Route to Market & Supply Chain Blog

Who let the dogs out? If you lived in or visited Bucharest about 10 years ago you will have seen one or two stray dogs hanging around the city. Actually, a lot more than one or two, there were hoards of them. In 2010 a proposal was made to organise…

Your call is important to us.... Previously, we looked at how some companies are economical with the truth when it comes to measuring Customer Service. Today we take a look at how your telephone face to the customer can be helping or hindering your…

Holiday hangover? Ok, so 2024 has been put to bed financially but many will be paying a heavy price for the mammoth last quarter efforts which must have made logistics companies and advertising and promotional agencies extremely wealthy. I wonder…

A diet beckons? Have you been brave enough to step on the bathroom scales yet or are you trying to ignore the inevitable weight gain? You may well have overindulged in chocolate during the holidays but do you still crave more? Get yourself and a…

Plane sight When travelling by air, my personal preference is to take only one plane to my final destination, where possible. I know this is more expensive than journeys with connections but I find it a much better overall experience given the…

Morning woes I have just had one of those mornings. I missed the alarm and the 10-minute snooze and from then on everything went downhill. Jumped in the shower for a brief cleanse but then once waterlogged I realised there was no soap, not even a…

Recondite complexity? I recently discussed how complexity negatively affects cost and service including how a floppy SKU tail inhibits growth. Do you understand the impact unnecessary SKUs have on FMCG success? CEOs should be seeking leaner and…

Stealth? What made me think of that word? Do you remember that playground game called Statues? One person is the 'Museum Curator' and stands at the end of a field or yard. Everyone else stands an agreed distance away and the aim of the game is for a…

Time for action? If you have been dithering about making change for FMCG success, now is the time. With so much chaos around the world and COVID raising its ugly head once more, you will (hopefully) never have such a strategic discontinuity…

Plan, Plan and Plan Again! All major companies run some sort of ERP to support their business whether they are FMCG, pharma, brewing or indeed anyone who “makes stuff” for Joe Public to buy. Many blue-chips have invested in big name software…

If you do not specifically agree on what is expected between two parties before you start a relationship then anything and everything but success is likely. Would you buy a used car from a politician? You buy a new car and you get a contract that…

Who coined that irritating term “Big Data”? How did we get there without normal sized data, slightly larger data, large data and bordering on big data? People working in or associated with extended Supply Chains may seem obsessed by data yet data…

‘Digital transformation’ is becoming something of a cliché these days. There is no question that information technology and digital has improved supply chain operations. For example, given availability of the right data, materials and inventory…

I would like to present the Story of MANCO, a manufacturing-based FMCG Multinational Organisation. The organisation is currently struggling with various aspects of their supply chain. Part of the Senior Management Team are: Xavier – Chief Executive…

Why do you need this transformation? If you: Do not have well-defined and aligned procurement and supply chain strategy Do not have strategically positioned procurement function Do not have clear procurement roles and responsibilities Do not have…