SPIRAL CONVEYING.
STRAIGHT UP.
As the market leader in spiral
conveyors in the logistic industry we
think of solutions for handling cases &
SKU’s. It’s what we do.
At AmbaFlex it’s not just about
building the right equipment, it’s
about developing a special solution
for you. Here’s to spiral conveying.
Spiral elevators for goods-to-man
systems, picking modules and sorting
systems.
BY AMBAFLEX | WWW.AMBAFLEX.COM
038-001_ADV_packaging_AW_MHPN.indd 1 24-01-14 13: 3
AN INDUSTRY SOLUTION?
The question has picked up some steam as time has passed.
Early radio-frequency identification (RFID) pilots uncovered participant inventory inaccuracies that had not been
previously suspected, and the condition, with a few startling
SKU-level examples, was found to exist in companies both
large and small.
Forward thinker and legend of the profession Joe Andraski,
who heads up the consultancy Collaborative Energizer, has
proposed the creation of a volunteer industry group to
tackle the key issues involved. The group’s overall process is
intended to identify and evaluate the prospective (and real)
consequences of inventory inaccuracy and uncertainty. (Joe
has provided some of the observations noted above.) The
always rock-solid Dr. Lloyd Rinehart of the University of
Tennessee is working with Joe to launch the initiative.
From that beginning, they expect to be able to construct corrective programs that focus on key opportunities.
Further, the hope is to at last have a handle on the consequences of inventory mysteries on P&L and balance-sheet
items that flow into DuPont Model outcomes, as well as on
supply chain management functions such as forecasting,
customer service, inventory investment and management,
customer relationships, S&OP (sales and operations planning), and staffing.
We all, though, face the reality that inventory is not an
object to be measured and managed in a vacuum. It is not
a thing, but rather a collection of outcomes, from decisions
made well, or not so well; of processes that are well structured, or less so. The decisions and processes, for leaders,
must be flexible to turn on a dime when market conditions
and/or customer imperatives demand more, and more
forward, inventory locations, or fewer and farther-distant
stocks to leverage changes in transport costs and customer
cost sensitivity. Those, in this century, are non-negotiable
in the success equation and have at least as much effect on
inventory investment (and opportunities for inaccuracy) as
transient corrective programs.
Ultimately, organizations choosing to pursue appropriate
targeted activities will need to come to grips with designing
and managing changes in the organization, roles, processes,
and technology. The volunteer group will contain embedded resources who can structure and lead sustainable change
management programs in aid of improving enterprise performance through improved inventory performance.
Given the approach and expecting quality resources from
industry, it seems likely that the prospective effort will
generate a return on investment (ROI) in its own right as
it finds ways to bring inventory understanding and greater
certainty into the 21st century.
Art van Bodegraven is, among other roles, chief design officer for the DES
Leadership Academy; he can be reached at (614) 893-9414 or avan@columbus.
rr.com. His website is www.artvanbodegraven.com. Please visit us in booth 2347 at MODEX
