As originally published in ExpertClick on August 31, 2023

CLAREMONT, Calif., August 31, 2023/ExpertClick/– Manufacturing and Supply Chain Consultant Lisa Anderson, MBA, CSCP, CLTD, known as the Strongest Link in Your Supply Chain® and President of LMA Consulting Group Inc., emphasizes the critical importance for owners and business leaders to understand how current events can significantly impact their supply chains. 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.

As the Panama Canal grapples with drought conditions causing serious delays in goods transportation, the ripple effect is being felt worldwide. “The Panama Canal’s crisis underscores just how vulnerable global supply chains are to current events,” commented Ms. Anderson. “With a 40% market share in containers moving goods from Northeast Asia to the U.S. East Coast, these disruptions reverberate worldwide.”

Due to inadequate rainfall, the Panama Canal authorities have reduced daily container ship passage by 20%, from 40 to 32 ships. The maximum allowable ship draft has also been restricted to 44 feet, compared to around 50 feet before the drought conditions. This situation has led to a backlog of 130-160 ships, creating substantial supply chain delays. An alternate route would add 8,000 miles to the journey.

While many companies have diversified their supply chain strategies in light of the pandemic, switching from just-in-time (JIT) to just-in-case inventory models, this latest disruption has far-reaching consequences. Costs are surging with $300 – $500 per container becoming increasingly common. “The shift from JIT to just-in-case inventory has buffered the impact to some extent, but we’re still facing an escalating issue that is driving up costs. A comprehensive understanding of the factors impacting the supply chain can equip companies to respond more effectively to disruptions, minimizing risks and costs. As the Panama Canal issue shows, a lack of awareness is not an option. In today’s connected world, staying informed is not just good practice – it’s a business necessity,” she concluded.

For more insights on how to navigate the complex landscape of global supply chains, download Ms. Anderson’s special report The Road Ahead: Business, Supply Chain & The World Order. She has also released: SIOP (Sales Inventory Operations Planning): Creating Predictable Revenue and EBITDA Growth to help organizations implement a proven process. Download it at: Amazon and Apple. 

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According to Industry Week, Toyota has cut production by 40% due to supply challenges. In addition to the semiconductor chips, COVID is raging in Southeast Asia, causing further supply chain challenges. The bottom line is that there are widespread supply chain challenges!

1. According to Transport Topics, supply chain challenges will remain well into 2022.
2. According to Food Engineering, supply chain challenges in the food industry aren’t going away.
3. According to Supply Chain Dive, supply chain challenges in the liquor supply chain will continue into 2022.
4. According to Market Watch, supply chain challenges coming out of Vietnam are going to impact the holiday season.
5. According to Retail Wire, supply chain disruptions are likely to impact the holiday season and go into 2022.
6. According to NNY 360, Deere is falling due to supply chain challenges predicted to worsen into 2022.

And this is before we talk about rising prices……

What Should We Consider and/or What Impacts Could Arise? 

• Get on top of your supply chain: Are you racing to catch up or are you proactively managing your supply chain?
• Find alternatives: Start innovating, trialing, working with suppliers to find alternatives.
• Implement SIOP (Sales, Inventory, & Operations Planning): With limited supplies, you need to be MORE on top of your future demand and proactively deciding which customers to prioritize, how to maximize output, etc. See a client video on the impact of SIOP.
• Rapidly assess your sourcing & supply chain: It will not be enough to manage well. You have to get in front of this situation by changing your strategy to align with your priorities. For example, clients are bringing production in house as quickly as possible. In a few cases, the quicker they can do that, the more they pull away from the competition as they supply customers successfully.
• Hoard talent: The most successful clients are hoarding talent. There is a severe shortage of talent. People have choices. Do people want to work for your company/ leaders?
• Accelerate the adoption of technology: Technology is needed to automate, develop a superior customer experience, gain visibility, and more.

Read more about these types of topics in our eBooks such as The Road Ahead: Business, Supply Chain & the World Order. Gain ideas and strategies to proactively prepare your end-to-end supply chain. If you are interested in gaining an expert assessment and path forward tailored to your company, please contact us.

Please share your stories, challenges, ideas and successes.

