Do you ever feel like other people at your business think they know more about supply chain operations than you do?

You’re not alone.

But it’s unlikely you’ll be able to budge them from their beliefs.

So the next best thing to do might be to extend your influence and knowledge into the actual decision-making process.

This is where a lot of supply chain operations break down: Decisions are made without carefully taking into account input from the supply chain people who do the job every day.

There are five key elements to keep in mind if you sense change is in the wind for your supply chain operation:

• Spread it around. Ideas should be “kicked around” by several people. Decisions made and approved by the same person often prove to be disastrous.
• Follow the money. Remember, when all is said and done, the bottom line is what matters most. This needs to be an integral consideration during the planning and decision-making process.
• Get a seat at the table. It’s been shown that decisions made at the corporate level without direct input from people in supply chain operations are much more likely to turn out for the worst. After all, it is the supply chain people are the ones who will be carrying it out.
• Designate a point person. Supply chain changes are much more successfully implemented when one person is charged with making it happen. That person, of course, should’ve been involved in the decision-making process, too.
• Keep the end in mind. When the impact of supply chain changes are measured by the impact on executive operations, those changes are likely doomed to fail. At all times, changes need to be made with the bottom line in mind.

Tags: decision-making, supply chain