Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

APRIL 3, 2025

Shrinkage? The term 'shrinkage' covers a multitude of possibilities e.g. damage, theft, administration errors and even variable supplier integrity. All these and more inevitably lead to missing stock, extra cost and ultimately, poor Customer Service. If you and your systems think stock is available and you provide a promise to factories or customers then finding (or not finding) the required materialsk will not le ad to a 'Happy Bunny' situation.

Customer Service 147

Customer Service Optimal Sourcing Sourcing Logistics Network Optimization Software 147

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

MARCH 20, 2025

S&OP, is it for me? Sales & Operational Planning (S&OP) has been used in FMCG companies for many years as the planning process that provides 'one set of operational numbers' for the organisation. In many countries and cultures S&OP in its common format works extremely well and brings considerable benefits. However, many companies shy away from implementing S&OP as it is considered a financial and resource burden despite the well documented improvements.

S&OP 147

S&OP Supply and Demand Resources Company 147

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

MARCH 12, 2025

Networking I recently met the CEO of an FMCG beverages company at a charity fund raising evening and both being fans of the foaming ale, we settled on a canape-fuelled discussion on all things beer. At this event I was not wearing my Supply Chain consultant hat so the conversation was very open and informative in a way that formal, office-based meetings seldom allow.

Supply and Demand 147

Supply and Demand S&OP Supply Chain Planning Scenario Planning 147

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

FEBRUARY 20, 2025

Who let the dogs out? If you lived in or visited Bucharest about 10 years ago you will have seen one or two stray dogs hanging around the city. Actually, a lot more than one or two, there were hoards of them. In 2010 a proposal was made to organise a proactive and wide-spread cull of the stray dogs but a certain Brigitte Bardot was outraged and the plans went permanently onto the back-burner.

Supply and Demand 147

Supply and Demand S&OP Supply Chain Planning Scenario Planning 147

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

FEBRUARY 12, 2025

Your call is important to us. Previously, we looked at how some companies are economical with the truth when it comes to measuring Customer Service. Today we take a look at how your telephone face to the customer can be helping or hindering your business.

Customer Service 147

Customer Service Company Pharmaceutical KPI 147

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

JANUARY 29, 2025

Service with a smile? Do FMCG companies delude themselves on Customer Service (CS) performance? I think some companies are guilty of this but may or may not know it is happening! Whatever service related Key Performance Indicator (KPI) you measure, the objective is to see how you are performing both internally and at a retailer or outlet level and importantly, against peers.

Customer Service 147

Customer Service Logistics Network Optimization Software Supply Chain Planning Software KPI 147

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

JANUARY 15, 2025

A diet beckons? Have you been brave enough to step on the bathroom scales yet or are you trying to ignore the inevitable weight gain? You may well have overindulged in chocolate during the holidays but do you still crave more? Get yourself and a large blue IKEA bag down to your local supermarket as chocolate is likely to be very heavily discounted. If you are planning in the medium term horizon, Valentines Day and Easter are not far away so why not save a little cash and stock up now - sell/use/

Supply Chain Planning 113

Supply Chain Planning Scenario Planning Course Supply and Demand 113

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

DECEMBER 13, 2024

A seasonal example of the many challenges and benefits of S&OP. A key feature of the Enchange Supply Chain House.

S&OP 260

S&OP Supply and Demand Examples Supply Chain 260

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

NOVEMBER 20, 2024

Morning woes I have just had one of those mornings. I missed the alarm and the 10-minute snooze and from then on everything went downhill. Jumped in the shower for a brief cleanse but then once waterlogged I realised there was no soap, not even a hotel-like sliver. So, soaking wet I get out, but can I find anything remotely soapy? There was no time to waste so the yellowed William & Kate souvenir tablet had to be sacrificed.

Supply Chain 264

Supply Chain Just-in-Time Supply and Demand Jordan 264

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

NOVEMBER 6, 2024

Recondite complexity? I recently discussed how complexity negatively affects cost and service including how a floppy SKU tail inhibits growth. Do you understand the impact unnecessary SKUs have on FMCG success? CEOs should be seeking leaner and performance-focussed SKU portfolios but how do you approach this ongoing challenge?

