'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the land,
Production had ceased, factories closed down as planned.
Getting set for the party is quite a hard task
For supply chain components to meet all that's asked.
Invent'ry, transport so carefully prepared
To meet high demand, no effort is spared.
A common occurrence as Christmas draws near
Is production plan glitches that often appear
Not properly matching output and promotion
Stock shortage or surplus will cause much commotion.The next major issue you need to consider
Is the logistics required to pick up and deliver.
For local producers the task is not hard
To pick up ex-works (from the factory yard).
This will require you to have a backhaul,
To avoid trucks returning with nothing at all.
By coordinating transport to boost utilisation
Costs can be cut, and there's fuel conservation.Now that we've moved into global production
There also are tradeoffs of sourcing and cost reduction.
Import clearance of goods gets delayed
If declarations are wrong or improperly displayed,
Correct customs tariffs and harmonised codes
Trade complexities arise that may soon overload.
Many will use a distributor who can handle
Multiple products through multiple channels
While costly for some it allows them to champion
Collaborative planning and market expansion.Others will run their own in-house logistics
Buying their trucks to raise fulfillment statistics.
But problems occur when Christmastime comes,
Extra capacity is expensive and only available to some.
Booking overflow storage to manage reserve stock
Never works as you hoped, especially in Bangkok.
Industrial estates were long used by so many
'Til the rains and the flooding _ the losses were heavy.
Some large retailers are smarter: they use multiple sites
To reduce risk in storage if calamity strikes.
Those who keep their eggs in one basket can find
Supply chain interruption is one hell of a bind.
For a start your own business will take quite a hit,
But cost-cutting may put the whole chain in the ...It goes back to good planning so Santa can meet
All global demand, what an almighty feat.
Overtime often must be planned through the nights
To avoid falling victim to quarter-end plights.
Getting a grip on operational planning
Will demand all your skill in HR and manning.
The costs for many to meet demand can be tight
Especially at the Pole, where for six months it is night.
Being pushed to the limit or getting it wrong can mean
Significant loss of corporate sheen.
With trucks unavailable, warehouses at capacity,
Product flows can stretch beyond normal elasticity.A word of advice for those wanting to see
Better market share with sales velocity:
Don't just consider those end-of-year targets
In pushing new sales into unknown markets.
A supply chain view will allow all to meet
Profitable growth, and that's no mean feat.
Balancing each link in an extended supply chain
Will bring you success again and again.We've been writing The Link now for over twelve years
Late submissions quite often have our editors in tears
Although supply-chain related we still have to answer,
How to include Reindeer names like Donner and Prancer!
Up Comet! Up Cupid! Go Dancer and Blitzen!
Rudolph, now lead! On Dasher and Vixen!
Now that we've included some neat Christmas rhymes
It's time to wish you well in these festive times
And as we all bask in the holiday glow
With all of our loved ones and friends that we know,
Barry and I will repeat this once to get it just right,
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!(Adapted from an 1823 poem attributed to Clement Clarke Moore)
The Link is coordinated by Barry Elliott and Chris Catto-Smith CMC of the Institute of Management Consultants Thailand. It is intended to be an interactive forum for industry professionals; we welcome all input, questions, feedback and news at:Barry.Elliott@inslo.com or cattoc@cmcthailand.org