Business Process Optimization Archives - Page 11 of 12

The Elegance of the Costco Supply Chain!

A “Don’t Touch” Strategy will Dramatically Lean out your Supply Chain!

To begin I must admit that Costco is one of my favourite stores. I started thinking about the Costco Supply Chain.

Stereotypically I almost always buy more than I intended given the unique things that you find in their aisles. And the standard items are invariably great deals, even if the quantities are larger than you will find in other stores.

When you consider the physical layout of the store you are really walking through a warehouse. High ceilings, rows and rows of pallet racking, and concrete floors.

At its core the Costco business structure is a great example of a lot of Supply Chain principles implemented with great efficiency.

What is it that makes Costco’s Supply Chain so effective?

How to Strengthen Supply Chain!

For a Successful Business Improve Supply Chain!

The need to strengthen supply chain cannot be overstated; it’s vital for efficiency, profitability, and reputability against competitors.

However, the chain must be streamlined to avoid wasting time and money. This means making sure every aspect of the process is working as it should, including logistics and operations, suppliers, and the internal team.

Mastering Small Business Logistics: Streamlining Efficiency through Inventory Forecasting!

Sales Forecasting Unchecked – A Supply Chain Nightmare!

In the dynamic world of small business logistics, the ability to optimize inventory management plays a pivotal role in achieving operational excellence. Efficient inventory forecasting is the cornerstone of successful logistics operations, empowering businesses to maintain optimal stock levels, reduce costs, enhance customer satisfaction, and drive growth.

Let’s delve into the realm of inventory forecasting, exploring innovative strategies that can revolutionize the way small businesses handle their logistics operations.

5 Ways to Manage Supply Chain Documents!

Screen Time! Is That Enough To Be Good In Supply Chain?

With globalization came the increase in the shipment of goods from one country to another. This made the world more interconnected and gave more opportunities for businesses. These goods come in and out of warehouses and stores with a paper trail of Supply Chain documents, so it’s easier to know where they are.

As such, supply chain documents should be treated with the utmost care. As your business grows, the more supply chain documents you will handle. It’s important to note that supply chain documentation doesn’t only take place at the trading level. There are steps to be taken before goods can be traded in order to ensure the success of a business.

How Do ERP Systems Help Reduce the Bullwhip Effect?

Blockchain Technology is the Antidote to the Bullwhip Effect!

The Bullwhip Effect is a pretty popular phenomenon and conversational topic in supply chain management. Basically, the bullwhip effect is a phenomenon that occurs in supply chains where increased demand at the end of a supply chain can lead to higher costs and greater uncertainty throughout the manufacturing process.

Enable Spend Aggregation in Procurement!

Spend Aggregation Obstacle Course for Procurement!

Aggregating your procurement spend for the purpose of delivering greater value is a sound objective. Theoretically you should be able to generate better service, better terms and conditions, and better cost. Therefore you should enable spend aggregation.

Yet there can be many obstacles in your way to achieving this seemingly simple goal. Loss of control, fear of job loss, questionable benefits, and a perceived loss of margin are some of the obstacles you may run across. We discussed these in greater detail in our post Procurement (Part 1!) – The Spend Aggregation Obstacle Course!

What is Product (or Master) Data Management?

Product Management KPIs!

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I had just inherited a new department into my organization, the Product Data Management (PDM) team.

Shortly thereafter I started getting calls from the CEO. We were missing customer deliveries due to problems in getting the correct, and complete data, into the systems which enabled us to manage bills of material and manufacture products.

While Product Data Management seemed to have been a rather basic function I quickly learned that their role and responsibilities were not understood, were undervalued, and yet were absolutely pivotal and essential to the ability of the entire company to operate.

This was one of many lessons I learned about this critical part of any organization.

What then exactly is Product, or Master, Data Management?

Ground Rules for Creating a High Performance Organization (HPO)!

Creating a High Performance Organization! (Infographic)

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A High Performance Organization is one in which there is tremendous alignment among and commitment by the team members. And as a result this motivated team is able to achieve superior results. The level of collaboration and innovation they demonstrate is remarkable. But what are the ground rules?