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Supply Chain Disruption

The pandemic certainly brought supply chain disruptions to the forefront. People who never gave supply chain a thought were suddenly focused on the topic. Early in the pandemic, I was interviewed on Rip City Sports Radio about toilet paper and later by Bloomberg about supply chain disruptions and the potential for reshoring. As the semiconductor chip shortage and global disruptions such as the Suez Canal debacle hit the scenes, it has only increased the focus. But what can we DO about these issues?

Global Supply Chain Experts for a Panel Discussion

As part of the Society for the Advancement of Consulting, I participate with a special interest group of top-notch supply chain consultants from around the globe with expertise and clients from Europe to North America to the Pacific Rim. We support clients ranging from small and medium size closely held businesses to private equity backed companies to global enterprises and advise them on strategies to successfully navigate the changing global landscape.

In addition to the most recent and obvious disruption caused by the pandemic, there have been many others. For example, the Fukushima earthquake and tsunami, the Icelandic volcano and ash cloud, US-China trade wars and Brexit created significant down-the-line impacts. There is no telling what the next disruption will be yet we better get prepared. What prevention, mitigation and contingency measures do you have in place? Join us for two free webinars with panels from Europe/ North America and Pac Rim/ North America to discuss and debate these topics.

Listen to the panel discussion. 

What would you like to ask about supply chain disruptions? Feel free to contact us with your questions and input as well.

Did you like this article? Continue reading on this topic:
Supply Chain Disruptions Driving Prices Up

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CLAREMONT, CA— Recent disruptions in supply chain operations have highlighted how important it is for manufacturers to plan ahead to not just manage today’s operations, but to also take advantage of big growth opportunities, according to The Society for the Advancement of Consulting® (SAC). To achieve scalability and profitability, businesses will need to effectively handle cashflow, lead times, and customer demand as well as leveraging well-integrated digital systems, innovating, and understanding customer behavior patterns like never before.

Alert Executives are Monitoring Changing Conditions and Behavior

“Across the board, manufacturing and supply chain clients are growing,” points out Lisa Anderson, president of Claremont, CA-based LMA Consulting Group, Inc. and manufacturing expert known for creating supply chain resiliency. “Those with an e-commerce component, or who serve sectors like construction, healthcare, and biotech, are growing at a breakneck pace. Their executives are alert to scaling up rapidly and increasing resilience to deal with changing conditions and unanticipated disruptions.

“Sales, inventory, and operations planning (SIOP) is gaining in popularity for two reasons,” adds Anderson. “First, there’s the need to project future revenues. Second is the importance of understanding changing patterns customer buying and service. Both reasons are critical to create a superior customer experience, increase profitability, and accelerate working capital.

“Executives are using this information to re-evaluate sourcing, determine whether to insource or outsource, reconfigure the supply chain network, implement technological advancements, and decide how to scale successfully,” she adds.

Shrewd Executives Find Their Warp Speed

“The one thing the COVID-19 pandemic has ingrained in businesses is that market conditions and change now occur at supersonic speed,” says Art Koch, President of Arthur Koch Management Consulting, LLC, based in Miami, FL. “Now that more regions and countries are starting to exit the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s critical that organizations are responsive enough to seize the opportunities of unpredictable market demand.

“Shrewd executives are leveraging partnerships to reduce supply chain risk, increase velocity to market, and reduce total cost of ownership,” Koch notes. “Too many companies are managing by looking in the rear-view mirror, trying to predict demand profiles similar to 2019. That tactic is a defensive maneuver that will leave you flat-footed behind the competition. Coming out of the pandemic, the best way to attain your target market is to play to win, look forward, and plan for the unexpected.”

Now is the Perfect Moment to Exploit Innovation Opportunities

“Over the last year, many of us in the supply chain sphere have been compelled to innovate in response to the restrictions imposed upon us by COVID”, says Patrick Daly, Managing Director of Alba Consulting, the Dublin, Ireland based supply chain strategy consultancy, and author of the book International Supply Chain Relationships: Creating Competitive Advantage in a Globalized Economy.

“Some of us are also realizing, that many of these innovations—although thrust upon us by the COVID emergency—have been very positive and will stay with us for the long term,” explains Daly.

