Route to Market & Supply Chain Blog

Initiatives such as 6-Sigma and TPM have helped producers towards optimised output from their manufacturing networks. Line changeovers are carried out with Grand Prix slickness. Packaging components have been harmonised and rationalised. Output…

Get your business in shape to take advantage of the expected upturn in economic conditions by giving your sku list a thorough review. Few businesses are lucky to operate with just one or two monster skus but an excessive list of items on offer can…

Is the market getting any better, really? Many big name companies have announced indifferent full year 2010 results recently and all caution about the continuing “difficult market conditions”. Ok, so 2010 has been put to bed but many will be paying…

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…

“Dashing through the snow In a one horse open sleigh…” How many of you actually 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. There is no way Santa…

This week we take a tongue-in-cheek look at the Supply Chain charts. I Want My ERP – Sting is at number 10 with his classic need for a decent ERP system to support your business. Avoid off the shelf solutions as they rarely work in the long run.…

"Yes, I know what you said you could sell but this is my target!" An all too familiar "demand discussion" between Producer Sales Rep and Distributor Manager. The Producer may operate a tight S&OP process but this commonly falls flat on its face with…

There are no individuals in this team. This is a team where the whole is far greater than the sum of the parts. The Supply Chain operates quietly and often in the background but is an essential team for any business. Team Sheet Goal Keeper S&OP –…

Suddenly, many companies in South Africa are grossly overstocked with red, white and blue Vuvuzelas! They will not be allowed at Wimbledon and even the cricket authorities would think twice. Skiing, possibly? There may be quite some capital tied up…

Sku's sneak onto price lists when nobody is looking. Sales & Marketing colleagues like launches with lengthy lists of skus; different flavours, different sizes, different colours. How many shelf facings do they want? How do these decisions get…