Route to Market & Supply Chain Blog

I came across an interesting problem on FMCG planning this week. The company in question was a blue- chip multi-national with well developed supply chain and business processes, e.g. a suite of relevant and stretching KPIs in place plus a living…

Ok, now back on line after the holidays and some demanding project work. One of the first catch-up meetings I have had this year was with an FMCG MD. No name of course, but this is a medium sized player with a broad European base and I have…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Whether you call it co-packing or re-packing this involves the further manipulation of a finished and complete sku. Look around the shelves and the evidence of extra expense and work is displayed by special stickers, multi-packs and banded…

Do FMCG, Drinks & Pharma Companies delude themselves on Customer Service? I think some may well be doing this and may or may not know it! Whatever service related KPI you measure the aim is designed to see how you are performing both internally and…

So, we have reached April and Q1 is already done and dusted; how were your results? Be honest, did you push, push, push to make last year’s final number and shoot yourself in the foot for Q1? From what I understand very few companies will have had a…

We have seen some terrible natural disasters recently. The large earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan have ruined lives and caused unbelievable devastation. When you add in the political unrest in several countries and the recent UN mandate on Libya…

For years producers have sent their products to individual retails stores and endured the seemingly endless waits for an unloading slot plus the inevitable claim “for missing goods”. Why do International Key Account (IKA) retailers have so much…

Like many business functions Supply Chains use multiple initials and/or acronyms to describe various tasks they manage on a daily basis. Those not familiar with SC-speak will often sit bemused in meetings as various initials are quoted and debated…

The recession rumbles on and on and on. Greece, then Ireland; who is next in line for a heavy duty IMF/EU bale out? Should Spain become the next country to hit the financial wall that would send a few shock waves around Europe. So why is Interim…

Hello pop pickers, this weeks’ top 10 smash hits in this important but often forgotten part of the Supply Chain. At number 10 is All Systems Go by Donna Summer – Do not cut costs on your WMS and avoid any untried local “specials”. Make sure all…

I have been thinking about Africa this year & its particular needs regarding supply chain. We have been working there since 1993 & it came back into consciousness during the World Cup. Many African countries are growing rapidly. However, I have been…