Route to Market & Supply Chain Blog

We are now into the final quarter of the year. Very few companies will be cruising along nicely and looking forward to the year-end results. If you did not review your Route To Market Distribution network and tasted sustainable success then some…

Well, I would think long and hard about such a decision! Would you want the hassle and the lack of recognition and reward? An FMCG distributor’s lot is not always a happy one. Frequently and unfairly blamed for not reaching targets, yet the fault…

How on earth did it get around to the end of September so quickly? One minute I was sniffling at our daughter’s school leaving speech and the next I see Christmas goods in shops. Who is in the mood to buy Christmas goods in September? Who plans for…

I recently had a lengthy discussion with someone from the Armed Forces who was preparing to lead his men into a currently dangerous part of the world. I enquired about the logistics of delivering people, arms and machines to the right place at the…

You can, there's no need to feel down I said you can, pick your sales off the ground I said you can, stop running around There's no time to be unhappy You can, there's a process you know I said you can, when your sales don’t grow You know, you are…

Do you remember the rash of take-overs, buy-outs and mergers just before last two rounds of EU accession? Locally owned CEE Companies that could not or would not meet the various requirement of EU accession were sold off to competitors and private…

Summer is just around the corner and drinks producers across the globe will be battling for an increased share of throat. Whatever refreshment you offer the challenge to ensure your product is taken off the shelf or out of the cooler remains very…

Previously on S&OP. The Demand Review has taken place. The Supply Review followed on time and a mutual understanding reached. Despite considerable challenges in securing a date in the diary for all the key players the Pre-S&OP happened without…

Impossible, over my dead body, not in a million years - the usual knee-jerk objections to any suggestion of getting too close to a competitive operation. Such comments are usually spouted by Marketing colleagues who are frankly living on agency…

The sharp, customer end of the extended supply chain continues to receive attention as companies implement and hone S&OP and RTM-style programmes. The multiple drivers include cost of course, but also customer service and a desire not to be out of…

Well, I find it strange anyway. Some very large companies spend countless hours and cash in finding and securing a third party logistic provider (3PLP) to take great care of their finished goods assets. The performance of the chosen 3PLP is then…

Whether your business is summer seasonal, e.g. beer, ice cream or you enjoy a relatively flat demand profile one of your key challenges will be to reach your Traditional Trade (TT) consumers. Where TT remains sizable and therefore important, your…

Previously I have looked at sku complexity in FMCG, Brewing and Pharmaceutical businesses and how it can affect customer service and profitability. This simple chart shows how you should be reviewing your sku portfolio to ensure your resources are…

Barcelona won the Champions League finally quite easily and to actually hear Sir Alex say something like “they gave us a good hiding” was refreshing. Messi was far from untidy and several Barcelona players looked head and shoulders above their…

Did anyone hear the loud clanging noise on Tuesday around 14.30? The sound was similar to a very large church bell being struck by a huge iron bar and that bar was in the hands of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Arnie was also in a very bad mood! The noise…