Mary Kate Kloeblen’s Post

How do you know if a poor relationship with a supplier is worth turning around? This has come up in multiple situations in my career and it’s always tough to work through, but the best places to start are quality and OTIF. Is your supplier meeting your quality and regulatory standards? These are often the hardest challenges to work through that have the largest impact on your business. If the answer is no and there’s no willingness to work together through an improvement plan from the supplier’s end, I’d recommend starting to look for a new partner. Is your supplier regularly meeting your OTIF standards? These challenges are difficult and highly impactful, but workable. If the answer is no here, there’s some things to implement first before moving on. Have your forecasts been shared and accurate? Have you discussed line capacity and how much more capacity they could shift over to your company? Are there other opportunities to make your ordering of goods more efficient (aka consolidating POs, ordering at certain times of month, etc). Have you worked with them through a detailed production plan? Generally, it takes a lot collaboration to have a successful supplier relationship and it takes a lot of work to get a new partner up and running. Unless quality is being compromised, then maxing out efficiencies with your current supplier is typically the best place to start. #fulfillment #SOP #planning #logistics #operations #supplychain #production Hi I'm Mary Kate 👋 ! I do supply chain and ops consulting for growing brands. I optimize operations to help brands scale to meet growing demand while finding opportunities for savings. 3 ways that I can help you with your business: 1️⃣ Fractional support - overseeing your supply chain from both the strategic and tactical levels. 2️⃣ Value based projects. Need help figuring out how much inventory to purchase to avoid over/understock or where you're getting nailed on fulfillment costs? I can help there! 3️⃣ GTM planning. Lead and facilitate new product launches or new partner launches to ensure a smooth transition. Book a 30 min session with me to discuss your business's needs using the link in the comments!

Here's how I've reduced cash tied up in inventory by 30% in less than 6 months: 1) Analyzed the demand plans being used to forecast supply plans. How accurate have they been? What products and categories had the biggest gaps? Was there an opportunity to change the inputs of the demand plans? 2) Implemented stronger inventory controls through regular cycle counts and monthly reconciliations to ensure that our inventory accuracy was strong. 3) Created and enforced safety stock rules centered around supplier lead times, MOQs and pricing tiers. 4) Continually analyzed the results of steps 1-3 and made adjustments as necessary. 5) Ensured that purchases and cash outlay were forecasted and up to date to input into our budget. Hi I'm Mary Kate Kloeblen 👋 ! I do supply chain and ops consulting for growing brands. I optimize operations to help brands scale to meet growing demand while finding opportunities for savings. 3 ways that I can help you with your business: 1️⃣ Fractional support - overseeing your supply chain from both the strategic and tactical levels. 2️⃣ Value based projects. Need help figuring out how much inventory to purchase to avoid over/understock or where you're getting nailed on fulfillment costs? I can help there! 3️⃣ GTM planning. Lead and facilitate new product launches or new partner launches to ensure a smooth transition. Book a 30 min session with me to discuss your business's needs using the link in the comments!

