Supply Chain Evolution: Rethinking Processes for Genuine Transformation

Any tool is only as good as the process it automates.
Automating wrong processes will give you wrong outcomes.
Test your process / fit before you scale up.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗮𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗼 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀

Forget about fancy tools and shiny new gadgets – the biggest change in the supply chain comes from boring old processes and the way we think about things.

Tools, such as
– supply chain management software and
– automation technologies,
can improve efficiency and streamline processes.
But, they are only as effective as the processes and systems they support.

To revolutionize the supply chain, we must reevaluate and optimize these underlying processes.

1. 𝗥𝗲𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀.
If we want to shake things up, we need to think outside the box.
For example, instead of tracking cost per unit, what about the total cost of ownership?
That way, we can take into account things like
– the quality of the product,
– the reliability of the supplier, and
– the impact on the customer.
Or how about measuring customer satisfaction? I mean, who doesn’t love a happy customer?

2. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.
No more surface-level inquiries – we need to dig deep and get to the root of the problem.
For example, instead of “Why was this delivery late?”, we could try “What are the root causes of our delivery delays?
Is it an issue with our
– transportation planning,
– supplier lead times, or
something else?
How can we address these issues to improve our on-time delivery rate?”

And don’t be afraid to think big!

Instead of trying to
– improve efficiency and
– cut costs,
we could ask questions like “How can we use our supply chain to create value for our customers in ways that go beyond traditional product delivery?
Could we leverage our network and capabilities to offer new services or solutions?”

3. 𝗙𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.
And no, I don’t mean the kind of perfectionism that freaks out about every little mistake. I’m talking about a culture of “kaizen”, where we embrace small failures as opportunities to learn and grow. This might involve
– setting up regular review and feedback sessions with team members,
– encouraging employees to suggest ideas for improvement and innovation, and
– providing training and support to help them develop new skills and capabilities.

And don’t be afraid to experiment and test out new ideas – after all, the only way to know if something will work is to try it out.

So there you have it –
the biggest change in the supply chain comes from
1. Reevaluating our measurements,
2. Asking the right questions, and
3. Fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

𝘚𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵.
It’s time to shake things up and drive real change in the supply chain!