thoughtleaders
indicator]. However, reducing the customer replenishment
cycle time means smaller, more frequent orders for most
European consumer product companies. With European
diesel prices at more than $10 per gallon, smaller orders are
not always affordable.
So, how do you retain the cost benefit of full truckload
deliveries while reducing your cycle time? You find like-minded companies who share a similar customer base,
build a collaborative logistics operation that consolidates
and coordinates multiple customer orders into full trucks,
and sell it as a win-win to your retail customers. They hold
less inventory, and we have competitive distribution costs.
And we both benefit through the improvement in on-shelf
availability. It’s not for all, however. Even so, it is rapidly
gaining traction in Europe.
ful supply chain delivers competitive advantage and profit.
The future of the profession looks secure.
QWhat’s your greatest professional accomplishment to date and why?
A It has to be our role in developing and imple- menting the first truly collaborative
consumer goods distribution center in
Europe or perhaps the world, and to
see how the innovation has slowly
gained traction. To take a breakthrough idea from concept to
execution and then see it adopted by the
broader supply chain community is a
very rewarding experience.
Q
A I have to be honest and say it was by accident. I was a poor student looking for his first break and met a
courier company who wanted to give him a salary and a
company car. It was love at first sight, and I am still in sup-
ply chain 30 years later. If I had the opportunity to go back
in time, would I change that decision? No way. It’s taken a
long time, but the world has finally realized that a success-
How did you end up in the supply chain profession?
QIn general, what’s the biggest challenge facing
supply chain professionals today?
A The endless drive to reduce working capital, improve on-shelf availability, and reduce delivered
costs despite a global economic crisis and
input cost inflation. But that is what
makes the job so exciting. ;
