Strengthening your supply chain one link at a time.
Two Baker’s Dozens on Avoiding Supply Chain Blunders
The following one-liners are based upon logistics and supply chain mistakes observed (of course, not made) over the past forty years. Something for everyone to avoid here – from users to consultants to suppliers, sanitized, however, to protect the guilty.
Forgive the last two; they’re personal pet peeves – when will they ever learn?
Not asking for insights from trading partners (or other departments in your company or organization) when crafting supply chain performance improvement programs.
Everything has to be someplace – and, someplace is anywhere goods can be stored.
Using average dimensions (package sizes, item weights, etc.) when sizing, configuring and equipping new facilities.
Not considering the impact of future facility expansions when putting together a storage location-numbering scheme.
Standing in front of a bar code scanner in a striped shirt in a demonstration.
Specifying the use of retro-reflective bar code labels for component identification in the auto industry without checking on label vendor new label turnaround time.
Missing paragraph in the specification of an early DoD project sends six million bar code labels from the low bidder to the dumpster
Third-shift hot water spray cleaning of inside of laser scanners in an FDA-regulated meat processing plant goes undetected for weeks while contributing to production count shortfalls.
Treating sophisticated and unsophisticated clients alike
Not performing in-depth supplier reference checks before contract award
Over-promising and its corollary, under-delivering
Straying from fundamentals in assessing alternative solutions
Force fitting solutions with little respect for actual requirements
Trying to quick fix flaws in process or material flows with technology or systems – a.k.a., SBS (silver bullet syndrome).
Overlooking indirect cost reduction in building the business case for new programs