How I approach balancing COGS, quality, customer experience and cash in supply chain. Yesterday, I spoke to why cost reduction is not the only thing that matters in supply chain and today I wanted to share some ways that I’ve approached finding the balance.  In my experience, there’s been no perfect formula and I’ve definitely made a lot of mistakes along the way.  Here are some tactics that I’ve found helpful in my own career: 1️⃣ Measuring and keeping a pulse on performance - this means establishing key KPIs across the supply chain (warehousing, quality, inventory, customer feedback/complaints, and supplier performance), being aware of trends and digging into the root cause of each trend. 2️⃣ Creating models that link data together to tell a bigger story - for example, ordering higher quantities from a supplier may get you into a lower cost per unit, however that volume needs to be linked to inventory planning, cash outlay and warehousing storage costs to understand the impacts and assess if that increased quantity is worthwhile from a bigger picture. 3️⃣ Driving strong communication cross-functional through regular touchpoints - this should be a space where points 1 and 2 are discussed transparently and cross-functional teams are able to provide feedback, align and ultimately come to making decisions together. 4️⃣ Failing fast and iterating - markets and businesses will change constantly so ensuring there’s a culture of trying, failing, learning and improving is key to continue to maintain this balance. #supplychain #operations #logistics #quality #efficiency #costmanagement Hi I'm Mary Kate 👋 ! I do supply chain and ops consulting for growing brands. I optimize operations to help brands scale to meet growing demand while finding opportunities for savings. 3 ways that I can help you with your business: 1️⃣ Fractional support - overseeing your supply chain from both the strategic and tactical levels. 2️⃣ Value based projects. Need help figuring out how much inventory to purchase to avoid over/understock or where you're getting nailed on fulfillment costs? I can help there! 3️⃣ GTM planning. Lead and facilitate new product launches or new partner launches to ensure a smooth transition. Book a 30 min session with me to discuss your business's needs using the link in the comments!

Inventory Management Explained to KIDS 👦🚀 Inventory management, a critical element of the supply chain, is tracking inventory from manufacturers to warehouses and from these facilities to the point of sale. Inventory management aims to have the right #products in the right place at the right time. Inventory represents a current asset since a company typically intends to sell its finished goods within a short amount of time, typically a year. Inventory has to be physically counted or measured before it can be put on a balance sheet. Let me know your views in the comments below 😀👇 Let's connect to deep dive in supply chain industry 😉🫂 #supplychain #supplychainmanagement #inventory #inventorymanagement #operations #mba #network #retail #ecommerce #views #repost #connections #productmanagement #procurement #sales #logistics #manufacturing #scm Business Infographics Daniel Stanton

A common misconception in supply chain is that cost reduction is all that matters. While yes, looking at COGS and finding ways to cut costs is an important priority to have. There’s also plenty of other goals that are equally important such as saving cash, finding more efficient ways to conduct your operation using tools or automations, quality control, and improving the customer experience. In my experience, too much focus on cost reduction without looking at the bigger picture can lead to outcomes that organizations want to avoid - low quality product or partnerships, more spend on other areas of the supply chain (Adrian Betts had a great post about the impacts at the warehouse level yesterday!), and ultimately more complexity in your supply chain that is requiring more man power to manage it. Ultimately a well run supply chain balances cost, quality, cash out, customer experience and quality without compromising on any of those pillars. #supplychain #operations #logistics #quality #efficiency #costmanagement Hi I'm Mary Kate 👋 ! I do supply chain and ops consulting for growing brands. I optimize operations to help brands scale to meet growing demand while finding opportunities for savings. 3 ways that I can help you with your business: 1️⃣ Fractional support - overseeing your supply chain from both the strategic and tactical levels. 2️⃣ Value based projects. Need help figuring out how much inventory to purchase to avoid over/understock or where you're getting nailed on fulfillment costs? I can help there! 3️⃣ GTM planning. Lead and facilitate new product launches or new partner launches to ensure a smooth transition. Book a 30 min session with me to discuss your business's needs using the link in the comments!

Every penny counts in business, especially in your supply chain. One of the most overlooked opportunities to save money lies in your inventory, the stock you hold and its mix. Too often, brands sit on excess inventory, tying up cash and incurring unnecessary storage and handling costs. A major contributor to poor inventory management is a disconnect in team goals. Procurement teams may focus on securing the best price, but without considering the downstream impact, those savings can quickly disappear when products sit in the warehouse for months, attracting storage and handling costs, and worse still, they end up in the bin due to the shelf life of quality constraints. My advice...... Start with the basics: robust demand planning, clear metrics, and a connected team. Establish metrics to monitor stock cover and availability at the SKU level to avoid overcommitting resources. Implement a solid, even if basic, demand planning process to regularly review sales, stock levels, orders, and supply chain capacity and make collective decisions that you and the team all agree on. Sophisticated tools aren’t a prerequisite for good planning. Visibility of metrics, a connected team, consistent review and adjustment are what really count. Keep it simple, iterate, and learn. Within a few months, you will be able to start freeing up cash, reduce waste, avoid stockouts, and control overstocks; most importantly, your team will be working together behind a single plan for the business. #SupplyChain #InventoryManagement #DemandPlanning #CostSavings

