Supply Chain Optimization
Supply chain optimization must remain a priority as disruptions continue. For example, although the Panama Canal started experiencing issues in the summer (refer to our article for details), it has been worsening lately. 40% of the goods movement from Northeast Asia to the U.S. East Coast go through the Panama Canal, and so the Panama Canal issues are driving shortages, late deliveries, and re-routing of goods.
How Do You Benefit from Supply Chain Optimization Consulting?
Sales & Marketing
Sales and Marketing leaders will gain high levels of service for their customers with on-time-in-full (OTIF) levels in the high 90’s, shorter lead-times, and high ratings on customer scorecards. They also will gain improved levels of responsiveness to customer needs and confidence in new product rollouts.
Engineering
For engineer-to-order (ETO) and configure-to-order (CTO) businesses, Engineering leaders will gain visibility into workload requirements to support drawings, customer approvals, and bill of material designs. They will be able to plan for the appropriate level of engineering capacity and capabilities.
Manufacturing
Manufacturing leaders will gain visibility into work center, machine, equipment, tooling, maintenance, staffing, and training requirements so that they can plan accordingly. They will also gain visibility into the master production schedule so that they can optimize run sizes with changeovers and costs.
Purchasing
Purchasing leaders will gain visibility into raw material, component, ingredient, and outside processing requirements so that they can work with suppliers to set up the appropriate programs and contracts to meet customer requirements. Suppliers will have visibility to capacity and scorecards.
Logistics
Logistics leaders will gain visibility into storage, warehousing, handling, picking, packing, shipping, transportation, returns, and equipment requirements so that they can plan accordingly. As gaps arise, service and cost options can be analyzed to expand capacity or capabilities as needed to support customers.
Finance
Finance leaders will gain visibility into sales forecasts, engineering and manufacturing plans, capital expenditure needs, purchase forecasts, staffing and support resource requirements, logistics forecasts, and inventory projections. Thus, they will have revenue, cost, profitability, and cash flow projections.
Planning
Planning leaders will gain visibility into the demand plan, sales orders, quotes, replenishment orders, and work order status so that they can develop the best master production schedule (MPS) to optimize customer service, operational efficiency and working capital. They will gain high service levels and increased margins.
Blog posts for Supply Chain Optimization
As we continue to dive into the trends and predictions of 2025, Lisa Anderson joins us this week as we discuss the strategies and initiatives that will drive supply chain business in this new year.
In the latest evidence of the heightened concerns related to geopolitical risk, Biden has cracked down on most Chinese cars and trucks with a rule that software and hardware cannot come from China. There is concern about having millions of cars on the road with a potential threat to national security.
Although we talk about the value of the backup to the backup all the time in supply chain circles, when the rubber meets the road with the costs of the backup, it can be seen as excessive.
