Originally published on ExpertClick on December 19, 2019
CLAREMONT, CALIFORNIA – December 19, 2019 – Manufacturing and Supply Chain Expert, Lisa Anderson, MBA, CSCP, CLTD, president of LMA Consulting Group Inc., confirms that manufacturers are flexible and responsive to changing customer needs and demands. LMA Consulting Group works with manufacturers and distributors on strategy and end-to-end supply chain transformation to maximize the customer experience and enable profitable, scalable, dramatic business growth.
“2019 has been a pivotal year for manufacturers. As turbulence with tariffs, the need to provide immediate response to customer needs and demands and improvements in automation have required capital investments, manufacturers that have responded are coming out ahead. They are near-shoring, reshoring, customizing and focusing on sales forecasting almost to the point of being predictive of demand. And, they are leading in their respective industries,” Ms. Anderson commented. Nimble response has not traditionally been a term associated with manufacturing. Artificial intelligence, robots, IoT and 3-D printing have become more mainstream and allow manufacturers to make immediate improvements and reduce lead times. “We see manufacturers excited about future adaptations of their products, processes and services as well as their collaborations with their extended supply chain to create innovations and make a greater impact,” she said.
The customer experience drivers, awareness of the Amazon effect and the need for a resilient supply chain are messages that Ms. Anderson focuses on when working with clients. “It’s about differentiating the customer experience while enabling profitability and growth. It may seem that these are diametrically opposed. Yet, when a collaborative focus with a commitment towards innovation takes place in an organization, great things happen. Our clients are feeling the impact. Recently, we worked with a client to help them initiate a vendor managed inventory program for their customers, managing the inventory and ordering process. This allowed for better insight into the extended supply chain which helped them proactively position inventory and build more agile capabilities. The result was better response to changing customer demand patterns, establishing resiliency in the supply chain and, most importantly, achieving bottom line performance, ” she concluded.
As the calendar rolls to 2020, customers will continue to become more sophisticated and demanding. The recent squabble between FedEx and Amazon is proof that even the largest of client relationships can change. In 2020, future proofing manufacturing operations and the supply chain will fast-track proactive manufacturers to stand ahead of the competition. Initiatives to position manufacturing are underway, especially in Inland Southern California where Ms. Anderson is involved with the Inland Empire Economic Partnership which is developing a consortium for advanced manufacturing and logistics success. She is also active with the Manufacturing Council of the Inland Empire where she heads the Innovation Awards for the Annual Summit. “Manufacturing remains a core industry in the U.S. The time is right, and the time is now to focus on future-proofing manufacturing and the supply chain for success” she concluded.
About LMA Consulting Group – Lisa Anderson, MBA, CSCP, CLTD
Lisa Anderson is the founder and president of LMA Consulting Group, Inc., a consulting firm that specializes in manufacturing strategy and end-to-end supply chain transformation. She focuses on maximizing the customer experience and enabling profitable, scalable, dramatic business growth. Ms. Anderson is a recognized Supply Chain thought leader by SelectHub, named a Top 40 B2B Tech Influencer by arketi group, 50 ERP Influencer by Washington-Frank, a top 46 most influential in Supply Chain by SAP and named a top woman influencer by Solutions Review. She recently published, I’ve Been Thinking, 101 strategies for creating bold customer promises and profits. A regular content contributor on topics including a superior customer experience with SIOP, advancing innovation and making the supply chain resilient, Ms. Anderson is regularly interviewed and quoted by publications such as Industry Week, tED magazine and the Wall Street Journal. For information, to sign up for her Profit Through PeopleTM Newsletter or for a copy of her book, visit lma-consultinggroup.com.
###