34 DC VELOCITY JULY 2014 www.dcvelocity.com
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and still maintain control drew me in. As I matured in
my career and management skills, supply chain management presented very similar characteristics. Above all, the
challenge of complexity and managing large networks is
irresistible to me.
Q In the supply chain part of your career, you have been involved in sourcing and strategic planning, including
nearshoring of manufacturing. Can you talk briefly about
the advantages and the challenges for manufacturers who
want to relocate production closer to certain markets?
A As companies grow and satisfy new markets, the risks and challenges associated with longer and longer supply chains become an increasingly important consideration
for both profit pull-through and market agility. In some
cases, the tipping point may be reached where a company’s
competitive position has to be re-imagined and activities
that were once offshored for competitive cost reasons may
need to be reshored. One of the greatest challenges is to
identify and recognize that point. Oftentimes, the true cost
associated with the risk element is difficult to measure.
The normal rate of return, net present value, and landed
cost analyses don’t always reveal the need soon enough.
Adopting true total lifecycle cost models is clearly part of
the equation that companies have to master.
Q Could you elaborate on what you mean by total life- cycle costs?
A I am alluding to the need to consider the cost of supply from a total cost perspective, which includes not only
inventory, risk of obsolescence, storage, and management
costs but also the additional lifecycle costs such as returns,
rebuilds, and disposal.
Q What’s your greatest accomplishment in the profes- sion to date and why?
A I recall a couple of times in my career when I was faced with developing and overseeing a plan to establish a complete manufacturing operation from zero to full
production in an extremely short timeline. Because of fantastic teamwork, the tasks were a great success. Given the
sheer complexity of projects like these, they have naturally
become some of my favorite stories.
Q If you could go back to college, what would you study to sharpen your supply chain management skills?
A I would have to say two things—data analytics and business management.
Q Would you recommend the supply chain field to a young person?
A Yes, I would. It is a field that has so many possibili- ties—for the curious, for those who like the certainty
and predictability of standardized work, and equally for
those like myself who thrive on change, variety, and the
challenge of large complex systems.
Think of Joe Andraski, and three things
inevitably come to mind: Nabisco, CPFR,
and item-level RFID.
Much of Andraski’s lengthy career in distribution, logistics, and supply chain was
spent at Nabisco, where he led that company’s innovative Integrated Logistics organization. Following his tenure there, he headed the industry association VICS (Voluntary
Interindustry Commerce Solutions). Over
the years, Andraski has worked tirelessly to
promote the adoption of CPFR (Collaborative Planning,
Forecasting, and Replenishment)—a business model trademarked by VICS—as well as item-level radio-frequency
identification (RFID).
Long considered to be among the retail industry’s thought
leaders, he has received numerous recognitions, including
the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals’
(CSCMP) Distinguished Service Award, the VICS Milliken
Achievement Award, and Syracuse University’s Salzberg
Medallion. Andraski currently heads Collaborative
Energizer LLC, a supply chain consulting firm specializing
in collaborative business practices.
Q Is there a particular accomplishment you consider to be your lasting legacy?
A Without a doubt, it was being able to build a culture at Nabisco in which
individuals could develop the skills and a
positive can-do attitude that paved the way
to a successful career path for all. Our culture
was such that we worked hard but smart,
and we had fun in the process. Earning
the trust of senior management was an achievement that
provided us with the resources we needed to continuously
move forward.
QCollaboration has long been a primary focus of your work. Why is collaboration among supply chain partners so important?
A When I moved up into the ranks of management, I witnessed a lack of collaboration not just within the
departments themselves, but also with other departments
in the company, with service providers, and with the cus-
Joseph C. Andraski
