Posts by Terry

The 2013 Logistics and Supply Chain Management event in Las Vegas gave me a chance to present as well as connect with a number of outstanding people and organizations. Here are the major tips from the week which pertain to our business the most. Presentations regarding master data governance (including CIF – APO core interface) with or without APO were the most popular. Before launching sophisticated tools like APO, make sure you are...

Ever wonder how Apple uses SAP? Apple uses SAP to manage its huge volume of orders in iTunes. I’m also a huge fan of Apple’s supply chain as its one of the best in the world. I bought the book that Tim Cook handed to his work colleagues “Competing Against Time: How Time-Based Competition is Reshaping Global Markets” It’s about using your supply chain as a strategic weapon in business. Interesting indeed!...

Don’t change what you can’t. When I first joined a past company I was sitting in with the senior executives discussing the long term IT strategic plan. I told them that if key executives kept throwing products in the short term forecast without warning, the IT system does not “fix” the multiple disruptions to the supply chain. Your IT system is only as good as what you decide to drop in it. I knew I couldn’t change those high level...

Companies can potentially bleed staggering amounts of money implementing SAP APO (Advanced Planning Optimizer), with a mediocre results that requires extensive re-engineering.  Here are the top five steps required to create a company – wide – lean – mean – APO machine. 1. Get the best of the best to consult and guide you. You will fail or create a nightmare APO design if you do not do your homework and hire the very best...

I’m speaking at the 2013 Logistics and Supply Chain Conference at the Mirage in Las Vegas next year.  My presentation will be on the best methods to optimize supply chains using large scale IT systems. All my expenses are paid. How did I end up speaking at leading edge industry events?  I began my career in the mail room for Pete’s sake.  I don’t have a university degree.  Here are the top reasons why my career has taken off. I took...