Route to Market & Supply Chain Blog

Once upon a time there was an FMCG company that I will refer to as “Foresight”. “Foresight” had spent many years and many Euros creating a slick inbound Supply Chain. Top class global, regional and collaborative buying Flexible manufacturing network…

How do you keep track of Supply Chain performance within your FMCG, Brewing or Pharmaceutical business? You do, don’t you? If you are not measuring any KPIs then perhaps you should stop here, read this KPI piece and then pop back and carry on. You…

Last month I spent a few weeks enjoying the UK weather disaster as 10mm of snow brought life to a halt. While there I moved the heiress into her new apartment - not a flat now as student days are over, very posh. Hopefully, that will be the last…

Are market conditions getting any better, really? Many big name companies are heading for indifferent full year 2017 results and all caution about the continuing “difficult market conditions”. Ok, so 2017 has been put to bed but many will be paying…

If your business is struggling to cope with day to day sales while managing innovation and range extensions then give your SKU list a thorough review. Not just a cursory glance but a scientific evaluation of what brings in the profit and what eats…

Just when we thought winter had been and gone it bit back nastily with a short, sharp shock of bad weather including snow and bitter cold. Typically, UK was unable to cope and as an example I spent 5 hours looking out of a cabin window at Birmingham…

By the end of February over 19% of the year will be behind you. Think about that for a minute. If you follow a financial calendar year you probably put your Annual Plan to bed in October and now nearly 20% of the available selling time has already…

February is here but blink and you will miss it as it is not a leap year. You cannot change January performance and February should be quite firm by now, so you need to be looking further ahead in your S&OP. Much further ahead. What is coming soon…

Where has that first post-holiday month gone? Suddenly it’s the 24th of January and there are only 7 calendar days and 5 working days until you close the month. Adopt panic stations despite what Corporal Jones of Dad’s Army would say. Are you ahead…

We already find ourselves at 17th January so not many days left to ensure your monthly top and bottom lines are on target. Good luck with that if your business (& body!) is only just shaking off the holiday excesses. What is top of mind? The sagging…

Chris Rea has finally found the correct turn off, a lot of people in Africa still don’t know its Christmas and the novelty Santa toilet seat cover is back in the box. Oh, and chocolate Easter eggs are in the shops 4 months in advance. Christmas and…

Christmas is coming around faster than ever and who better than Noddy Holder and Slade to celebrate Sales & Operational Planning (S&OP). This festive song has been heard at Christmas every year since 1973! If you have been living in a cave on a…

Dear Father Christmas,, I have been a very good FMCG CEO this year, I promise. If you want, you can check with my colleagues and shareholders. They know how good I have been this year. Apart from the out of stocks of course, oh and the little…

“Dashing through the snow In a one horse open sleigh…” How many of you started to sing then? Yes, the festive period is fast approaching and the biggest and best supply chain in the world is almost ready to activate. This is always the most…

Ok, so you are unlikley to see this on a car bumper sticker but FMCG Distributors will have a significant impact on your sales performance, probably your variable pay bonus and therefore your CEO aspirations! How have you treated your Distributors…