Cost Reduction Strategies 264

Cost Reduction Strategies Supply and Demand S&OP Jordan 264

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

OCTOBER 23, 2024

Stealth? What made me think of that word? Do you remember that playground game called Statues ? One person is the 'Museum Curator' and stands at the end of a field or yard. Everyone else stands an agreed distance away and the aim of the game is for a 'Statue' to touch or tag the Curator without being seen moving.

Cost Reduction Strategies 264

Cost Reduction Strategies Jordan Supply Chain Supply and Demand 264

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

OCTOBER 16, 2024

This article was first published several years ago but it is about time for a refreshed look at what S&OP brings to your business.

S&OP 263

S&OP Supply and Demand Supply Chain Planning Scenario Planning 263

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

OCTOBER 9, 2024

Time for action? If you have been dithering about making change for FMCG success, now is the time. With so much chaos around the world and COVID raising its ugly head once more, you will (hopefully) never have such a strategic discontinuity opportunity. What you change for the better now can have a profound effect on the future of your life and business.

Jordan 258

Jordan Supply Chain Supply and Demand 258

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

OCTOBER 2, 2024

The UK Royal Mail; a complicated supply chain but failing to deliver a core service offering is as unforgivable as it is in FMCG.

Pharmaceutical 264

Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Planning Supply Chain Supply and Demand 264

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

SEPTEMBER 24, 2024

One set of S&OP target numbers. Vital for FMCG business and international espionage.

S&OP 264

S&OP Supply and Demand Forecasting Demand Planning 264

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

In my last article and post I covered the topic of distribution performance, specifically the topic of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) or Metrics.

Metrics 264

Metrics Distribution Price Mitigation Strategies Strategy 264

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

SEPTEMBER 11, 2024

Summary Some of the above KPIs can be combined – e.g. On time in full (OTIF). There are also other KPIs to consider that may be important for your business. Your KPIs will provide a balanced and comprehensive view of distributor performance, focusing on financial outcomes, customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, and long-term growth. This categorisation helps producers prioritize the areas that are most critical to their success.

Metrics 264

Metrics Distribution Price Mitigation Strategies Strategy 264

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

AUGUST 7, 2024

How FMCG Silo & Obstruction Practises (S&OP) never lead to success. Never!

S&OP 264

S&OP Supply and Demand Forecasting Demand Planning 264

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

JULY 31, 2024

Once More Unto The Breach You could hear the groans around the room when the FMCG CEO announced to the company that they had decided to implement Sales & Operational Planning (S&OP). After months of prevarication and toing and froing, a decision had finally been made! Enchange was tasked with facilitating the implementation - no, the groaners were not groaning at Enchange!

S&OP 264

S&OP Supply and Demand Cost Reduction Strategies Company 264

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

JULY 23, 2024

Do you want fries with that? People who work in fast food outlets – I really cannot bring myself to label them as restaurants – must have specific training in dealing with non-standard orders. Can you imagine the temptation to audibly groan when in a crowded outlet someone asks for a Muck Chicken Burger but without the usual mayo, salad and gherkiny stuff?

Food 246

Food Price Mitigation Strategies Training Jordan 246

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

JULY 16, 2024

Blinkers? While you are tackling the day to day routine of crises, meetings, strategy and more crises while fending off the results pressure from global/regional HQ, you can lose a grip on the reality of how your company is operating. Creeping inefficiency can become the norm as you are so engrossed in driving the business forward and rightly focussed on the longer term.

S&OP 257

S&OP Supply and Demand Meeting Price Mitigation Strategies 257

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

JULY 18, 2024

When we start the process of distributor selection, we need to be very clear about what we are looking for. A key question is this.

Distribution 263

Distribution Price Mitigation Strategies Strategy 263

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

JULY 11, 2024

A little bit of fun this week after the dreary focus on the UK General Election and England performances.

Jordan 262

Jordan Beverage Distribution 262

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

JULY 12, 2024

Learn the importance of Joint Business Planning and Action Planning after selecting a new distributor for successful partnerships.

