mo·jo: noun. A magic charm, talisman, or spell. “Someone must have their mojo working over at the record company.” In the 1990s supply chain had MOJO. Then it was sexy. Today, it is not. 90% of public manufacturing companies are treading water. There is a struggle. Improvement on the key metrics of growth, inventory turns, operating margin and Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) is elusive. Here I want to share a perspective…
Definitions: Provocateur. A person who or thing which provokes; a challenger, instigator, inciter, irritator; (in later use) specifically = “provocateur.” Incrementalism. Movement by degrees. Known by gradualism. I am tired. For the past month, I have been working alongside companies implementing digital strategies. In my experience, during the first session energy is high. As time goes on these high energies dissipate. Fear engulfs companies. Teams cannot help themselves. They guard the…
I was sitting with a representative from the United Nations on my way back from Colombia. As we took off from Bogota, we discussed the potential of blockchain to help her with feeding children in the highlands of the Colombian-Venezuelan border. I was surprised that she knew enough about blockchain to have a discussion, and I think that she was surprised to find someone who could help her to have…
When I engage with supply chain leaders , I ask, “Are you making progress?” Most will nod their heads ‘yes’, but upon a closer look at the data they admit they are stuck. Acknowledging this truth is a freeing moment. Why? It is hard work to maintain the status quo in metrics performance. Most leaders are treading water. When asked to do more, they try to deliver. They often fail. A downward-facing…
In the 1980s commercial internet providers evolved. In 2001 Steve Jobs put 1000 songs in our pocket. And steadily, over the last three decades, mobile phones changed the pace of business. In the process, the banks got bigger and business networks grew more complex. In the last decade social networks and new business models evolved. eCommerce and electronic shopping carts drove new forms of commerce. It lifted all boats in…
Holiday travel. Packed airports and the children screaming in unison. Today as I sit scrunched into a coach seat in 26C, working on this blog post and hoping to not spill my coffee on my neighbor, I dutifully type to complete my weekly post. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I give thanks for our clients and the ability to do what we do. Here I share insights on the work…
This past weekend I decompressed and turned off my cell phone. The concept of being on and available all the time– 24/7– wears on me. I spent a beautiful, brisk, Saturday afternoon building monsters with my grandson, Jake, at the local children’s museum. (I find that even building blocks hold more possibilities today than when I was a child 55 years ago.) As I sat on the cold floor holding the…
I remember the plane ride well. My career was in transition. I was moving from a position where I led a manufacturing operation to being a part of a team to design supply chain software to improve planning decisions. I was moving from the world of manufacturing to a new world of software. As I read the brochure of my new employer on the airplane, I felt so behind. The…
Platitude: a flat, dull, or trite remark, especially one uttered as if it were fresh or profound. Source: Dictionary.com During the year I go to a lot of conferences. In the process I get to hear the views of many thought leaders. As I sit on the back row I hear platitudes (a number of concepts positioned at a high level without clarity on how to execute). As supply chain…
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