Operational Supply Chain Management

Many organizations see Lean Six Sigma as the evolution of the Six Sigma methodology rather than a modification. Six Sigma has been developed over the last thirty years and has become the de facto methodology to eliminate defects from a process and improve the quality of the manufacturing process. The objective of this article is to examine the...

A crucial activity for planners is to when to decide to place an order. There are a number of reorder methodologies that can be adopted. Although most computer systems are based on the materials requirement planning (MRP) method, there are other methods that planners can use which are examined in this article.

In a depressed economy, companies are looking at any supply chain process where they can save time, money or resources. Drop shipping is a popular process where companies can reduce the need to keep inventory in their warehouse, lower their overall shipping costs and improve customer service. This article examines the advantages and disadvantages of drop shipments.

Cycle counting is a popular inventory counting method that allows businesses to count a number of items in a number of areas within the warehouse without having to count the entire inventory. Cycle counting is a sampling technique where count of a certain number of items infers the count for the whole warehouse. This article shows different cycle counting methods that can used in a warehouse.

Order picking can be defined as the activity by which a small number of goods are extracted from a warehousing system, to satisfy a number of independent customer orders. Picking processes have become an important part of the supply chain process. Picking is seen as the most labor-intensive activity for almost every warehouse and this article examines order picking solutions that are available.

Six Sigma is a business management strategy that was initially developed by Motorola in the 1980’s, and now is used by many Fortune 500 companies. Six Sigma incorporates a number of quality methods and tools that are used by professionals within the organization, who have been trained on Six Sigma techniques. This article explains some of the common terms used in Six Sigma projects.

Operational supply chain decisions are made hundreds of times each day in a company. These are the decisions that are made at business locations that affect how products are developed, sold, moved and manufactured.

Operational supply chain is considered to be reactions to day to day business. This article looks at why operations should be examined and how cost benefits can be acheived.

Pressures to increase productivity, control costs and manage the day to day operations of the shop floor has led to the increase in the use of manufacturing execution systems (MES). This article examines the use of the MES systems on the shop floor and how they can benefits operational decisions.

Operations managers can sometimes be reactive and not proactive to the issue that arise with maintenance on the shop floor. This article suggests a number of ways in which operations, production and maintenance personnel can improve the planning and scheduling of maintenance tasks.

Small manufacturers who do not need or cannot afford large ERP systems have been turning to low cost systems to help with their fast growing operations. The need for systems to deal with day to day manufacturing has made these low-end ERP's very attractive to smaller firms. This article examines several instances where manufacturers have followed this path.

The Six Sigma system uses a number of quality methods and tools that are used by Six Sigma trained professionals within the organization. The DMAIC problem solving method can be used to help with any issue that arises, usually by those who professionals in the organization who have reached green belt level. This article examines the elements...