Posts Tagged "S&OP optimization"


Gartner votes Apple as the top supply chain for 2013. Steve Jobs and Tim Cook both oversaw Apples Supply Chain. “When Cook took over the supply chain, he cut the number of component suppliers from 100 to 24, in a move to force the companies to compete for Apple’s business. Cook then shut down 10 of the 19 company warehouses to limit overstocking, and by September 1998 inventory was down from a month to only six days” Your...

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I spoke at two major Logistics and Supply Chain Conferences about a major business transformation project I was involved in. It’s time to take a hard look at the successes, challenges and failures. The object of the project was to reach a World Class level for Sales and Operations in the company through the Oliver Wight method. According to Wikipedia S&OP planning was developed by Oliver Wight in the 1980’s. So they know their...

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The best way to improve a supply chain is by attacking it from the top to bottom.  That means from the C-suite down. What many companies do is allow users to make suggestions from the bottom without a proper ROI performed (with clear time and cost savings) and whether their suggestions are in line with the company’s medium to long term strategies. You end up with dozens if not hundreds of request for changes usually addressing a...

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Think about these points before embarking on a Supply Chain transformation project. Have the executives fully on board and have them communicate (it is a business project not an IT only project) Is there product portfolio alignment between Finance, Marketing, Sales and the Supply Chain? It all starts with Forecast accuracy and understanding forecast bias Do a comprehensive ROI (Return On Investment) analysis on Projects Use standard...

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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...

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