do our customers expect from us? The Total Quality movement from the 1980’s preached that the people we work with are either “suppliers” or “customers.” We played the role of either one. The idea of TQM was to do the right thing right the first time when we, as “suppliers,” serve our “customers.” WeContinue reading “What Our Customers Expect”
I Hate It When People Rush Me
I don’t play golf. It’s not only because I’m a lousy player (although that has a lot to do with it). It’s also because I hate it when people rush me at the golf course. When I used to play golf, the caddies would tell me to hurry up because there were other players whoContinue reading “I Hate It When People Rush Me”
Pursuing Perfection Beyond the Acceptable Quality Level (AQL)
An ad promotes an Internet Service Provider’s (ISP) subscription plans. On the bottom in small fine print is written “30% minimum speed at 80& reliability.” The Philippines’ National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) in a memorandum in 2011 mandated that ISPs should provide at least 80% service reliability to customers: An ISP therefore should be able toContinue reading “Pursuing Perfection Beyond the Acceptable Quality Level (AQL)”
What Collaboration Is and Is Not
Collaboration denotes a cooperative working relationship between parties which leads to mutual benefits. It’s not commonly observed in industries and supply chains despite the potential benefits it can bring. This is because it’s not easy to do and in the first place, many business executives don’t think it’s worth the trouble. Many enterprises, small businessesContinue reading “What Collaboration Is and Is Not”
Ellery's Essays 