Can I borrow your secateurs?
There I was: ready, prepared, and motivated. It was a sunny Saturday afternoon and the garden needed some attention. My wife and I had consulted on what needed chopping back or just tidying up. I had planned it all, with an estimated finish at 17.00h, in time for some more leisurely activities. I had got changed and was just starting to line up the tools.
Then I spotted the problem: Where were the secateurs? They were not where I had expected to find them. Who used them last? Did we lend them to a neighbour? I could not start the work without this basic tool. All of a sudden, my well-prepared afternoon schedule was deflating like a party balloon!
When it comes to supply chain improvement projects, it does not get any more basic than data. For an inventory reduction project, for instance, you will need the stock situation, sales history, forecast, stock coverage, replenishment parameters, procurement rules, order frequencies ... How easily can you get hold of this data? And, more importantly, what is its quality?
Not to mention the fact that you have probably just spent weeks, if not months, planning the project and getting it signed off by the board. You have lined up the project resources and a tight schedule, with your eyes firmly on the benefits. How much attention did you pay to the very basic data that you will need? From experience, I can tell you that the data in most businesses is not of great quality. Assuming that you can easily extract it from your systems in the first place. For example, it is good practice to carry out an ABC/XYZ prioritisation to refocus stock policies, releasing working capital. But you can only achieve this if you factor in time and effort to find, clean, and organise the data that will feed this analysis.
Eventually my wife handed me the secateurs. Apparently, they were where I was supposed to look for them. So take my advice: keep your data tidy and clean. It will save you a lot of time and frustration in all your supply chain improvements!
Hugh Williams
Founder of supply chain planning specialist consultancy Hughenden. www.hughenden.net
