Category Archive

Challenges for global trade The current uncertainties in global trade will challenge companies to review the effectiveness of their supply chains. If the uncertainties convert to real risks for businesses, then over time, there is the potential for a realignment of trade relationships and the emergence of different economic blocs. For improved economic cooperation, these trade alliances could be structured … Read More

A Supply Chains Network When considering an individual supply chain in a business, it appears that each step identifies where inputs are consumed and value is added to the eventual finished product. But this picture is not complete. Commentators incorrectly discuss ‘the supply chain’ for a business, which appears to assume that all inputs and outputs for a business behave … Read More

Planning and Uncertainty In response to supply chain uncertainties, articles and podcasts have advised businesses about actions to take. Popular advice is to expand the network of suppliers, source items from suppliers located geographically closer and accelerate the implementation of automation. An action that is rarely mentioned is to improve the planning and scheduling process within a business. Planning at … Read More

Supply Chain models While it is commendable when complexity is removed from an organisation’s supply chains operations and its core supply chains, consideration must be given to the supply chains model that the business and Supply Chain group (Procurement, Operations Planning and Logistics) operate within. Working to remove complexity from an incorrect model is not a good use of resources. … Read More

Supply Chain is a concept The term ‘supply chain’ was introduced in an article of the early 1980s and its use in businesses began about ten years later, but supply chains have existed since people commenced making and trading items. The publicity concerning international disruption to trade has helped the term enter general conversations, but it is used with limited … Read More