DC Velocity - February 2015

52 DC VELOCITY FEBRUARY 2015 www.dcvelocity.com b as ict ra i n i n g

When you can fill your trailers higher,
which way do you think your profits will go?

ORBIS Small-Format pallets carry the same size load as a standard pallet, while occupying a smaller footprint in your trailers. The 42”x 30” footprint increases order stack height, offering a more economical delivery solution for reduced case orders. With pallets packed-out higher, instead of wider, your trailer density will increase and so will your profit margins. Contact us to learn more.

a shift in thinking | orbiscorporation.com/smallformat

being positioned to “take over” the
supply chain. What’s next, a pal-
ace coup by customer service? Just
picture it, a gaggle of troops wear-
ing headsets and camo gear, waving
banners with revolutionary slogans,
marching and singing like students
in “Les Miz.”
The idea that any function is supe-
rior or should, by virtue of title, rule
the supply chain world is shaky on
its best day and destructive in the
long run. Our most important attri-
bute is the ability to have everyone
on the same bus and to not be fight-
ing over who should be driving.

THE SUPPLY CHAIN LEADER

OK, smart guys, who, then, should be in charge of supply chain management? Our answer: no one based on job title, but someone with the right set of attributes. These are fairly simple to state, but very difficult to find. As for those attributes, in our view, the person must be:

; A leader, not a manager. The successful supply chain function demands, for real success, to have someone at the top who can rally, align, and persuade those around him or her. Someone who attracts followers but does not command minions.

; A visionary, not a rule-maker. Someone who is not a mere dreamer, but someone who can craft the structure of a distant, but far superior, future. And embed in that future the seeds of sustainable success, both external and internal.

; A clear thinker, who is not seduced by passing fancies and who is able to cut through the clutter to get to core issues and opportunities.

; A passionate server of customers and their needs in succeeding in their markets with their customers.

; A performance-obsessed value creator—for the company, for its shareholders, and for its associates—someone who truly understands the full range of supply chain contributions to long-term success, and not merely a cost/price/inven-tory-cutter.

; A broadly experienced supply chain professional who understands what the supply chain’s components are, how they work together, and how they—in concert—deliver the goods.

It’s a tough job, finding a walks-on-wa-ter individual who is genuine and authentic to the core. But the supply chain of today—and tomorrow—really demands no less. Not only is the search worth the effort, it could be the difference between being around or sinking beneath the waves as sea changes continue to roll in.

Art van Bodegraven may be reached at (614) 893-9414 or avan@columbus.rr.com. You can read his blog at http:// blogs.dcvelocity.com/the_art_of_art/. Kenneth B. Ackerman, president of The Ackerman Company, can be reached at