Change Management

If you want to stand out, don’t be different. Be outstanding. – Meredith West In my last article I wrote about tough lessons learned while attaining World Class S&OP (Sales and Operations) certification. The most comments I received pertained to “It’s the people and their decisions that will make a project hell” It’s beneficial if you go back and read the article before going on. How DO we take a politically saturated, finger...

My friends Keith and Sean from the company REVEAL recently shared an excellent meal with me in old Montreal. Keith and I were both featured speakers at the Logistics and Supply Chain Management conferences in sunny Orlando (2012) and Fabulous Las Vegas (2013). My speaking engagements were centered on Sales and Operations transformation as well as Supply Chain Optimization.  We also both share the same insights on business fundamentals...

In your position as Supply Chain leader, the quality of the relationship among your team members is perhaps one of your biggest areas of focus. A unified, communicative team produces the best results, but it’s not always easy to develop. People simply have different beliefs, backgrounds and social skills, all of which can prove challenging in your quest for an effective work flow. Try these effective strategies to bolster good...

Without a doubt Kaizen. Kaizen When I was at Pratt and Whitney Aircraft Canada more than 14 years ago, our VP of Operations brought in Japanese Kaizen experts that had worked at Toyota in Japan. With the multiple and continuous improvements that this method brought, we gained enormous efficiencies in the supply chain and in some cases reduced engine lead times from 24 to 4 months. That VP, Louis Chenevert went on to become Chairman...

To reach and maintain Operational and Supply Chain excellence you need to take an unbiased and holistic review of your supply chain three ways. Strategy and Execution. What and why are we selling these products? How do we efficiently execute them throughout the supply chain? Review the Sales and Operation process and how key demand and supply data feeds it in a continuous loop. Convert this into a solid and ongoing financial plan....

Company’s resources must work towards the same goals. Once the Key Performance Indicators are in place, people throughout the company will share the same vision and have overlapping common goals. Executives must share their vision and expectations to all levels of the company. Because the supply chain is a set of subsequent processes it is absolutely essential that excellent communication information exchange be maintained to...