Joe Carson

When selecting a new Supply Partner, do not forget to ask: What system does your company use to manage production & inventory? You would be surprised how many Suppliers still primarily operate on excel (wild). 🔸 Being able to reconcile inventory transactions quickly requires a system. 🔸 Being able to reliably pull production by lot codes requires a system. 🔸 Being able to access information directly (not waiting for someone to compile and send) requires a system. Make sure your potential Partner is able to support you in ALL areas- not just on the production line. #SupplierRelationships #CPGBrands #Operations #Procurement #SupplyChainManagement What else would you add?

22

4 Comments

A new report shows #SupplyChain leaders have more planning fatigue than last year, Brian Straight shares in Supply Chain Management Review Magazine. Many #SupplyChainOperations still rely on error-prone legacy tech that siloes data, so planning is unreliable and arduous. Brands that understand the benefits of #ScenarioPlanning — but don't want the hassle — should consider connected supply chain software that centralizes data and offers accurate, real-time visibility.

12

The more exceptions you have in your process, the more manual (read: trained, expensive, time-consuming) your business will be. Are exceptions a necessary evil of #SupplyChain? No. Let's say you have 50 SKUs. 40 of them can be decently classified and fall into the regular planning/production process. But 10... 10 must be ignored, analyzed or manually processed for various reasons. 🔸 Maybe a SKU is new and has a different purchase process. 🔸 Maybe a SKU is transitioning to a new Supplier. 🔸 Maybe a SKU has a special ordering process that the system cannot handle. 🔸 Maybe a SKU's forecast is loaded but not confirmed. Rules CAN be set around these! Start tracking what is causing exceptions and why. You'll start to see themes. With this information, you can create additional triggers and flows to reduce manual interference. The less 'Stop, dig deep, analyze, then move forward' you have, the more time will be available for ensuring plans are on track and improvements can be made. What other exceptions have you seen and how did you address? #Planning #Procurement #Production #SupplyChainManagement #Inventory

11

4 Comments

What do you think are the top 3 most important characteristics of a GREAT supplier? I'll go first: 1. Quality/Quality Control 2. Great Communication 3. Flexiblity Your turn! #SupplierRelationships #SupplyChain #Operations #CPGBrands

6

4 Comments

This brought back a lot of (positive) memories...Accenture's ASCET publications of advanced supply chain thinking in the 1990's...#ascet #suupplychainstrategy https://lnkd.in/gh_bkJsi

9

3 Comments

Can we make the de minimis exemption an exception again? "Experts told Supply Chain Dive they believe some sort of change to the law will happen soon. But the exact form that change will ultimately take — and when it will take effect — remains uncertain." In an article published this week, Max Garland sums up the backstory, current status, and potential future changes to the de minimis exemption. Like most complex issues, the answer is probably not leaving the rule as-is or eliminating it entirely, but rather adjusting it to match modern needs and reduce unwanted overuse. For anyone who regularly uses the exemption, or - like SHEIN and Temu - relies upon it as part of their business model, monitoring conversations about potential changes will be critical. But all companies that regularly import small orders should pay attention as well so they can be prepared to alter their strategies accordingly. Since even the schedule for change is uncertain, the time for education, discussion, and planning is now. https://lnkd.in/encZzvrS #supplychain #imports #deminimis Art of Supply Buyers Meeting Point Art of Procurement

14

4 Comments

Carrying on my recent trend of talking #PredictiveProcurement today! This time I want to talk more about AI’s role in it 🤖 Three simple bits of data: unit of measure, item descriptions and geographic segmentation. They are also the three most common data issues that we hear about from procurement teams! Many companies feel they’re being held back by this lack of trust in their procurement data. And with errors like these also comes costly time trying to solve them. This is where, in my opinion, predictive and generative AI is best used. I’ve seen through our work at Arkestro how these tools have helped clean up data sets in a matter of seconds. Believe me, it’s much better than scrolling through a spreadsheet yourself! We’ve got a blog post over on the Arkestro website that digs deeper in to this, and I highly recommend you check it out below. #Arkestro #PredictiveProcurement #AIInnovation #ProcurementAI

30

2 Comments

JIT or JIC? The Supply Chain Pendulum Swings Back For years, businesses relied on the Just-In-Time (JIT) model, keeping inventory minimal and timed to match demand precisely. But then came the pandemic—and with it, severe disruptions that left companies scrambling. In response, many shifted to a Just-In-Case (JIC) model, stockpiling inventory well ahead of demand. Initially, this pivot seemed prudent. Yet as demand patterns normalized, companies were suddenly stuck with millions—or even billions—of dollars in excess inventory, facing markdowns, space shortages, and cash flow challenges. This whiplash affected not just importers but also carriers, ports, and suppliers, creating a ripple of complications across the supply chain. Now, according to this great article by The Supply Chain Exchange the pendulum is swinging back. Indicators suggest that 2024 is poised to be the year JIT practices regain their footing as supply chain pressures ease and inventory levels stabilize. #JIT #JIC #Inventory #SupplyChain #Sales #Demand #Supply If you need assistance with your global supply chain, you can reach me at [email protected].