“We have also realized that we are more highly resilient and have a surprising capacity to absorb larger degrees of innovation and change than perhaps we suspected,” he adds.

“Armed with this knowledge and learning, we should be asking ourselves what other innovations we can exploit right now to take advantage of the opportunities that are already taking shape as we look forward from COVID,” concludes Daly.

Clients Have Not Seen Anything Like This

“Shattered records. Strained. Unprecedented. Phantasmagorical. These are all terms used to describe the current situation at American ports, especially the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach,” notes Elizabeth Warren, Global Logistics Specialist and CEO of Dialed-In Partners. “My clients have never seen anything like it—and we haven’t even hit traditional peak season yet, which is still to come in August.”

“The backlog of ships in the San Pedro Bay averages 30 a day, with an average wait time of more than a week,” explains Warren. “There’s a confluence of backlog issues stemming from the pandemic. Working from home is driving online purchases, since there’s no other outlet for spending. Port workers, labor, and truck drivers are out sick or quarantining. There’s a shortage of equipment and full warehouses.

“Combined, these backlog issues make a poisonous cocktail of supply chain disruption. To resolve the backlog in the short-term, ports are focusing on vaccinating workers, maximizing efficiencies, and reducing dwell time to move cargo out of the terminal faster,” she adds.

Examine Your Processes and Connection Points

“Growth and scalability are always top of mind for my clients, especially as we see rapid shifts in consumer behavior, supply networks, and workforces,” says Diane L. Garcia president of Lorraine Consulting, LLC, a supply chain management consultancy based in Portland, OR, and co-author of Thriving in the New Business Environment: Why the Strategic Supply Chain Matters.

“To scale your business successfully, your supply chain processes need to grow and adapt,” Garcia points out. “For processes to improve, they need to be well understood and each connection point examined by different areas of the business. Start by making these processes fully visible across the organization. Then begin to re-shape these procedures to support the business plan.”

The Right Place to Generate Cash

“Growth is the biggest cash generator in the supply chain. At the same time, growth can eradicate cash generation if it is not sustainable,” explains Antonio Zrilić, Managing Director of LOGIKO CONSULTING based in Zagreb, Croatia, and author of Six Step Inventory Optimization. “Any supply chain management decision on how to continue and enable growth has a significant impact on cash flow.”

“Chasing sales growth is quite expensive, so you need all the cash you can get. And I know just the place where to get it,” Zrilić adds. “We mostly help our clients grow by reducing and optimizing inventory—one of the biggest ‘eaters’ of cash. Our clients’ second favorite service is ‘Process Accelerator.’ By speeding up the process from order to delivery, they are shortening cash-to-cash cycles (C2C), while raising customer satisfaction, and increasing logistics and production capacity.”

Businesses are Failing to Build Well-Integrated Digital Systems

“Growth can kill a business as it runs out of cash. Having effective supply chain management strategies and tactics that are resilient and scalable are critical to successful growth,” says David Ogilvie, of David Ogilvie Consulting based in Brisbane, Australia. With over 30 plus years as a business owner and consultant, Ogilvie is well placed to advise executives and business owners on supply chain and supporting technologies.

“My work with clients has demonstrated that effective use of well-integrated digital systems, such as ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems can also be a fantastic enabler,” advises Ogilvie. “Unfortunately, over 80% of digital transformations fail to produce the promised outcomes—meaning this is rarely achieved.”

“Supply chain management is more than managing inventory,” he adds. “It’s about scaling your business while making efficient use of capital. Growth equals risky situations with costly consequences needing careful management.”

Scalability Very Difficult in Australia Over the Next Two Years

“Growth and supply chain scalability are going to be very difficult in Australia over the next two years,” says Evan Bulmer, Director of EBAA, Australia’s leading expert in privately-held business.

“The overwhelming demand for such goods as cars and material for housing renovations, combined with a lack of supply doesn’t help businesses grow,” claims Bulmer. “It only allows businesses to secure a pipeline of revenue into the future. Car retailers can’t get stock. Builders can’t get building materials. Yet they’re still selling at record rate—just with way longer lead times. If the supply chain wasn’t a strategic issue before in your business, then it must be now.”

