The “Famous Last words” of people can be intriguing, rude and frequently very, very funny just as much as they can be complete nonsense. In the context of Supply Chain, “Famous Last Words” are usually uttered just before something disastrous or unexpected happens. Rarely is the term used with the expectation of good news to follow.

Here are some “Famous Last Words” you may hear in your FMCG, Brewing or Pharma business.

• CEO/Chairman “This S&OP process works extremely well.”
• Marketing Manager “The artwork will definitely be here on time.”
• Brand Manager “There will only be three colours on the label artwork.
• Finance Manager “Working capital continues to reduce.”
• Sales Manager “This months’ forecast will be accurate.”
• RTM Manager “The Distributor network runs like clock-work.”
• Planning Manager “All skus in the range are available.”
• Factory Manager “We are reliable here, we do not have breakdowns.”
• Procurement Manager “All RM/PM supplies are guaranteed up to year-end.”
• Safety Manager “Our last Lost Time Accident was over a year ago.”
• Logistics Manager “No problem, plenty of space in the warehouse.”      
• HR Manager “We run a happy ship and nobody ever leaves.

Nothing is ever as simple as it looks and sometimes commitments and promises fail to materialise just at the wrong time.

There are many more examples from real life so please feel free to leave yours in the comments section.

 

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