Simple Examples to Diagnose an Unfit Supply Chain Management Setup

22. Mai 2025

Subject: Is Your Supply Chain Really as Fit as You Think? Tips & Red Flags

We dive straight into some eye-opening signs that might reveal weaknesses in your planning and management setup - and more importantly, how to fix them.

1. Replenishment Isn’t Everything

If your replenishment team is only focused on logistics - think full trucks and containers - you might be missing the big picture. The real cost appears when customer service suffers due to poor prioritization and the need for costly expedite deliveries. Balance is key!

2. Not All Planners Are Equal

Treating all planning roles the same is a major misstep. You need genuine expertise for demand planning, supply planning, scheduling, and more. Seriously, never combine demand and supply planning into a single role, and don’t overlook the subtleties of inventory, materials, and network planning.

3. Where’s the End-to-End View?

If planners are spending all their time building plans instead of actively managing them across the network, you’re missing that all-important end-to-end oversight. Designate someone (or a team) to own the process from suppliers to distribution centers, ensuring priorities stay aligned.

4. Are Your Planning Time Fences Clear?

Unclear boundaries between scheduling, midterm planning, or who owns what data and when can lead to chaos. Your schedulers and supply planners should be in sync - and probably in the same team!

5. Ditch Blanket Inventory

Targets One-size-fits-all stock targets are so 1980s. Some products or components need more stock, others less. Use segmentation, multi-echelon logic, and smart warehousing to get it right.

6. Who’s Actually Placing Purchase Orders?

In larger organizations, procurement should handle supplier selection, relationships, and negotiations - while operational purchasing is managed by your supply chain planners. This brings more expertise and keeps your cost structure healthy.

These tips aren’t about perfection - they’re practical principles developed from years of experience, with the ultimate goal of building a resilient, high-performing supply chain.

Stay supply chain fit—in your organization and your personal life!

Kartendecks & more: https://store.deine-lieferkette.de

Die Bücher zum Kanal gibt es hier:

Business-Roman (April 2022): https://deine-lieferkette.de/unplanbar_b...

Sachbuch (2021): https://deine-lieferkette.de/deine-liefe...

Kanalhomepage: https://deine-lieferkette.de

#supplychainmanagement #logistik #supplychainfit