Distribution 259

Distribution Price Mitigation Strategies Strategy 259

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

JULY 3, 2024

The dictionary definition of a Catalyst is: An agent that provokes or speeds significant change or action. Using ourA-B-C of Route to Market model, the Catalyst Phase is when we execute or as we sometime call it ‘How to Win’. For distributor selection , it is when we engage our chosen distributor. And it’s not just about the contract. As a reminder, my previous post on Distributor Selection covered: · TheAssessment Phase · TheBlueprint Phase To reiterate a previous assertion, it is vital to use

Inventory Reduction 263

Inventory Reduction Supply Chain Planning Software Material Savings Price Mitigation Strategies 263

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

JULY 3, 2024

Too Little Too Late? Imagine Manchester City needing to score 5 goals in the last match of the season to win the English Premier League yet they do not start attacking with any intent until the 80th minute. Or the England cricket team needing to take 6 wickets to win a Test Match but bowl gentle underarm until the last over of the day.

Supply and Demand 264

Supply and Demand Forecasting Demand Planning Jordan 264

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

JUNE 28, 2024

Distributor Selection: how to develop a detailed strategy & plan for identifying, evaluating, and engaging with potential distributors to deliver growth.

Strategy 260

Strategy Price Mitigation Strategies How To 260

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

JUNE 25, 2024

Plan, Plan and Plan Again! All major companies run some sort of ERP to support their business whether they are FMCG, pharma, brewing or indeed anyone who “makes stuff” for Joe Public to buy. Many blue-chips have invested in big name software packages while others may have chosen a cheap and cheerful locally built product. The big name offering is not always the most user-friendly solution but then the made-to-measure option also has drawbacks, usually support and lack of flexibility.

Supply Chain Planning Software 257

Supply Chain Planning Software Forecasting Software Supply Chain Software Supply Chain Planning 257

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

JUNE 19, 2024

In my last Article and Post I presented a Simple Guide to Selecting and Engaging Distributors using the the A-B-C of Route to Market. As a reminder of the A-B-C of Route to Market , my aim is to simplify the world of RtM into a series of three steps that any RtM practitioner can execute. I would like the message to be actionable by all professionals be they small business owners trying to find new export markets, commercial heads of large multinationals or RtM management consultants.

Negotiating Skills 260

Negotiating Skills Supply Chain Planning Software Resource Reduction Analytics Software 260

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

JUNE 13, 2024

In my last Post & Article I presented a new Route to Market (RtM) model, the aim of which was to bring together our RtM work in the last 5 years or so.

Price Mitigation Strategies 262

Price Mitigation Strategies Strategy 262

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

JUNE 12, 2024

In successful FMCG and other companies, Sales & Operational Planning (S&OP) is the flexible glue that holds numerous processes together ensuring demand and supply are balanced along the chain and most importantly, everyone operates to the same set of unambiguous sales, volume and financial numbers. Without such a process in place, it is highly likely you will be experiencing a number of issues that will be holding your business and your career back.

S&OP 264

S&OP Supply and Demand Scenario Planning Company 264

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

JUNE 5, 2024

Myself and Enchange colleagues have written 100’s of posts and articles about Route to Market for well over five years. It is fair to say that our message has spread far and wide and attracted a lot of attention in the RtM and commercial world. I want to bring this work together in the form of a simple new model. I will call this model the A-B-C of Route to Market.

Price Mitigation Strategies 268

Price Mitigation Strategies Strategy 268

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

MAY 28, 2024

The pressure for FMCG cost savings is brewing up as top lines fail to ferment.

Cost Reduction Strategies 261

Cost Reduction Strategies Supply and Demand Forecasting Demand Planning 261

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

MAY 21, 2024

If you do not specifically agree on what is expected between two parties before you start a relationship then anything and everything but success is likely.

Logistics Network Optimization Software 262

Logistics Network Optimization Software Jordan Supply Chain Logistics 262

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

MAY 16, 2024

In my last post and article about Mastering FMCG Route to Market Execution , I wrote about the 3 Steps needed to deliver Global and Regional RtM Programmes.

Global 264

Global Price Mitigation Strategies Strategy 264

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

MAY 15, 2024

Who coined that irritating term “Big Data”? How did we get there without normal sized data, slightly larger data, large data and bordering on big data? People working in or associated with extended Supply Chains may seem obsessed by data yet data itself actually tells you nothing, absolutely nothing apart from the fact that something is being watched, measured or calculated.

Data 130

Data Big Data Supply and Demand Supply Chain 130

Enchange Supply Chain Consultancy

MAY 13, 2024

Route to Market (RtM) Execution in a single market presents one set of challenges. RtM Execution in multiple markets is an altogether different proposition. Why?

Global 264

Global 264