There are many characteristics of the culture which allows such teams to be high performing. And when they set out to drive change and make improvements it is those cultural characteristics which allow them to succeed.

Screen Time! Is That Enough To Be Good In Supply Chain?

Social Media Tips for Supply Chain Leaders!

How many screens do you have? And is your screen time?

You likely have a Cell phone or a Smart phone. You may have a Desktop computer monitor or a Laptop, or both, between your home and your place of work. You may have a wearable device like a Fitbit or an Apple Watch. You may have an iPad or other type of tablet. And your TV may even have Internet connectivity.

We are surrounded by screens and the amount of time that we spend on them is truly remarkable.

But for those who are learning about Supply Chain, or any other profession for that matter, is it best to acquire that learning and gain that experience just by watching screens? Or is it better in Supply Chain to learn based on actual physical experiences and interactions?

On Time Delivery – Get that right First!

What Gets Measured Is What Gets Done!

No matter what industry you are in and no matter what channels you are serving your Customers expect delivery of their goods on time.

You may have different pressures, to increase profits for instance, but you must take care of the basic expectation of on time delivery first.

If you don’t have on time delivery all your other pressures will not matter. Your customers will go elsewhere and your business will fail. Even if you have a unique product that no one else in the world has (for now) you must deliver on time to your customers. If not there will always come a time when your customers will be able to go elsewhere.

Providing on time delivery may seem basic. But it is the foundation on which the rest of your business must be built.

Innovation in Outsourcing: Trends Shaping E-Commerce Solutions!

A Complete Guide to Business Process Outsourcing!

As the business landscape evolves, small businesses and enterprises alike are turning to global outsourcing solutions to stay competitive.

This article explores the key features and trends that are reshaping the outsourcing landscape, particularly in the realm of e-commerce solutions.

A Formula For Achieving Game Changing Results!

World Class Inventory Turnover Breakthrough Elements! (Infographic)

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Many projects often fade away over time and fall well short of their original goals. People face many very real challenges in leading these projects. So how do you avoid having your project become another program-of-the-month and disappear from view? Is there a formula?

As we have discussed in other blog posts we have tackled Inventory Turnover several times, amongst many other challenges. We have doubled turnover and achieved industry leading results in very short periods of time.

Your challenge may be trying to improve Inventory performance or trying to create a transformational improvement in some other area. We have found that there is a formula and a set of key principles that are critical to driving the game changing results you are looking for.

Why don’t you have a TMS (Transportation Management System) Solution yet?

Supply Chain as a Service (SCaaS)!

Why have so few companies adopted a TMS (Transportation Management System) solution? There are tremendous benefits but there are obstacles, real or perceived, that get in the way. I believe that the benefits far outweigh the obstacles but the obstacles often do not have anything to do with the benefits.

Many years ago I started a Supply Chain Services business as a new service within the company. The fundamental premise was that we had great Supply Chain expertise, tools, systems and processes which we could easily offer to customers.

One of the services that was very compelling was our Freight Management service. We had a tremendous amount of spend leverage globally, a seasoned team, great supplier relationships, very strong processes, and an excellent Transportation Management System (TMS). With all of that we went to market!

Sales Forecasting Unchecked – A Supply Chain Nightmare!

Imagining the Supply Chain of the Future!

Great Sales people have wonderful characteristics and personality traits. They can light up a room, command your attention, bring big ideas to the table, and close deals with customers, all with unbridled enthusiasm. And this can be reflected in Sales forecasting.

Bringing these ideas to life and delivering on commitments made to customers most often requires different but just as impressive skills and effort from the Supply Chain and Operations teams within an organization.

But what happens if your Sales team is left unchecked, goes rogue and makes commitments that can’t be met at any cost?

The Agile Supply Chain! Why Agility is Trumping Lean!

A “Don’t Touch” Strategy will Dramatically Lean out your Supply Chain!

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The modern supply chain grows increasingly complex with each passing day. The digitization, focusing on fundamentals and change, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and many other factors are transforming how the agile supply chain functions.

Once, the lean supply chain was considered to be the most effective form of manufacturing and supply chain management. However, a new concept in supply chain processes, the agile supply chain, is quickly growing to replace the often overused term.