Originally published on SAC website: May 24, 2021

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Recently, we worked with a large, complex organization to provide an external assessment of the supply chain organization and how well it was prepared to support scalable growth.  It reminded us of the value of taking an outside view every now and then.  Whether you take yourself outside of your organization, hire a consultant or ask an executive from another division or trusted customer to take a deep dive into your organization, you’ll likely wind up with a few ideas – or, at a minimum, a confirmation that your i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed and ready for growth.

It is MUCH easier to downsize than it is to grow successfully.  NOT more pleasant but it is simpler to cut back.  Unfortunately, we are all too familiar with this exercise.  Yet growth has many of the same challenges:

• Cash is a constant challenge – by virtue of growing rapidly, you spend money in advance of shipping and receiving payment.  The quicker you grow, the tougher it can be without a line of credit especially for a smaller organization.
• Are your people ready for growth?  What “used to work” might no longer be sufficient.  Have you prepared for these needs?
• Can your operations keep up?  Do you have the resources, equipment, and support resources?
• Suppliers are likely to be ill prepared unless they are in lock step with your growth plans.  Regardless of the preparedness of your team, nothing will occur unless your supply chain is aligned.
•  If caught by surprise, you can certainly throw resources at the issue but to achieve scalable growth, you should have thought about your processes, systems, metrics and more.  For example, determining that you’ve outgrown your ERP system as you “hit the wall” is too late.  It will take time to select the best system for your needs AND it will take between 6 months to 18 months to implement, depending on your size, complexity, ERP partner, scope etc.

Growth is a hot topic.  For example, according to our recent Supply Chain Briefing, McKinsey predicts 20% manufacturing growth by 2025.  However, regardless of your industry, if your company isn’t growing, it is dying.  We have NEVER seen an organization “stand still” and “maintain” successfully.  Have you?  Thus, growth is core to success.  The key is whether it is a plan or an after-thought.  Which is it for you and your organization? 

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Can supply chain strategy have a profound impact on your bottom line?  Without a doubt!

Recently, we worked with a client that wanted to review their supply chain strategy and evaluate many options including the following:

1. Do nothing (stay in the same locations)
2. Move distribution operations closer to the port.
3. Move to a different  location in the Inland Empire.
4. Move to Nevada.
5. Evaluate 3PL options.
6. Expand and automate the current facility.
7. And more….

In this case, the customer, cost and cash flow impacts could be significant.  It is smart to refresh your supply chain strategy every few years (depending on the level of change within your company and externally) to ensure it is best fit for delivering optimal results.  What was “killer” one year could leave you in a weak competitive position the next.  Are you staying on top of your supply chain strategy and related impacts?

The post The Impact of Supply Chain Strategy on the Bottom Line appeared first on LMA-Consulting Group, a supply chain consulting firm.

Can supply chain strategy have a profound impact on your bottom line? Without a doubt!

Recently, we worked with a client that wanted to review their operations strategy and look for ways to optimize and improve. To begin, we evaluated many business options including, but not limited to:

1. Do nothing (stay in the same locations).
2. Transfer distribution operations closer to the port.
3. Move to a different location in the Inland Empire.
4. Relocate to Nevada.
5. Evaluate 3PL options.
6. Expand and automate the current facility.

In this client’s case, the customer, cost and cash flow impacts of making these changes is significant. Therefore, it’s important to review many potential outcomes thoroughly.

The bottom line

It is smart to refresh your supply chain strategy every few years (depending on the level of change within your company and externally) to ensure it is best fit for delivering optimal results. In conclusion, experience shows that was “killer” one year could leave you in a weak competitive position the next.

Are you staying on top of your supply chain and it’s related impacts? I’d love to hear about your top strategies in the comments!

© Lisa Anderson 

The post The Impact of Supply Chain Strategy appeared first on LMA-Consulting Group, a supply chain consulting firm.

Originally published on PR Newswire on January 31, 2017

Lisa Anderson MBA, CSCP, president of LMA Consulting Group has earned her APICS Certificate in Logistics, Transportation and Distribution (CLTD) credential. APICS, the premier professional association for supply chain management, offers education and certification programs for supply chain and operations professionals. The CLTD examination tests mastery of high level logistics knowledge and skills, encompassing domestic and global markets. The designation requires maintenance every five years and indicates an adherence to best practices and advanced practices in logistics.

