Ask yourself this: If what you are doing is successful, what would be the telltale signs? How would the results “show up”, if we are taking the right actions?
We usually choose our task based on a metric we are trying to improve. We start with the metric. We want to improve customer service. What should we do to accomplish that? We want to reduce inventory. What should we do to accomplish that? We want to improve ROI. What should we do to accomplish that?
Instead, start with the plan. Start with good business practices (I know, mine are different than yours). And I know the goal and the plan are related. Just hear me out.
We can Stabilize Flow. And accordingly, we expect to see a reduction in expedited shipping and product movement between warehouses. We may not be tracking these specifically, so we may need to start.
We can Maintain Proper Inventory Positions. And, we expect to enable a quicker response time for customers, less dependence on precise lead times from suppliers, and reduced impact to the operation from variability.
What will be impacted? If we agree on these goals, then the question is, “How do we Stabilize Flow? Not, “How do we reduce expedited shipping?”
Supply Chains are chaotic. They have always been chaotic.
If we are doing the right things, why are they still so chaotic? This is where I focus my energy, because I believe the Chaos can be Calmed. And if we can calm the chaos, we will be able to accomplish so much more.
If you find yourself focused mostly on how to firefight and expedite, let’s discover ways to reduce the firefighting, and help you keep your sanity intact.