3

Remember when we were trying to forecast when the #supplychain madness would abate and we'd return to "normal?" Remember folks saying "We may not get through this thing until 2025." Hard to believe, but we're staring 2025 in the face. Perhaps 2025 isn't exactly normal - I'm hearing that some gov't agencies are still facing OEM allocations. Some dealers are saying they need to shed inventory and the commercial fleets aren't buying - those fleets are already over 2019 buying levels month on month, but it's slowing down. I made some projections for FY 2024 based on sales to date for H1 and historical trends. Let me know what you're experiencing out there, on the buying or selling side! Check out the story here >>> https://lnkd.in/guSEfeGa

19

2 Comments

Interesting article on the impact of "de minimis" trade volumes on US economic activity...and the cost of banning it...#deminimis #supplychain https://lnkd.in/g9cfwKWq

1

I've been thinking about the future of supply chain risk management. The fact is, no business will ever view risk the same way they did four years ago. We're fundamentally facing a risk landscape that looks nothing like it did 20, 10, or even 5 years ago, and it requires companies to be agile, proactive, and prescient in the way they think about and mitigate risk if they want to thrive for a long time. But what exactly are these evolving risks? And how can SCRM strategies adapt to meet them? I've covered it all in my recent article on our website. The link is in the comments below. #SCRM #supplychain #riskmanagement #manufacturing #agile #Z2Data

105

2 Comments

Well stated, thank you. Karl Kempf, Intel, uses the the term illusion of control. Most firms see the purpose of a plan is to find the "best" set of actions. However best is defined (another topic). In fact the purpose of the plan is to make a firm responsive (Peter Lyon, IBM; Harpal Singh Arkieva). This takes more work and investment. Simple example Peter used: Assume I have a one of a kind (OAD) tool in wafter production (FAB). Different products (parts) have different consumption rates. For the FAB what it needs first from the forecast is expected utilization rate of the OAK. If the current forecast has utilization rate of 50%, then if the demand estimate is off by 20%, OAK still has reasonable utilization. If the demand estimate has utilization of 90%, then an estimate off by 20%, can generate serious unmet demand. This is more work - as Harpal observes firm often don't have an appetite for this type of analysis.

7

3 Comments

While many might consider the content supply chain completed after publication, the knowledge you gain from post-publication analysis can smooth the process for your upcoming content projects. More ideas in the new issue of The PMC Content Corner. https://lttr.ai/AZJ2d #ContentSupplyChain #ContentProduction #ContentMarketing

3

Might I suggest that 'winging it' when it comes to #SupplyChain decision making may not be the best long-term strategy? When a #CPGBrand is starting out, everything is moving in lightspeed. 🔸Product development 🔸Supplier sourcing/qualifying 🔸Distribution 🔸Expansion When the Team is lean, it can be quite difficult to go deep on certain topics. Afterall, when ALL the wheels are squeaking, you can't focus solely on one while the rest might fall off completely. This leads to a situation where decisions- quality decisions, procurement decisions, data decisions - are more gut-instinct rather than validated analytics. The upside to this is in the beginning, those gut instinct decisions can often be spot on. An Owner and those lean Teams definitely know the business. The downside is that there is an expiration date to handling things this way. 🔸The business will grow as will complexity. 🔸Decisions will need to be tempered by facts- especially those with personal ties. 🔸Costs and inventory amounts will become more impactful. And if this process goes too far, it can be quite hard to undo (let alone determine why the decision was made). Consider instead, pulling one of your Teammates out of their role for a while to build these processes out and get the foundation you will need later. Or, if your Team is overstretched and there are no resources to get a process in place with analytics to support it, consider outsourcing this. Your future self will thank you! #SupplyChain #InventoryManagement #Stockouts #ExcessInventory #Procurement #SOPs #ProcessImplementation #CPGBrands #Startups Thoughts?

8

6 Comments

The most impactful change you can make in your #SupplyChain: Reduce your Lead Times. Unpredictability is ... well... predictable in Supply Chain/ Operations. Things will inevitably not go as planned from time to time- that is certain. How and where unpredictability will show up is the unknown part and also the part that must be addressed. But how do you address the unknown? By reducing the time it takes to respond to changes. Reducing lead times applies not just externally with your inventory and Supply Network, but also internally with how you process and use information. Mapping out the flow of information and materials and finding ways to reduce the time required is a very useful activity. And one that will have a big impact the next time you need to move quickly. #LeadTimes #Operations #SupplyChainResilience #CPGBrands How have you used lead times to create flexiblity?

17

6 Comments

🚀 Unlock the Power of Data to Elevate Your Supply Chain Performance! Check out Kelli Roberts' insightful presentation from the Accelerate 2024 Conference in Atlanta, GA, now available on YouTube! 📽️ In this session, Kelli dives into the advanced capabilities of Power BI and its crucial role in accelerating supply chain performance. Discover how to harness critical KPIs and metrics like inventory levels, buffer trends, and service levels to drive actionable insights. Key takeaways include: ✅ Understanding order conformance ✅ MOQ analysis ✅ Past period analysis Kelli demonstrates how these data points can inform strategic decisions, leveraging predefined Power BI reports within Intuiflow to enhance your supply chain’s efficiency and responsiveness. Whether your goal is to improve inventory turnover, achieve target inventory levels, or optimize supply orders, this session equips you with the knowledge to transform data into strategic actions. 🎥 Watch the full video here: https://bit.ly/3KGrJm3 #SupplyChain #PowerBI #DataDriven #Accelerate2024 #Intuiflow #SupplyChainPerformance #KPI #InventoryManagement #Analytics #StrategicInsights

7