Route to Market & Supply Chain Blog

I have travelled quite a lot over the years and tried to add one new country each year until I stumbled at 45. Many were holidays but a majority were on business with very few opportunities available to actually see the place. “Oh, you must be so…

Once upon a time I was working in a well-known detergent powder factory in the north of England. The factory manger at the time will remain nameless but he had a habit of dragging people from the production floor to show off the latest gadget or new…

When I first came across Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) I was sceptical of yet another ”blue sky” approach to pursuing manufacturing excellence. Surely, this would soon be replaced by the next set of buzz-word initials dreamed up by smart-suited…

The annual Supply Chain “Oscar’s” have been announced by Gartner for 2014. I list the top 10 here but to see the full list of top 25 global Supply Chains please click and surf here. Apple McDonald's Amazon.com Unilever Procter & Gamble Samsung…

The human heart. Unless you are a little bit dead or a politician we all have one beating away inside. Thinking a little out of the box, what an excellent supply chain the heart is! Oxygenated blood is pumped through arteries around the body in just…

In my previous blog on the subject (Integrated Supply Chain Planning – The Number 1 Opportunity), I outlined how producers (manufacturers) can achieve very significant improvements in the financial performance of their supply chains by a process of…

At Enchange, we have provided a many interim managers for clients over the years. I was discussing our supply chain interim management services with a client recently and she asked whether she should be hiring interim managers or consultants. We had…

On the first day of Christmas, Enchange gave to me A robust S&OP. On the second day of Christmas, Enchange gave to me Two fine consultants, And a robust S&OP. On the third day of Christmas, Enchange gave to me An ERP go-live, Two fine consultants,…

The year-end Christmas rush is about to gear up once more. Despite the ropey economic conditions people will still find ways to spend as much money as possible – that they don’t have - over the holiday build up and the inevitable “everything must…

I had a terrible row last weekend. Everything seemed to be going well; no stress, nothing to worry about just getting along nicely then boom! There was screaming, pain and I have to admit I was close to shedding tears as the incident unfolded.…

Well I find it strange anyway. Whenever I go to see my doctor she always greets me with a cheery “good morning, how are you?” I always feel like replying “well I‘m in your clinic so there is a fair chance I need some medical advice or assistance”.…

A number of years ago I was a science techie in a white laboratory coat trying to make detergent powder through non-standard methods - well somebody had to! After much trial and error an innovative solution was developed which resulted in…

Those of a certain age and a fondness for seriously daft comedy may recognise these lines from a Monty Python song. The full version is available here but this short section provides the general gist of the lyrical content quality: He likes traffic…

Do you remember those long running TV advertising campaigns for probably/possibly the best lager/beer in the world? The specific advert from the UK that sticks in my mind is the one where Mr. Middle Manager is leaving the office for the evening when…

Last week was spent enjoying the weather in UK as I moved the heiress into her third new student house in 3 years. This time the house has 9 – yes nine – residents which must make it a no go area for anyone above the age of 25 unless wearing…