Important insight for distributors - do you agree or disagree with our 2024 results? #M&D #distribution #inventorymanagement #supplychain #labormarket #executivesurvey #CFO #CEO #manufacturing #strategy #competition

Having order accuracy issues with your 3PL? Here's a few things things I recommend doing to start to right size the issue: 1) If you haven't already been doing this, start measuring the issue by type of inaccuracy you're seeing (wrong item, wrong quantity, missing item, etc). You'll want to always keep a pulse on the metrics to identify trends. 2) Share the data with your 3PL weekly on a weekly call. Walk through the trends and get to the root cause. Is it a specific packer that's having an issue? Are SKUs named too similarly? Is there a bug that's messing with how your orders are transmitted? 3) Update your packout SOPs and make them as detailed as possible with pictures and steps. 4) Plan regular onsites with your 3PL to support on training, issue resolution and build partnership. #fulfillment #logistics #operations #supplychain Hi I'm Mary Kate 👋 ! I do supply chain and ops consulting for growing brands. I optimize operations to help brands scale to meet growing demand while finding opportunities for savings. 3 ways that I can help you with your business: 1️⃣ Fractional support - overseeing your supply chain from both the strategic and tactical levels. 2️⃣ Value based projects. Need help figuring out how much inventory to purchase to avoid over/understock or where you're getting nailed on fulfillment costs? I can help there! 3️⃣ GTM planning. Lead and facilitate new product launches or new partner launches to ensure a smooth transition. Book a 30 min session with me to discuss your business's needs using the link in the comments!

Inventory optimization is a critical challenge for retailers and distributors in today's competitive markets. While the ideal scenario would be to make-to-order, this is often not feasible due to long lead times. As a result, retailers and distributors must find ways to balance the need for instant purchase gratification with the realities of long lead times. One approach to inventory optimization is to focus on reducing cycle times. This can be done by streamlining processes, improving communication, and using technology to automate tasks. Another approach is to position inventory more effectively. This means placing inventory closer to the customer, which can reduce shipping costs and improve delivery times. Finally, it is important to synchronize supply chains based on the variability of demand. This can be done by using forecasting tools to predict demand and by collaborating with suppliers to manage inventory levels. Insights 1. Inventory optimization is a complex challenge that requires a multi-pronged approach. 2. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to inventory optimization. The best approach will vary depending on the specific needs of the retailer or distributor. 3. Technology can play a key role in inventory optimization, but it is important to use technology in a way that supports the overall supply chain strategy. 4. Collaboration with suppliers is essential for effective inventory management. 5. Forecasting alone is not enough to optimize inventory. Retailers and distributors must also focus on reducing cycle times, positioning inventory effectively, and synchronizing supply chains. 6. Inventory optimization is not about reducing inventory levels at all costs. The goal is to find the right balance between inventory levels and customer service. #inventoryoptimization #supplychainmanagement #demanddriven #reduceleadtimes #inventorypositioning #synchronizedemand #forecastingtools #collaborationsuppliers #globalstrategicsourcing #supplychainutopia #multichannelretailing #optimizeinventorylevels #customerservice #technologyrole #holisticapproach #realisticgoals #suppliercollaboration #effectiveinventorymanagement

Mastering product allocation strategies can streamline your inventory, cut costs, and keep you competitive. ✔ Dive deeper into the world of supply chain optimization and stay ahead of the curve. Kelly Squizzero shares more in our recent blog: