A Supply Chain Initiative Won't Work—Without People.

A professor and a professional in the logistics field discussed all facets of supply chain and logistics in a recently published interview. They discussed new trends and how to improve the supply chain. The article discussed the same basic principles we use in the operational excellence practice at Peach State.
 
In this economy it is clear that companies are hesitant to begin improvement initiatives. A primary cause of this cautious outlook is due to past failed initiatives—so how do you ensure success?
 
Behind every decision to improve the supply chain—is a person who must make a decision and act upon it. To be successful, people must be aligned with the initiative.
This human component is essential to the initiative, whether it’s a automation project, software project, or any project that a company may be thinking of embarking on.
 
We’ve always stressed that labor management system implementations are not software projects, but people projects. The fundamental approach to labor management system implementations can be applied to any operational improvement project. Keys to success of any project include the following functions:
·         Leadership (strategic and tactical)
·         Empowerment
·         Change management
·         Learning systems
·         Alignment of expectations and results
 
We’ll take a deeper dive into the functions above in upcoming posts. Regardless of the state of our economy, the practical steps that organizations use to survive—and thrive—remain the same.