Manufacturing Planning

MRP, MRPII…DDMRP? The Planning of Manufacturing Explained

February 19, 2018

Of all the elements of a supply chain, the planning of manufacturing is the area that is probably most mired in confusing language and acronyms. MRP, MRPII, DDMRP, RCCP, MPS… the list goes on.

Manufacturing is a complex beast and trying to grasp the basic planning processes can be challenging if you’ve not been exposed to manufacturing before.

In this article, we explain, in straightforward terms, the core concepts of the manufacturing planning process and put the mind-boggling acronyms into context. Read more

Issues Break S&OP Process

5 Issues That Will Break Your S&OP Process

February 1, 2018

Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) is a powerful decision-making process that provides a platform to balance supply and demand on a mid-to-long term horizon. The benefits are numerous – improved service performance, stable production rates, enhanced teamwork and reduced inventories.

Combine this with integrated financial planning and it’s a process that every business should operate. However, there are many issues that will break an S&OP process and in this article, we look at five of them. Read more

Apple Supply Chain

Apple’s Supply Chain Edge is Under Pressure

November 24, 2017

As an example of how to operate a globalised supply chain, Apple is frequently hailed as the benchmark. However, according to an article dated 23rd October by Tim Culpan for Bloomberg “Apple Inc. has lost its supply chain mojo.” We tend to think of such giants as having bulletproof supply chains, able to withstand those same snags smaller companies struggle with: yet that’s not always the case. Read more

Lessons in Demand Forecasting

Snap Spectacles – A Key Lesson in Demand Forecasting?

November 20, 2017

Snap – the umbrella organisation which includes the Snapchat social media platform – launched the Snap Spectacles in 2016. This was their first foray into a hardware product, and are a type of video spectacle which can be linked to their social media platform. Yet there are some discrepancies emerging between the press releases from Snap, and what’s actually going on with the product. Read more

predict demand

How Do You Predict Demand for a New Product?

April 2, 2017

In a supply chain, we understand the need to carefully balance supply and demand. Knowing and predicting your potential sales is critical to your success. Successfully launching a new product is central to this.

However, how do you – with reasonable accuracy – predict demand for a new product? How can you be sure that your next product is going to be a success that improves profits and builds your brand? Read more