article thumbnail

Strategy. Strategy. Wherefore Art Thou Strategy?

Supply Chain Shaman

In contrast, those who outperformed were better at strategy and aligned with outcomes. The use of descriptive analytics along with agile planning techniques (what-if analysis, discrete event simulation, and network design) helped. While companies build Supply Chain Centers of Excellence, most are not clear on what good looks like.

article thumbnail

Just Jump

Supply Chain Shaman

We explore the concept of holistic inventory strategies focused on the form and function of inventory. In the process, we learn that only 15-20% of inventories are safety stock and that the current APS frameworks do not enable a holistic analysis of the form and function of inventory. Lack of executive buy-in. The So What?

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

Organizational Alignment: Overlooked, but So Important.

Supply Chain Shaman

When reviewing strategy decks for supply chain teams, I often see statements like “move from a functional-silo’d focus to a drive a more holistic response.” ” Followed by “How are you organized, and what defines functional excellence? And, how do you tie functional excellence to corporate value?”

article thumbnail

Congrats to the Winners of the Supply Chains to Admire 2023

Supply Chain Shaman

For a more detailed analysis, check out the Power point summary.) How Do You Define Excellence? In retrospect, I find that technology is an enabler, but only if we are clear on what defines supply chain excellence. Many believe that an ex-supply chain exec knows the definition of supply chain excellence. I admit it.

article thumbnail

Supply Chain Performance Declined In the Last Decade. The Question is Why?

Supply Chain Shaman

Over 85% of companies turned their systems off, turning to spreadsheets and ad hoc manual analysis. The myopic focus on IT standardization resulted in the purchase of technology, but not value delivery. The last decade is a testimonial that functional excellence does not drive value. My quest is “why?” Mistake #3.

article thumbnail

L’Oréal: A Case Study in Supply Chain Excellence

Supply Chain Shaman

We complete the analysis each year. To perform the analysis, we grouped L’Oreal into the Personal Products industry, which includes beauty, hair care, vitamins, etc. In this analysis, patterns matter. L’Oréal’s global strategy embraces globalization with a keen focus on the customer. Supply Chains to Admire Methodology.

article thumbnail

Implementing Last-mile Delivery Technology

Logistics Viewpoints

To remain competitive, retailers and carriers must excel in the crucial last-mile delivery stage. To Build or To Buy Companies looking to implement new or improve existing delivery technology face a crucial decision: should they build an in-house platform or buy an existing solution from a vendor?