Route to Market & Supply Chain Blog
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We are passionate about Route to Market and supply chain management and we are delighted to share our thoughts with you. We would like to hear from you too, so please comment on our posts or contact us.
FMCG S&OP: Enabling change as good as the best CEO
Dave Jordan Mon, Dec 17, 2012
Nearly the year end. Have you started planning for that party? Are the presents all sorted out? Cards ready before the final posting date? No, I thought not. All the fuss will be over before you know it and then January will see the usual raft of…
FMCG Home Alone Demand Planning & Forecasting - Out of stock
Dave Jordan Thu, Dec 13, 2012
Senior Management has again flown off to UK to visit the heiress and attempt to single-handedly bring the UK retail economy out of recession. Look out for a blip in Birmingham when the Q4 figures are released as the plastic is in for vigorous…
FMCG Drinks : The Downton Abbey Supply Chain Drama
Dave Jordan Wed, Nov 21, 2012
The ancient Rolls Royce slowly chugged up the lane toward the big house. The thin wheels crunched at the white gravel as the car came to a halt opposite the imposing doors of the Abbey House. A full squad of staff in white and black livery was…
FMCG/Pharma: How a wagging SKU tail knocks companies off-balance
Dave Jordan Tue, Oct 09, 2012
When the biology teacher tells you humans have a tail your ears prick up and you wait for the punch line and inevitable student guffaw. But it’s true! Our coccyx or tailbone is what remains of our lost tail. All mammals have a tail at one point in…
FMCG/Fuel Forecast Accuracy: Forget Flying Fears
Dave Jordan Wed, Sep 12, 2012
I have just arrived back from a great holiday full of sun, sand, sea and sacks of candy-floss which inevitably inspired me to write. I was already in my late twenties when I first flew primarily due to an irrational fear of flying. As a conscious…
FMCG Food Stocks Purchasing: Student House Supply Chain:
Dave Jordan Fri, Aug 17, 2012
The student house. What a great idea to join with some university friends and rent a house together. This is far better than university halls as you can have parties 24/7 without security telling you to keep the noise down. Ok, if you are still all…
Space Constraints in a 3PLP FMCG/Pharma Warehouse
Dave Jordan Tue, Jul 24, 2012
Possibly the most jaw-dropping and least welcome question I will ever hear. A question that brings me to the depths of despair certainly, rapidly and without warning. A question that is worse than being asked to appear on Big Brother – well almost.…
FMCG distributor overstocking blocks more than your business
Dave Jordan Tue, Jul 10, 2012
I spent most of last weekend slightly below ground in a hot, dirty, smelly hole without light and where you could not stand up properly. No, it was not the driver’s room at your 3PLP but it was the hole in the ground that provides water to the…
FMCG/Pharma; Olympic level performance or over-stocking the trade?
Dave Jordan Sun, Jun 17, 2012
The London Olympic Games 2012 are getting very close. The Olympic flame is on a tour of the UK before it finally (and hopefully on time) reaches the Olympic stadium to light the cauldron to mark the start of the games. As the flame has to pass…
Practical Guide to SKU Complexity: FA Premier League Results
Dave Jordan Mon, Feb 13, 2012
You may recall I took a light-hearted look at the complexity of overpaid Premier League footballers and how they might be treated if they were skus in a business. There is a cost to having an sku on your books whether this is soup, a shampoo or a…
3 Steps to Address Q4 FMCG, Drinks Supply Chain Challenges
Dave Jordan Mon, Sep 26, 2011
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…
Why you need to study your Manufacturing Factory Footprint
Dave Jordan Wed, Jun 29, 2011
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…
Inventory/Spare Parts Management in FMCG, Brewing, Pharma Factories
Dave Jordan Sun, Jun 19, 2011
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…
Practical Guide to SKU Complexity Reduction in the Premier League
Dave Jordan Mon, Jun 13, 2011
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…
Reducing Cost in FMCG, Brewing, Pharma Businesses
Dave Jordan Mon, May 23, 2011
Picture the scene in many a boardroom; a note has come from HQ telling the boss to reduce costs as globally the annual set of results is not going to look pretty. Why do all the board directors then look at their Supply Chain colleague? Of course…