Empower your operation by arming yourself with knowledge of supply chain trends. See the top four I learned from the APICS International Conference. One of the reasons we attend the APICS International Conference is to understand what is trending in supply chain today. Which topics are "hot"? Logistics - [...]
It is critical for manufacturers and distributors to keep track of the rapidly changing factors that impact the supply chain including technological and workforce issues. The US Roadmap 2025 is a strategic study to weather and thrive amid current and future global disruptors. The Material Handling and Logistics Association [...]
It’s time to plan the rest of the year to ensure a smooth ending to 2015 and interrupted service to customers.The years seem to fly by faster and faster, don’t they? As we head into Q4, it is important to think about whether you are ready for calendar year-end [...]
The ongoing planning and adjustments integral to the SIOP is like a conveyor belt carrying along current data and processes until they become history. SIOP (Sales, inventory, & operations planning) is a methodology of sorts that aligns demand with supply – and, more importantly, the various functions of the [...]
Manufacturing and distributing product to meet customer demand can be like a puzzle unless you start using SIOP as a core process to run your business. SIOP (sales, inventory, & operations planning) taken to the best practice degree is often associated with integrated business planning. In some circles, they [...]
Inventory accuracy depends on so many moving parts. But a top-to-bottom understanding of the process combined with speedy adjustment responses would dramatically improve accuracy, thus, boosting business results. How many times have we heard this? Or, perhaps your inventory resource will keep looking until he/she finds it; however, it [...]
Businesses with growth ambitions have to gauge the current capacity of every facet of their facility to plan future productivity. Capacity is a critical element for any business – and especially those interested in growth! A good place to start is to understand your capacity, which can mean different [...]
The quickest, most practical inventory solutions happen with teamwork. One of those frequent and frustrating problems with growth can be space. Who has heard, "I've run out of space! What should we do?". Unfortunately it is not uncommon. The problem with this situation is that there are numerous causes [...]
If you’re riding a wave of growing demand put systems in place that can support the increased workload and not wipe out your goals. Lately I've been talking with many clients and potential clients who are interested in growth. Although rapid growth is exciting, it can also be one [...]
Believing you understand your customers’ needs can differ vastly from what they actually want. In the end though, the customer gets what the customer wants, whether from you or your competition. As I thought about an appropriate topic, I was reminded of the importance of starting with your customer. [...]
