Description

Fundamentals of Practical Supply Chain Management

Everyone knows the fundamentals of supply chain management. Right?

Then what is the need for this guide?

Well, for one thing, there is an evergrowing army of new entrants – graduates who have been taught the wrong thing by the university professors. Things such as “supply chain and logistics are same.” OR, “supply chain and procurement are the same” or even “supply chain and warehousing are the same”.  And, many more such fallacies that prove dangerous in real life.

Just look at the number of books and articles that use the terms supply chain and logistics (or procurement) interchangeably. The writers would benefit from knowing the difference between the two disciplines. So would the readers that trust those writers.

But the differences between logistics, procurement, warehousing and supply chain management is not all you learn in this report. That is just the beginning of the discussion. We go over the entire fundamental suite of supply chain management in a meticulous and painstaking way.

In a way, this is a primer you can always fall back on to clarify all the doubts about fundamentals at any time.

And, everyone can have a doubt once in a while. Obviously, this is not an encyclopedia that would cover everything there is to know about supply chain management. If that was the case then you would not need the rest of the guides, reports and courses. But, it covers the fundamentals in an exhaustive manner.

A useful guide for all who want to get full value from the supply chain

This report is for anyone who wants to have a ready reference for the fundamentals of supply chain management at his or her fingertips.

It will be particularly useful for two groups –

1. Senior executives who have had no deep exposure to supply chain management from within the discipline, and have so far relied upon general word-of-mouth to derive their knowledge base about supply chain management. If you want to fully use a tool you need to fully know its functionality and its fundamental characteristics.
2. Fresh entrants to the supply chain management discipline who want to start on the correct footing so that they are not stumbling across the supply chain landscape following their predecessors. For example, nearly 60% of supply chain managers today are still restricted to a logistics/distribution management role within their companies – and have nothing to do with the management of core demand or supply for their product range.

Use it as a reference, or employ it as a primer

If supply chain management is not your primary calling, there is no point binging on this guide. You are likely to forget the concepts when you need them. Once you have scanned the guide, and know what is where – use it as a ready reference every now and then. Whenever there is a question in mind, and you want an authoritative answer, open this report in the first instance. Turn to another source, only if you do not find the answer here.

However, if supply chain management is likely to be your primary calling in life, or you are likely to reach the very pinnacle of management in your company (CEO, or board of directors), you should know everything in the report exhaustively. You will be called upon to know and use this material on a daily basis. Your team and network will test you at odd moments in a multitude of ways. Your very credibility as a professional, or as a leader at stake in that case. There is no excuse for ignorance. We have met thousands of business leaders and supply chain professionals over the last 30 years in this business, and have seen what curtails their effectiveness.

Enhance your effectiveness, boost your credibility

Rather than relying on attending dozens of conferences with dubious vendor-driven content, or on proposals or other free content from vendors or consultants, why not keep a ready reference on your bookshelf that will always give you the objective, pitch-free unmuddled perspective on the fundamentals of what is important in supply chains today. Sure, this is just the first step – but it is a significant primary move.

Imagine being able to instantly know what advise from a vendor is self-serving, and what is actually a high-value contextual observation.

When you are new to the town, even the most honest taxi driver can convince himself that the longer route is likely to have less traffic at that hour. But, if you know the way, it is much easier to keep them honest.

While a few extra dollars for a taxi fare are not going to cost you much else, especially if no one else comes to know about it, a badly executed vendor contract or a badly implemented supply chain software can easily kill a company or a career.

The reverse is equally true. Due to their rarity, people do tend to notice an exceptionally well-run supply chain contract or a well-implemented supply chain software.

Get recognised for your extra-ordinary knowledge, and your powers

If knowledge is power then accurate contextual knowledge is extra-ordinary power. If allows you to do things, others cannot ordinarily do.

While you may not be able to diagnose and troubleshoot a faulty Ferrari engine, an equal prowess in diagnosing and trouble-shooting a supply chain, the complex engines of modern commerce and your own company’s profitability, is even more impressive. It is not easy to earn the respect and kudos of a competitive group of peers. You do not even have to disclose your secret weapon to anyone.

The common advise ‘fake it till you make it’ is plain wrong

Most of the people who practice this dictum do not make it at all. Sooner or later they get found out. And, the consequences are never sweet, invariably at the worst possible time.

On the other hand, imagine being able to stand your own against the best of the consultants foisted on you by the people ‘up there’. When you are equally or more knowledgable, they would not be able to baffle your team with their babble-speak.

This report was written because we saw the need for it all around us, in almost every company

It is not difficult to illustrate the consequences of missing fundamentals. All you have to do is look around yourself, and ask the right questions. All you have to do is to ask five people what does the supply chain mean to them. If all of them describe the same thing – congratulations your job is already done.

If, on the other hand, you get wide disparity in the answers you will need to create clarity in the hearts and minds of the people who matter to your success. The models and frameworks given in this report will help you achieve that clarity.

If you want more information on this report – click here…