“Even with over 25 years of experience in the industry, I’ve learned a lot in the process of preparing for this exam,” shares Lisa Anderson. “The exam covers a broad range of material from the traditional logistics, transportation and distribution topics to global logistics considerations, logistics network design and reverse logistics and sustainability. We are fortunate to have organizations like APICS to continually elevate our skills and stay on top of relevant trends in the industry to not only give employers standards with which to measure employees, potential employees and partners but to provide ideas and strategies that drive bottom line business results. It is quite a privilege to add CLTD after my name and to be recognized for this expertise.”

Anderson’s membership in APICS extends beyond her own continuing education and professional development. She also serves as President for APICS Inland Empire Chapter, which can be found at www.apics-ie.org, and as Chair of the West Coast Student Case Competition. Anderson has also been recognized with the Milt Cook award for the APICS Southwest district, which is the highest award for service and dedication to the District and principles of APICS. APICS is the largest international supply chain professional organization with over 37,000 members and its mission is to foster the advancement of end-to-end supply chain management through a body of knowledge, innovative research, systems, and methods to create value for customers, members, and organizations. For more information or to join, visit their website at www.apics.org

About LMA Consulting Group – Lisa Anderson, MBA, CSCP

Lisa Anderson is a leading expert in selecting & implementing strategic priorities and ranked 16 most influential in supply chain by SAP. Anderson is Board approved in Supply Chain strategy by the Society for Advancement in Consulting, is an APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) and won the APICS Southwest District’s Milt Cook Award in 2011. Named a top 100 supply chain blogger on SupplyChainOpz, she has the unique ability to zero in on the critical strategic priorities and bridge the gap between strategy and execution to achieve dramatically improved service levels, accelerated cash flow and increased profits. With a keen focus on elevating business performance, Anderson is passionate about not only synthesizing strategic priorities that will deliver business results but also in designing an implementation approach that delivers rapid results.

Anderson, also known as The Manufacturing Connector^SM, and author of the soon-to-be-released “The Amazon Effect,” is a regular content contributor on topics including supply chain, ERP and SIOP, she has been interviewed for articles in publications like Industry Week, tED Magazine and the Wall Street Journal. She actively posts educational blogs three times weekly and has two newsletters, Profit through People^SM and “I’ve Been Thinking.”

Prior to founding LMA Consulting Group Inc., Anderson was the Vice President of Operations and Supply Chain of PaperPak, Inc. Her twelve-year tenure included transitions and promotions through the company transformation from a $100 million family-owned business, through a merger and acquisition of three businesses into one $350 million dollar global company, followed by a management leveraged buyout in combination with an investment banking group.

A sought-after writer and speaker, Anderson has spoken at the Global Supply Chain & Logistics Summit, the APICS International Conference and as a visiting lecturer at the University of Southern California’s Entrepreneurial Program. Anderson is the author of “Leverage Social Networks to Drive Business Results,” has published hundreds of articles and has been quoted in the media including The Wall Street Journal, ABC News and Industry Week.

With a blend of management, finance and operations, Lisa received her MBA with an emphasis in Finance from California State University Fullerton and her BSBA with an emphasis in Operations Management from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

SOURCE LMA Consulting Group Inc.

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October 7, 2016

Last week, while attending APICS 2016 in Washington DC, I was able to spend time with the West Coast student case competition‘s winning team, San Diego State University.  I am the Chair of the West Coast student case competition, and I was proud to see our team represent us at APICS 2016’s global competition.  In today’s Amazon-impacted world, supply chain management is ever more relevant.  And, it was especially exciting that our team made it into the top 5 teams globally – congrats! (see them pictured below after the competition)

Effectively managing the global supply chain is not only a relevant topic but vital to succeeding in today’s marketplace.  These students have taken the bull by its horns and are getting ahead of the curve.  What executive wouldn’t hire these winners on the spot?

One tip to implement this week:
Similarly to these students, are you thinking of ways to go the extra mile to stand out in the crowd?  They were working on their presentation while their buddies were out exploring DC.  Yet it will rebound to them in time.  What can you do to make a difference and further your education, experience and network?

