The company has transformed virtually every aspect of its supply chain to meet changing demand. In the process, it went from "worst in class" to setting new industry standards for customer service.
What began inside the warehouses of a handful of industries is spreading to embrace a slew of new applications, according to Ric Huck, Vocollect's business development manager.
Consumer electronics makers are starting to do a better job of matching production with actual demand. Kedar Kulkarni, director of Supply Chain Division at VTech Communications, talks about how far they've come.
A renewed emphasis on profitability leads the company to synchronize operations across its supply-chain network. Staff vice president Randall Wood reveals how it's being done.
A company's approach to strategic supply-chain planning might not be as innovative as it thinks. Shekar Natarajan, director of supply chain at Pepsi, shows how to make sure that you're considering all the angles.
To keep pace with changing consumer demand, companies are embracing strategies that require a much broader set of skills on the distribution end, says Dave Kilzer, principal of Consultleague.
A sales and operations planning approach can yield big benefits to the organization, says Karen LaBombarda, principal at TMG Associates. But first, companies must overcome people's natural resistance to change.
Sales and operations planning systems, coupled with good business processes, can help companies to achieve a common internal "language" when tackling issues of supply, demand and customer service, says Oracle Corp.'s Guy Yehiav.
Every company needs the kind of people who handle day-to-day management tasks, says Joe DeSantis of Office Depot. But there's also a critical need for true leaders, who can inspire an organization to achieve more.