Today, we find Julie, Matt and two other members of their team attending a Demand Driven Planner workshop. There is a certification possible, but right now Julie and Matt just want to evaluate if this methodology is as promising as it seems. We catch up with them during a break in the class.
Aligning for Agility. Where is the Disconnect?
What is the purpose of starting a Sales and Operations Planning process? For many, S&OP is a process to get information to flow between various parts of the business, the most obvious being Sales and Operations (hence the name). The premise, I believe, is that if Operations knows what is happening in Sales, then they will be able to respond. Great starting point. At some point, perhaps it worked well.
I was mapping what I thought my own Work-Life balance should include, based on one current methodology. Physical, Emotional, … and then I went off the rails. Because I started thinking about the viewpoint of the company and how aligning the company’s Work-Life balance offering with the individual’s Work-Life balance requirements will make a huge difference in achieving that balance.
What do we use in our lives that hasn’t appreciably changed in 20 to 50 years? And how much duct tape or band-aids have we applied so we can keep using the same old items or methods?
Few, if any, follow recommendations of their traditional MRP system unquestioned. That gives a clue.
So, as we slowly spin into chaos, we have to finally admit that trying to use a tool based on precision and exactness creates a challenge as our world becomes more and more imprecise.
I get these crazy thoughts that perhaps sometimes we are going about things the wrong way. Or maybe it is clearer to say we are starting at the wrong end. To achieve any goal, there are always at least two approaches to take. Should I start with the target and determine how it can be achieved? Or should I start with a process or behavioral change and see how much improvement I can make?
What are the things that, if we could find them, would make Supply Chain Management a whole lot easier? In fact, they are the things for which some of us search our entire careers. Have a look at my list of three. Let me know if you agree or if you have additional holy grails that you seek.
Let’s think about travel. It’s a great analogy for our supply chain challenges. You know where the event is going to be, but not when.
I came across an interesting discussion the other day. The initial question? Who in an organization is responsible for resource planning and scheduling? The responses
traditional planning tools are A) Not designed to do that and B) Designed Not to do that. No wonder they fail.
Inventory Positioning and the resulting Inventory Availability can prevent the negative impacts of many issues.
I can’t think of any decision, big or small, anywhere in life, where you have a 100% guarantee that you’re making the right choice.
There is always a bit of a conundrum when talking with potential clients. One common conversation sounds like, “We need to get our data clean
Because, by design, the execution is left up to individual participants. And, by design, those changes are not connected to the other players or back up to the customer due date.
We’ve all had the opportunity to arrange a small dinner gathering of friends. What can we learn about supply chain and inventory management from that
The two basic problems of inventory management: A—The supplier lead time is not achieved. B – The customer has impossible expectations and constant changes. If
