Supply Chain Management

The perils of pyramid silos

The perils of pyramid silos

By Hugh Williams

'You see, Barak,' I said, while his wife Michelle served the soup, 'businesses are structured in a way that's not logical to the product and money...

Can I borrow your secateurs?

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...

Return of the mage

Return of the mage

Simplicity and visibility are key as financial pressures prompt suppliers and retailers to work together using common systems, as Rod Addy discovers

Bigger lorries a mixed blessing

Bigger lorries a mixed blessing

By Hugh Williams

Andrew Tinkler, chief executive of Eddie Stobart, recently revealed on Radio 4 that he was talking to the transport secretary about plans to increase...

How to reel in the big cheese

How to reel in the big cheese

By Hugh Williams

How dare you waste your chief executive's time, talking about supply chain opportunities? This is of no interest to him. Surely, it is your job to...

Burning down the house

Burning down the house

By Hugh Williams

Let's be quite clear from the outset: arson is a crime. So why do we persist in lighting fires in our own businesses? Have you ever wondered how many...

Who is in and who is out of the chain?

Who is in and who is out of the chain?

By Hugh Williams

If you had asked me a few years ago which function would be the last to embrace supply chain thinking, I'd have got it wrong.Over time and despite...

The chill factors

The chill factors

By Allison Carvalho

Thanks to high demand for frozen foods, the cold storage business is currently booming. But how long can it continue? asks Allison Carvalho

Delve deeper into the chain

Delve deeper into the chain

By Hugh Williams

Last month I attended a conference, which was supposedly about the latest trends in supply chain management. The tone was set by the chair whose...

Chain gang chat

Chain gang chat

By Rick Pendrous

Supply, demand and retailer promotions. Industry peers discussed supply chain issues at Food Manufacture's recent event. Rick Pendrous reports

Economic quantities - or a pallet's tale

Economic quantities - or a pallet's tale

By Hugh Williams

This is the story of an old but wise pallet. Over the years, it has seen supply chain thinking evolve and lived through many changes.Many years ago...

Get up to speed on traceability

Get up to speed on traceability

By Michelle Knott

Systems can improve visibility throughout your factory while helping to avoid damaging product recalls, as Michelle Knott discovers

Sometimes duplication is necessary

Sometimes duplication is necessary

By Hugh Williams

I find it fascinating to watch a business open up to supply chain thinking. One day it operates in isolation, mistrusting the competition, suppliers...

To the manor born - the humble pie

To the manor born - the humble pie

With Christmas round the corner, Peter Dee says there are more reasons than ever to believe Manor Bakeries can meet the demand

How to be green and lean

How to be green and lean

By Hugh Williams

And I thought that after many years of slow but locally efficient supply chains, lean had taken over: you signed up to the fact that sending a...

Grabbing the supply chain by the crust ...

Grabbing the supply chain by the crust ...

By Hugh Williams

You know it will happen, every time: you grab that slice of pizza by the crust; you give it a nudge with the knife in the hope of a clean cut; then,...

Take stock of business costs

Take stock of business costs

I have a fundamental problem with some of the traditional measures and key performance indicators in place in companies, because they do not always...

Dr Oetker hands Wincanton contract

Dr Oetker hands Wincanton contract

By Rick Pendrous

Pizza manufacturer Dr Oetker has placed a three-year contract for an unreported amount with third-party logistics provider Wincanton to manage its...

Focusing on cost can be so costly

Focusing on cost can be so costly

I guess at least a few people share my prejudice that the US breeds supply chain people who are highly skilled at talking and 'theorising', but not...

DEFRA funds carbon footprint study

DEFRA funds carbon footprint study

By Elaine Watson

Newcastle Business School (NBS) at Northumbria University has been awarded a £180,000 grant from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural...

Analyse before tendering

Analyse before tendering

Several very large manufacturers operate dedicated vehicles for customer delivery, claiming that they have 'critical mass' and can cut out the...

Stock cuts lead to supply chaos

Stock cuts lead to supply chaos

The latest efforts by retailers to cut lead-times, inventory and infrastructure investment are headed towards perdition rather than supply chain...

Time to stop trucking around

Time to stop trucking around

By Elaine Watson

You take the high road ... and I'll take the high road, manufacturer urges Scottish firms

Forecasting: where art meets science

Forecasting: where art meets science

By Elaine Watson

The difference between 'JIT' (just in time) and 'JTFL' (just too f**king late), as some manufacturers politely refer to their supply chain planning...

Just in time

Just in time

By Elaine Watson

The ambient food supply chain will gradually follow in the footsteps of chilled, the boss of Baylis Logistics informs Elaine Watson

Self-billing helps identify true costs

Self-billing helps identify true costs

I came across a food manufacturer which queried an invoice it received from the third-party logistics provider (3PL) that ran its warehouse and...

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