The power of possibilities
By Gary Forger -- Modern Materials Handling, 1/1/2000
So this is the triple crown of all time-a new year, new century, new millennium. All rolled into one.With that much new all at once, it's probably a good time to do something that you may not have tried at the start of other years. Something bigger than a diet but smaller than trying to resolve a world conflict.
As it turns out, Dow Bauknight, Andersen Consulting's chief guru on the supply chain, has a thought to get you started. In a far-ranging interview on the current state of the supply chain, he recently said- "What worked last year is not necessarily going to work this year."
Simple enough. In certain ways, almost self evident. Some might think (and others say), "that's about what I'd expect to hear from a consultant." But from where I sit, his message is worth some time and attention.
As we're all coming to realize, there's nothing monolithic about the supply chain. Neither is it as linear or sequential as most have described it. In fact, it's so non-linear that the supply chain needed to fill one order actually dissolves when that order is completed and another is filled. If the truth be told, simultaneous activities between you, your customers, and suppliers are how the game is played. Manage them poorly and chaos reigns.
After some looking around, you might even decide that what is fixed in the supply chain today is, in all likelihood, going to be broken tomorrow. Bauknight thinks so too. It's just the nature of the beast. And as the Web and e-commerce gather critical mass, the very power of their possibilities will accelerate change. It will happen in both the business-to-consumer (B2C) and the business-to-business (B2B) supply chains. No one is going to be immune.
Bauknight advocates that companies look at their supply chains and decide what they can be rather than get comfortable with what they already are. He recommends that people use their "wildest imaginations and do some pioneering work rather than following an already established path."
As part of this effort, you need to be both outward and inward looking. "Many think of the supply chain as only what happens when goods move between companies. But what happens intraplant is just as important as what happens interplant," Bauknight added.
So, there you have it. Not exactly a new year's resolution. But definitely something you can work with. Something to build on. And if you're interested in additional views on other aspects of the supply chain, visit our sister Web site www.supplychainlink.com . With any kind of luck, it will help make 2000 an even better year than you might have hoped just a couple of minutes ago.
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