Clients typically set goals; however, goals without an understanding of where you stand is non-value added. Although it is common to set goals and expect employees to achieve them, it is far less common for clients to understand how they will get from the current state to the desired future state.
Simple metrics drive results. Whether a food and beverage manufacturer or an aerospace distributor, measuring the "right" metrics will focus attention on key issues and drive results.
Customer service has suffered in the last few years. Yet providing a superior customer experience is paramount to success especially during these turbulent times of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA).
Prior to Uber, a medallion (a transferable permit that allows a taxi driver to operate) cost $1 million dollars in New York city. It was a powerful permit with substantial value. After Uber started up, the low point for a medallion was around $25,000. That is a 40-fold reduction [...]
If you want to serve your key customers successfully (with high on-time-in-full (OTIF), short lead times, and proactive service) so that you can take advantage of the opportunities coming down the pike while addressing the hard realities of the current business environment (potential recessions, high interest rates, and less access to capital), you MUST balance sales, operations and inventory.
LMA client, Armacell LLC, provides senior management, operations management, supply chain management (integrated business planning), and sales viewpoints on their experience in working with the LMA team and the results they achieved.
Since the pandemic, it has been a constant battle to ensure material availability, let alone to proactively manage cost and service. Even the most proactive and successful clients have experienced brief shortages of key materials and extended lead-times. The rest have been plagued with these issues.
According to the Wall Street Journal, consumer prices are the highest in 40 years. It certainly doesn’t seem to be letting up. In fact, with the Russia-Ukraine war, there will be continued inflationary pressures on products related to oil, gas, commodity, and food at a minimum.
If there is one thing in common with every client (big or small) in the current business environment which is characterized by significant volatility and uncertainty, it is the increased level of complexity of supply chains. As the old saying goes, you are only as strong as your weakest [...]
Improving OTIF and Reducing Cost and Inventory Every client wants to support growth goals while improving service levels (OTIF, on-time-in-full), operational efficiencies and inventory turns. These are timeless objectives for every planner. During the pandemic, the priorities shifted to service levels because clients struggled to keep up with dramatic [...]
