Route to Market & Supply Chain Blog

There remains so much discussion and debate around planning, S&OP and APO etc that the “make” element of Supply Chain has not had much air time. Regional and global strategies are reasonably well represented but it is what is actually going on…

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…

There are many ways to link all the different planning activities in your FMCG company. This could be done with one single tool like the SAP Advanced Planning Optimiser or a host of other tools and packages. As with all IT you need to know how to…

This post on migration and return of retailers to the high street had me thinking about a similar effect in manufacturing. No, I don’t mean FMCG companies are now placing factories in towns and villages next to post offices and fast “food” outlets.…

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…

Here at Missing Pieces/Fractured Families/Long Lost Family – delete as per local programming presented by irritating celebrity – we help people find family and friends they have not seen for many years. Often, we are a last resort after all other…

How the CEO of an FMCG, Brewing or Pharmaceutical company might come to realise they need Sales & Operational Planning (S&OP). If you hear your boss singing in a locked office you now know why! With due credit to the song and original lyrics from…

If you don’t agree on what is expected between two parties before you start a relationship then anything but success is likely. You buy a new car and you get a contract that tells you what is covered by the guarantee and for how long in time or in…

Thursday evening and heading out to an organic bread, cheese and wine evening. Oh yes, very sophisticated these days! After temperatures in the 30’s recently the torrential rain and the “end of the world” sky literally dampened spirits as we joined…

In a recent post I took a look at how technology has changed over a relatively short time and how it is used in supply chains. For example, the cutting edge fax machine of the 1970’s is now joining the VHS and cassette tape players in the sad and…

Last week we watched a show featuring an Elvis Presley impersonator/tribute artist. We saw the usual early Elvis leather jacket look followed by the gaudy Las Vegas fancy dress outfit. Vocally, he was a very good match to recordings but not sure how…

Inevitable, I guess. Large parts of the UK have implemented a hose pipe ban due to lack of water in reservoirs. Almost from the minute the ban was activated the rain has not stopped and now many places are under water with houses and businesses…

Laurel and Hardy, Morecambe and Wise, Abbott and Costello, Little and Large, Cameron and Clegg. These are examples of double acts where one party plays the straight/stooge and apparently serious man while the other plays the fool/jester. I admit I…

I have always thought it a little strange. The “green “ movement is all about saving the Earth yet the same colour is used for “green” house gases (GHG) that are far from green and moving us towards unavoidable planetary oblivion, apparently. Now,…

Never easy. Never pleasant. Never going to happen? Never believe your factory is safe! From a UK perspective if you had a job in a factory in the 1970’s you expected to have a job for life as long as you kept your nose clean and performed…