All Posts Tagged "suppliers"...
Don’t play chicken with your supply chain
Did you get all the chicken wings you wanted to accompany your Super Bowl experience? Thank the NHL. Did they cost more than last year? Blame ethanol. Several weeks ago, the National Chicken Council issued a warning that production was down this year due primarily to rising feed prices. Rumors of a chicken wing shortage spread like wildfire.
Thinking Small
April 2013 Consulting.
Advice and Assistance for Manufacturers.
The assumption that bigger is better has been with us for many years and is built into many of our management systems and assumptions.
Master the art of forecasting
At year’s end, we are often caught up in thinking and planning for the current year. Did 2011 turn out the way you expected? Will 2012 be dramatically different? Are there other factors — things we are planning to do; things we think our competitors might do; outside forces such as changing tastes, demographics or economics — that might change the course of business in the coming year?
Your Shore or Mine?
Several years ago, it was almost fashionable to outsource to low-wage areas of the world to reduce costs. Business leaders developed the mind-set of “off shoring is always cheaper:’ and they scarcely looked beyond unit cost plus transportation.
Japan Disaster Shows Fragility of Supply Chain
Reprinted from Portsmouth Herald / Seacoastonline.com – March 21, 2011 Once again, the supply chain is in the news because of a major disruption. Last year, the volcanic eruption in Iceland closed some major European airports for a number of
How Lean is Your Supply Chain?
March 2011
A week or so ago, headlines announced “GM Cancels Production Shifts Following Plant Fire”. It seems that GM plants in Flint, Michigan and Lordstown, Ohio as well as a couple others (less affected) were forced to cancel production shifts because of parts shortages caused by a fire at a parts plant.
Quality is Not ‘Do It Yourself’
Toyota, the company that set the bar for automotive quality, has experienced a number of embarrassing recalls over the last year or so. In their efforts to identify what happened and how to fix the problems, Toyota has conducted audits and other investigations into its operations around the world. One of the key discoveries was that suppliers were not maintaining the quality controls and quality validation (testing) that were done initially and are called for in the supply contracts.
2010 APICS International Conference & Expo
The 2010 APICS International Conference & Expo is being held this week, October 18-20 at the Wynn in Las Vegas, NV. The General Session on Monday featured LT. General Russel L. Honoré who spoke about leadership in an uncertain time.
A ‘Lean’ Supply Chain Presents Risks and Rewards
Ash from a volcanic eruption in Iceland blankets Europe and closes major airports. In no time, the Boston flower market runs out of tulips, and factories in California shut down for lack of parts. Most people are aware of the
