Archive for Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG)
This past February, we held a successful seminar on Performance-based Outsourcing, which combined case studies from leading companies with think tank discussions on the topic. This coming February 9-11 at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld Hotel in Orlando, Florida we’re applying the same learning and networking model to another timely and important topic in the supply chain and logistics industry:
Beyond the Perfect Order Metric: Bringing Together Supply… Continue reading
Stuffing the Channel
· CommentsSupply chain organizations are often forced to work harder because sales force targets and bonuses are not well thought out. And when the CEO pressures the sales force to meet the quarterly revenue number he has promised Wall Street, watch out! In these scenarios, the CEO often gives the sales force the power to provide unusually deep discounts to customers. The result is increased overtime in factories and warehouses; machines… Continue reading
I recently read a great business school case study by Terry Tremwel (Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas), Dan Lynch (Eli Broad Graduate School of Management, Michigan State University), and Jim Crowell (Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas) called “Phoenician Phoods, Breakfast Cereal Manufacturer and Distributor.” The case focuses on a business executive at a fictitious food company that has to make a tough decision involving SKU… Continue reading
Last week, P&G launched its Supplier Environmental Sustainability Scorecard. You can download the scorecard and supporting materials here. In an overview document, P&G explains the scorecard and its purpose as follows:
We are launching the scorecard to measure the sustainability of our suppliers in four key areas: energy use, water use, waste disposal and greenhouse gas emissions—as well as their contributions to key P&G sustainability activities. Developed by… Continue reading
Frito-Lay Drives Shelf-Level Demand
· CommentsI believe that one of the emerging trends that will differentiate leaders from followers in the consumer goods industries is that leaders will excel at integrating their demand management and replenishment processes with category management. Consequently, it benefits supply chain executives to better understand leading practices in category management.
Supply Chain Digest recently aired a videocast featuring Dave Boissevain, Director of Retail Strategy and Planning at… Continue reading
This was one of the assessment questions presented in “Succeeding in a Volatile Market—2018: The Future Value Chain”, a report published late last year by the Global Commerce Initiative (CGI), Capgemini, SAP, and HP. The report highlights several key trends that will impact CPG-Retail value chains in the near future, including a changing society (e.g., urbanization, ageing population, low income, and a new middle class); rising cost and… Continue reading
How Objective are Category Captains?
· CommentsAs I’ve mentioned before (here and here), I’ve been researching the ROI associated with consumer goods (CG) companies using downstream data (e.g., POS, store level inventories, and DC-to-store shipments). One of the conclusions that I have reached is that Category Managers get a better ROI from their investments in this area than other consumer goods manufacturers.
Category Management might be new to many supply chain professionals, so… Continue reading
I’ve been researching the ROI associated with consumer goods (CG) companies using downstream data (e.g., POS, store level inventories, and DC-to-store shipments). As part of this research, I recently spoke with a supply chain director at a very large CG company who asked, “Why can’t my supply chain team think like my category managers?”
A little background will help you understand his lament. Large CG manufacturers generally have account teams… Continue reading