Similar to these students, do you see it as an exciting opportunity – and turn it into one?!  Or, do you see it as a chore?  Before turning down ideas from your colleagues, think about the possibilities.  If these students had turned down the opportunity to compete, they wouldn’t have created one of the most valuable networks possible for their careers.  Imagine how far you can go with the “right” perspective!

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SIOP (sales, inventory, & operations planning) taken to the best practice degree is often associated with integrated business planning. In some circles, they are seen as interchangeable. In others, it is seen as the “next step” for SIOP. It is nomenclature to me as I see fully leveraging SIOP as common sense.

Substantial results will follow. For example, several of my clients have achieved one or several of the following with SIOP/ Integrated Business Planning: 1) successfully supports dramatic growth; 2) improved service levels; 3) slashed lead times; 4) improved margins. 5) accelerated cash flow. 6) increased productivity.

Why not use SIOP as a core process to running the business? Wouldn’t that be a common sense approach to success? As the famous William Occam said, “the simplest solution is often the best”. This also syncs up with what I’ve found to be the most successful philosophy – start with the the simple and expand with what will provide the most value to your organization.

So, what are the common keys to success?

1. Start with demand: It is always appropriate to start with demand. Focus in on your customers. What do you expect your customers to buy? Which products are most popular? What else can you offer your customers to go the extra mile? Getting a solid handle on demand is a great place to start.
2. Forecast accuracy: The more predictable your sales, the less inventory you’ll need to carry to meet customer expectations. How volatile are your customers’ ordering patterns?
3. Rolling # of months or years: As each month goes by, you’ll want to add a month to the end of your planning cycle. In essence, the concept of a rolling plan is essential to ensure you take the long-term, continually reviewed and updated view. I love the way one of my manufacturing clients describes this concept – it’s like a conveyor system where one month drops off and the next one gets added on.
4. Inventory strategy: Your inventory strategy is one of the factors that will be used in the development of the master schedule. How many turns are achievable for your industry and in supporting your company strategy? Inventory is used to cover volatility and lead time. What is needed?
5. Service level plans: What are your customer expectations? Where do you stand in the market? Should you shoot to be competitive, distinct or breakthrough on service and lead times? These factors will affect your resulting inventory expectations.
6. Master schedule: Translate the demand into supply requirements. Combine demand, inventory strategy, level loading, and lot sizing into a master production schedule.
7. Purchase plans: Translate your master schedule into a purchase plan. Similar to the master schedule, combine the master schedule, inventory strategy, level loading and lot sizing into a purchase plan.
8. Inventory plan: Once you know your demand plan, master schedule and purchase plans, the resulting inventory plan will follow.
9. Capacity plans: How do your staffing and machine capacity plans align with your master schedule? Will you need to ramp up? Cross-train? Purchase machinery and equipment?
10. Cost & margin plans: It only makes imminent sense to sync these plans with your cost improvement plans. Assuming you have a good handle on your pricing and mix, a margin plan will emerge.
11. Cash flow plans: Once your inventory plan is known, it is achievable to estimate cash flow requirements and plan accordingly. Will you need financing? Can you support your growth and investment objectives with your inventory strategy?
12. Make vs. buy decisions: Strategic decisions including make vs. buy options will arise through the SIOP process. The right people are together to evaluate what will provide the most value for the business.
13. Capital plans: Certainly, capital plans will be a by-product of the SIOP process.
14. Collaboration plans: How do your integrated business plans align with your customer and supplier programs? Share critical information and collaborate for success.
15. Communication & alignment: One of the key advantages of a SIOP process is to align ALL functions, customers and suppliers on one plan. Clarification rules!
16. One plan: The concept of one plan is paramount to SIOP success as the 80/20 is in alignment, collaboration and execution with clarity.
17. Action items: Let’s not forget action items. Without solid execution and follow-up, no process will thrive.

If you follow these key factors for success, your monthly SIOP process will align resources and result in a rolling forecast that integrates with your financial plans and operational plans. In essence, you’ll have the 80/20 of running a successful business in one place. To learn more about how to implement SIOP, read our book, SIOP (Sales Inventory Operations Planning): Creating Predictable Revenue and EBITDA Growth.

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