Route to Market & Supply Chain Blog

No, honestly this is a blog about FMCG Supply Chains! Those seeking advice on leather whips and chains should return to Google and search again now. Within any FMCG business are there any people lacking more in structure, discipline and planning as…

The “Famous Last words” of people can be intriguing, rude and frequently very, very funny yet equally they can be complete nonsense. In the context of the FMCG Supply Chain, “Famous Last Words” are usually uttered just before something disastrous or…

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

Hello pop pickers, here is this weeks’ top 10 smash hits in this important but often forgotten part of the FMCG Supply Chain. At number 10 is All Systems Go by Donna Summer – Do not cut costs on your Warehouse Management System (WMS) and avoid any…

FMCG SKUs sneak onto price lists when nobody is looking! Sales & Marketing colleagues prefer new launches to have lengthy lists of SKUs; different flavours, different sizes, different colours, different shapes. How many shelf facings do they want…

Sorry to be a little direct right at the start but make no mistake Mr/Mrs. FMCG Producer, YOU put the stock there, oh yes you did! Distributors don't buy stock for a laugh and a giggle as they like full shelves. Excess stock blocks up their shelves…

People over a certain age talk about times when they could leave their front doors open or when you found money on the pavement and took it to a police station. Long-gone days, sadly. Nowadays, if you leave your front door open all you belongings…

Dear Drinks Agony Aunt, I have reached the end of my patience. I’m drinking too much coffee, too much beer, I smoke like a chimney, I’m not eating properly and I just cannot sleep. I have not managed to watch or play any of my favourite sports and…

If you still rely on Traditional Trade (TT) distribution for a significant part of your business then read on! Over-stocking Distributors happens by stealth and the consequences creep up on you until suddenly and without warning you hit a brick wall…

I will not reveal the name of the organisation for obvious reasons but their Supply Chain is clearly one very impressive, slick machine. Across the Source, Plan, Make and Deliver Supply Chain disciplines we can see excellence and leading edge…

The worlds of Supply Chain and popular music may be strange bed fellows but if you look closely you will see many a smash hit have a supply chain theme. Let us take a tongue-in-cheek look at the latest Supply Chain charts. I Want My ERP – Sting is…

If you are honest you have probably sat bored in an airport lounge waiting for your inevitably delayed flight and listened in on a conversation. Go on, admit it! If the discussion topic is not one with which you are familiar it can be as if you are…

Some FMCG organisations are comfortable with the idea of using consultants while others avoid them like the plague. Having been on both sides of the fence with respect to supply chain consultancy services I can appreciate the pros and cons for each…

Probably sitting at number two in the most popular excuses offered when FMCG sales did not happen as planned is parallel or grey trade. Without doubt greys, “passing off” and counterfeits can have an impact on FMCG sales but I was surprised how they…

The English dictionary lists the definition of complexity as “the state or quality of being intricate or complicated: an issue of great complexity”. Wikipedia defines complexity in great detail and starts with “In general usage, complexity tends to…