For a better return on your investment select the ERP system based on which is most compatible with your business processes vs. technical prowess. ERP systems are not of much value by themselves; however, if you leverage the appropriate functionality to support your business, it can pay back rapidly [...]
Actionable data drives the most successful businesses. To cut through today’s information overload a data driven leader has to be incisive, creative, and decisive. One of the concepts that came out of APICS 2014 was the concept of a data driven leader. We are overloaded with data and messages [...]
Customer service is no longer just a department. A thriving business will pay full attention to all customer points of contact and ensure positive experiences. Companies that create loyal fans of customers thrive and leave the rest in the dust! This has never been truer than it is in [...]
With so many variables in manufacturing, distribution, and customer service, bolstering the strength of every link in your supply chain depends on calculated efforts put into strategic improvements. As The Manufacturing Connector(SM), I work with clients on a comprehensive process to connect the rapid assessment and identification of key [...]
Published August 22, 2014 According to today's Wall Street Journal, the U.S.'s largest drugstore chain Walgreens had a database glitch and customers were unable to fill prescriptions. The database issue hit 8200 pharmacy locations. Some customers were inconvenienced while others might be waiting in excruciating pain for the system [...]
You can still have a successful SIOP rollout with minimal to no systems support, but you still need to do your research. No. As much as most companies get lost in analyzing data and putting together packets of information, it becomes meaningless without the tenets of SIOP. Of course [...]
Technological innovations are abundant, even overwhelming. Rather than trying to modernize at every turn seek to leverage your I.T. department to provide maximum efficiency without non-value added work. We hear a lot about lean, Toyota Production System and the like; however, I rarely hear about Lean I.T. A friend [...]
Published in Computerworld on April 16, 2014 Manufacturers are investing in technology and systems that help their efficiency or improve profitability, comments Lisa Anderson, out Lisa Anderson, president of Claremont, CA-based LMA Consulting Group, Inc. in Claremont, CA. "They want to automate and provide more visibility about orders to [...]
Noticing hot supply chain trends first is a great way to leverage emerging trends and stay ahead of the competition. An often overlooked secret to success is to be a front-runner in identifying and leveraging emerging trends. Since I work with manufacturers and distributors from small to large and [...]
Businesses face many hurdles—some we can control and others we cannot. How we manage risk is what determines our success. As this topic came up frequently at the APICS 2013 conference and has affected almost every one of my clients in the last year in some manner, I thought [...]
