Thursday, August 22, 2013 at 9:17AM There is an article worth reading in the August 2013 issue of CFO. The article by Gary C. Smith is titled: Nine Inventory Management Mistakes — and One Easy Solution. The Nine Mistakes listed by the author are as follows:
Wednesday, June 5, 2013 at 11:19PM Smaller companies face the same issues as bigger companies. This applies probably as much or more to the supply chain as any otter function. They have to process orders, ensure quality, solve problems, expedite inbounds and outbounds, and this must all be done at the least possible cost. We have written about the multi-criteria optimization problem that is the Supply Chain. The complexity and trade-offs apply to both $50 billion multi-national corporations and $5 million companies with one office, plant, and warehouse location.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012 at 11:49PM In the past few weeks, we have noticed a trend in automotive advertisements. It seems in almost every ad we see, and as it is football season we are watching a fair amount of television, the offers are for for zeros: $0 down, $0 first month payment, $0 security deposit, $0 due at signing. This is, of course, for leases. It is not much different than for purchases with $500 - 5,000 rebates and 0% financing up to 60 months.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012 at 4:24PM In Part I, we discussed the proper use of Excel with ERPs. We advised against using Excel to manage planning and other operational transactions. In Part II, we will backtrack on that advice, a little, and discuss when it is actually appropriate to use Excel spreadsheets for operations planning and other transactions.
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 5:43PM This posting is the third and concluding parts of Supply Chain and Finance. The first two parts were posted in December 2011.
Every company wants to, or should want to, control their inventory. Inventory is essential for smooth production and order fulfillment. Too little inventory or inventory in the wrong balance, will impact revenues. When out-of-stocks are the issue, everyone in all functions are suddenly inventory, planning, purchasing, and logistics experts. A lot of attention is given to this kind of “inventory problem.” The attention comes immediately upon customer service going south. Sales, Marketing, Finance, and General Management all want to help the Supply Chain fix the breakdown in the supply chain.
