10 key attributes of establishing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Key stakeholders- involve key stakeholders in selecting KPIs Visibility- create a KPI dashboard visible to all parties Adding value- ensure KPIs add value to your business and highlight opportunities for process improvement Customer focus- selected KPIs should add value to your customer’s business and ultimately improve the consumer experience Financial impact- always keep in mind [...]

15 warehousing trends

Speed – move goods at great velocity along the chain Cross-docking – best-in-class warehouses cross-dock an estimated 50 percent of incoming goods Greener – green technology such as natural light and renewable energy Size – smaller and narrower, making better use of allocated space Additional services and functions – customer services such as customization and [...]

5 steps for a greener supply chain

Communicate the message – It all starts at the top. Communicate the green vision and actions plans to all in the organization.  Have a clear public relations agenda and don’t shy away from your critics. Work with all stakeholders. Look at the whole supply chain – talk to your partners and suppliers and get an [...]

10 ways distributors can add value to your business

Knowledge- they know their customers and distribution area very well and can provide you with valuable customer insights. Provide credit- many distributors provide credit to smaller outlets and they have the ability to collect regular payments. Stockholding- they provide warehouse space and it reduces your personal warehousing space requirements. Delivery- delivering bulk to your distributors [...]

10 principles of forecasting

Forecasting is mostly wrong. Keep track of forecasting errors and methods. Errors are likely to occur, so make adequate provisions. Forecasting is more accurate for product groups than individual items. Forecasting focuses on a time series. Determine the time series and evaluate the suitability of the time series against the objective of the forecasting. Qualitative [...]

10 supplier risk signs to look for

In today’s challenging environment, companies need to be aware of the risks of suppliers going out of business. IndustryWeek lists ten signs to look out for: The supplier has a large part of its businesses in depressed industries It has raw material shortages or cannot meet the agreed lead times because of late purchase order [...]

Reasons to standardize processes

Cycle Time – it reduces cycle time and assists with production smoothing.  Standardized processes can also help to eliminate non value adding time in the organization and reduce unnecessary motion Stability – it will increase stability in the organization with a clear start and stop in processes Safety and Quality – the unexpected can increase [...]

8 types of muda (waste) in an organization

Motion – poor design can severely affect productivity as workers and machines perform unnecessary motion through driving and walking. Delay – increase in lead time as operations wait for material or as a result of line stoppages. Delays can also have a negative affect on customer service in the organization. Conveyance – caused by poor [...]

10 key attributes of an effective supply chain

Transparency – supply chain processes and procedures should be transparent to all stakeholders. The higher the visibility, the easier it is to identify problems in the system Speed – determine the speed of each process and procedure in the supply chain and assess how to improve on it. Benchmarking can play an important role here [...]

10 building blocks of a distribution partnership

Find below some of the key building blocks in a distribution partnership: Contracts – ensure clear partnership contracts Processes – develop standardized processes Policies – implement policies and policy review processes Tracking – ensure tracking and monitoring systems are clear to all parties Benchmarking – develop a KPI dashboard with standardized KPIs Reviews – schedule regular reviews and [...]

Next Page »