Looking for ways to improve the efficiency of your supply chain? Here are some ideas from Craig Voortman, director of the department of transport and supply chain management at the University of Johannesburg. His remarks are from the October 2005 CSCMP Conference in San Diego.

Use technology imaginatively.
Whether it’s experimenting with oversized aircraft (such as the new Airbus A380) or using robots to package and move pallets, world-class companies apply originality and flair to logistics.

Close the lead-time gap.
“Everything is becoming urgent,” said Voortman. Therefore, it is essential that every process in a supply chain be lean, fast, and efficient.

Boost employee productivity through technology.
Voortman cited the example of a pharmaceutical company whose sales reps can dial into their hubs from anywhere in the world, at any time, and obtain instant access to the product data and instructions they need.

Invest in innovative packaging.
One company in South Africa uses simple black plastic wrap to ship diamonds; the bar code alone contains the “secret” of what the product is. Another firm, a beer manufacturer, applies peel-off labels to beer bottles to cut down processing time.

Waste nothing.
According to Voortman, “world-class companies have zero waste” because they employ inventive recycling to reduce costs across the entire supply chain.

Provide company- and job-specific training.
Too much of corporate training is “generic” — it does not address the company’s unique objectives. Training should be highly practical and goal-oriented, Voortman said.

Source - Rama Ramaswami - Operations + Fulfillment

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