Modern supply chains are expected to respond rapidly, effectively and efficiently to changes in the marketplace. Simultaneously there is the drive to achieve world class customer service levels coupled with minimum reasonable inventory (MRI). We thus have the classic conflict of interests between marketing, production and materials management. Marketing wants the complete product range availabl…
Real world supply chains differ not only in their current standard of performance, but also in the most effective actions required to move each towards world class supply. A generic approach for the identification of the appropriate re‐engineering programmes based on the uncertainty circle principle is presented. A total of 20 European automotive supply chains have been analysed via a “quic…
Activity‐based costing (ABC) is a tool used by managers to more closely approximate the “true costs” of operations. The application of ABC in logistics is more commonplace today than just a few years ago, though still far short of universal. Sound tracking of operational costs is critical when pursuing the logistics objective of providing desired customer service at the lowest total cos…
Our total cycle time (TCT) compression strategy encompasses the whole system in the supply chain from consumer demand to customer satisfaction. TCT has two major components that are essential to meeting customer demand: information flow and material flow. Both are necessities and together make up the total supply chain lead‐time; the information activates the material pipeline. Therefore to o…
CALS is a strategy developed by government and industry over the past ten years to use information technology and international standards to enable improvements in business processes. The approach consists of a logical framework which has both a technical segment and a management segment. Additional components in the strategy include the development of models, defining visions, and capturing …
A case study conducted in a British company (Company A) on reengineering business processes is presented. It gives an example on how a case study ought to be written in order to go beyond the standard for writing an industrial report to one that is acceptable by academic peers. A good case study ought to contain information that readers can use in replicating the experiences gained and lesson…
The value of ISO 9000 and TQM are revisited, including the relationship with logistics strategy and the four pillars of TQM. The Japanese TQM experience is put under close scrutiny, which leads to the need for TQM model. A model called TQMEX standing for a TQM EXcellence Model has been developed based on sound TQM practices. Further to a previous survey conducted on 180 UK firms, another questi…