Your daily life is ultimately… a supply chain process
For our team at SDI, process re-engineering is in our DNA – it is an imperative to ensure we remain effective and efficient and adapt swiftly to changes in the global marketplace. The supply chain process can be particularly complex when considering the countless components inherent to running a dynamic global business.
Not surprisingly, the very same supply chain processes appears to be a reasonably pervasive… and not exclusive to the corporate world.
Arguably, we each carry out supply chain processes – repeatedly – throughout any given day.
But first, a simple primer for those less familiar with the discrete specific elements of Supply Chain practices. According to Whatis.com, “A supply chain is the network of all the individuals, organizations, resources, activities and technology involved in the creation and sale of a product, from the delivery of source materials from the supplier to the manufacturer, through to its eventual delivery to the end-user.”
Think of yourself as the nucleus of interconnecting supply chains. Wondering how the concept of an integral organizational process, outsourced by many enterprises, might possibly apply to your daily routine?
Let’s begin at the start of a typical day
Readying for work
The shower alone has sundry items to be sourced and procured at reasonable prices, and by assorted technological means (web or old fashioned drive-to-the -store). The morning cleansing and apparel selection procedure necessitates soaps, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, hair products, moisturizers, and, of course, an extensive wardrobe collection.
Expertly leveraging key supply chain process modules such as cost management and supplier selection, with a dash of technology enablement (like that nifty new smartphone app) enables even non-supply chain professionals to effectively manage the commodities essential for the morning routine
On the job
Time to hire the new IT project manager? If it is a short term project then welcome additional supply chain process execution to ensure the right contractor is assigned the role. Supplier selection, contract negotiation and eventually, supplier performance review are critical to ensure the right individual is appointed for the job and adheres to your enterprise’s governance and compliance policies.
After work
Even participating in post work activities involves business processes execution. With free time at a minimum (time) resource allocation will enable the decision of which events in which to partake. Selecting recreational activities can easily call for requirements assessment, and once the activity is chosen, logistics planning needs to be performed to ensure timely arrival
Worried about the threat of faltering during process execution? Demanding schedules offer plenty of daily supply chain risk, such as the risks of: dressing inappropriately for an event (commodity selection), arriving late for a meeting (logistics management), late credit card payments (accounts payable and reconciliation).
Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal summed it up nicely with the headline “Plight of Maersk Tigris Ship Is Fresh Reminder of Supply-Chain Risks: Cost-cutting decisions may expose companies to heightened risk, unforeseen costs.” So while we might all be tempted to reduce cost as we progress through our day, the lesson to be learned is manage cost without risking disruption to the day-to-day supply chain.
Tired yet? You should be. Granted, daily decisions and activities performed repetitively are comprised of multiple process steps but not all are necessarily complicated. A variety of these we have mastered over the years. But, what about the processes that have not been mastered?
Those are better left outsourced to professionals… like SDI and other reputable business process outsourcing enterprises.