Building your list for NA 2000
By Gary Forger -- Modern Materials Handling, 3/1/2000
Close your eyes for just a minute and drift back in time 10 years. Now listen carefully for any mention of the words "supply chain." Do you remember hearing them? Anywhere? Come on, think hard. Supply chain is all we hear today so someone must have been talking about it 10 years ago.The fact of the matter is few thought much about the supply chain even 5 years ago. We were a lot more focused on internal measures such as productivity, continuous improvement, and just-in-time schedules. And what happened outside the four walls of your facility was someone else's problem. After all, it was tough enough just to keep up with increasing quantities of smaller, more frequent orders.
Well, that was the Nineties for you. And as we prepare for North America's first major materials handling show of the new era, there's no ignoring the demands of the supply chain. Gone are the days when you can turn your back on customers or suppliers - unless, of course, you're actively searching for a new career path. Gone are the days when you aren't at least partially responsible for what happens outside the four walls of your facility. And gone are the days when 95% shipping accuracy is good enough and 99% considered world class.
This entirely new world is what the North American Material Handling Show and Forum 2000 is all about next month. And when you read through our preview, don't be fooled into thinking it's a year of same old same old. You'd be dead wrong.
Take something as seemingly straightforward as a mezzanine. Maximizes floor space and use of the cube. Adds valuable work space at minimal cost close to current operations. Mezzanines have been doing that and more for awhile. What's new is how you can turn a mezzanine into a high-speed, order-fulfillment staging platform that ships to customers what they want when they want it. Welcome to the supply chain.
Now there's no question that the supply chain sophistication of companies varies greatly. And consultant Charles Kaprelian of Pricewater-houseCoopers sees it all. But at a recent HK Systems Executive Briefing, he offered his view of what supply chain leaders are doing today:
1) Extending process optimization outside the four walls of their facility.
2) Applying data and machine automation to the supply chain.
3) Rethinking where value is added in the supply chain.
4) Integrating and synchronizing individual components of the supply chain to a seamless enterprise then extending that capability beyond the enterprise.
5) Using technology as a competitive edge.
That's not a bad list list to bring to Detroit as you look to sharpen your materials handling competitive edge. And when you're there, stop by our booth, #819. It would be a great time to hear about your materials handling concerns and interests. Hope to see you in Detroit.
Talkback
Related Content
Related Content
Sponsored Links
View All Blogs
