Restrictions, Interruptions and Disruptions It is a waste of effort to think of trends in supply chains that your organisation could apply in 2025. Headlines about restrictions, interruptions and disruptions to supply chains, caused by humans and nature, are likely to gain more attention from senior management. Instead, think about actions that better positions your organisation’s response to possible events. … Read More
Changes in supply chains occur for convenience products
Convenience products Convenience products for consumers are ‘the products they need, but are not willing to spend much time or effort when shopping’. The purchase can be an impulse buy, so retail shelves can be quickly depleted, requiring constant replenishment. These convenience products are handled through supply chains as Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) and Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG). The … Read More
Sales markets, forecasts and bias affect Supply Chains
Assumptions about a sales market Over the years, much has been written and spoken about the importance of an ‘accurate’ forecasts of sales. But what if the underlying assumptions about a market are wrong, in which case, forecast accuracy has little meaning. And its the Supply Chains group that must clear the debris left behind when reality strikes. This situation … Read More
Markets change so industries change their supply chains
Change in CPG companies Are disruptions to supply chains just caused by geopolitical, climate and natural events, because these can influence supply chains relatively quickly? What about changes to supply chains that are caused by changes within industries, that can take longer to be felt? An example is the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry, where products often carry a ‘use … Read More
Political promises and decisions about Supply Chains
Forecasts are always wrong For any forecast, always attach probabilities of them occurring. A current forecast is the threat to increase tariffs on all goods entering the US and for very high tariffs on goods from China. This was mentioned many times in the recent US election campaign speeches and has received much coverage in the media. As a repeated … Read More