From Forecast Accuracy to Flow
Executive summary A capital allocation problem wearing a supply chain costume Manufacturers and distributors are carrying more inventory relative to sales than they were thirty years ago. In the United States alone the figure sits near one trillion dollars. Three decades of investment in forecasting software, demand planning teams, S&OP rituals and ERP modernisation have…
Your Aged Stock Report Is Lying to You.
Your Aging Report Is Lying to You Not maliciously — just incompletely. Every month, most supply chain teams open an aging report and feel a familiar dread. A column of inventory sitting beyond 180 days. Red numbers. Management questions. Pressure to sell, discount, or scrap. I get it. I have sat in those rooms. But…
AI Will Not Fix Your Supply Chain
Why Architecture Still Wins I recently reviewed BCG’s Supply Chain Planning 2026 report, and one exhibit in particular stood out. It maps the progression of AI in planning from predictive models, to decision layers inside APS, to copilots, and eventually to agentic systems with increasing autonomy. The visual is powerful. But the underlying message is…
Collaboration
Collaboration: Why Good Intentions Aren’t Enough The Oxford Dictionary defines collaboration as “the action of working with someone to produce something.” In a business context, collaboration occurs when individuals, teams, or departments work together—sharing skills, resources, and ideas—to achieve a common goal more effectively than they could on their own. Both definitions rest on two…
More Accurate AI Forecasts Don’t Solve the Core Problem
Recently, I’ve been hearing a familiar claim: “We’re rolling out AI-based forecasting, so DDMRP is no longer necessary.” I’m not an AI expert. What I am focused on is how planning assumptions translate into operational reality. Forecasting and execution sit right at the heart of that, so I wanted to step back and examine what…
Metrics for Flow
Introduction All meaningful operational improvement is rooted in flow. To manage flow effectively, organisations require metrics that reflect total system performance rather than local efficiency. 1: Metrics for Flow – Reliability George Plossl stated that all benefits are directly related to the speed of flow of materials and information. Flow describes how quickly materials and…
Managing Manufacturing as a System
Introduction Managing a manufacturing organisation is inherently complex. Variability, uncertainty, and interdependencies make it increasingly difficult to achieve objectives such as reliable delivery, shorter lead times, higher productivity, and lower inventory using traditional management approaches. This series explores why manufacturing organisations must be understood and managed as systems, not as collections of independent departments. It…