We frequently have questions about SCOR and its validity in use for service supply chains. I use three examples of Hotel service to illustrate service supply chains.

Note:  The roadmap is constantly evolving however, I have found this one particularly useful when driving for results and converging Lean Six Sigma with SCOR model.

While attending the Chief Supply Chain Officer conference in Shanghai last year as part of a debate panel, the question came up around issues in globalization for Supply Chain. Fascinatingly, all the panelists basically said that "Globalization" is over – that companies have effectively completed globalization, and the issues now are related to competing effectively, not just entering the markets.

SCC staff and I frequently meet and talk to supply chain managers, and there's one simple question we ask frequently to see what people are thinking about: "What prevents you from being successful in your role?" Many times we get the answer, "I'm implementing X", where X may be S&OP, ERP, some special practice, outsourcing logistics, you name it. Then we clarify: "Isn't X really just your job? What prevents you from being successful at implementing X?" That's a showstopper, or at least a pause-inducer.

The late Michael Hammer of "Re-engineering the Corporation" fame put it succinctly once in a forum I attended in Philadelphia: "An imperfect process is better than no process, and a good process is best of all." I've looked at many Supply Chain maturity models for companies, and some look at vendor dimension – degree of collaboration – while another may look at resource – degree of rationalization. All are based however on having a supply chain management system which evolves to progressively improve overall supply chain performance.

SCOR Project Note

Using Simple File Structures to Propel Project Success - Phase 3 of SCOR Roadmap

When you ask supply chain managers which of the metrics (or attributes) are most important for their supply chain, cost score high on their list. We know that cost management is a key focus area for those practicing supply chain management as supply chain cost are generally the largest cost component in operating a business. We continue to receive feedback that the cost metrics in SCOR today aren’t as clear or as easy to explain as we would like them to be.

SCOR Project Note

Using Simple File Structures to Propel Project Success - Phase 2 Analyze Basis of Change

Flying this week, I had my iPad full of magazines to keep me comfortably occupied in what to me are increasingly small seats - perhaps an indication of becoming older, or at least wider - and I was struck by the volume of references to Supply Chain across a wide spectrum of publications. Of course, the catastrophe in Japan, and the subsequent disruption of global supply chains relying on components coming from Japan, is an impetus for some discussion.

Did your recent project require you to draw a geographic materials flow diagram (aka geo map)? Did you have the same problem I have had; where to get a good image to use as geographic background? Well, I have some good news. A new service allows you to create a Google Maps image with the nodes already copied in. You simply need to add the flows and/or node names.

Here's how it works: