Supply chain encompasses the planning, execution, and control of all the activities related to material and information flows. It spans from forecasting end demand to the purchase and processing of raw materials into finished goods, the logistics that moves the process along, and ultimately the final delivery to the customer. A supply chain is like an orchestra comprised of musicians who are all professionals in their own right, but who must be coordinated by a conductor (supply chain manager) to achieve the best possible listening experience.
Where does Supply Chaney fit into this picture? We help small to medium sized businesses by being a connected, creative, and capable resource for their supply chain and operations. While large companies have teams of dedicated supply chain experts dedicated to optimizing every aspect of their company’s operations, smaller companies typically don’t have the budget or bandwidth to give their supply chain the time and attention it deserves, and that is where we come in. Our mission says it all:
To be a connected, creative, and capable supply chain resource for clients and a respected member of the supply chain community.
Let’s break this down:
Connected: Since a supply chain is comprised of many vendors and partners, a current roster of industry connections and relationships is key to continuous improvement of a company’s operations and supply chain. This roster requires time at conferences, networking events, and industry news and media consumption. Supply Chaney does all of these things and more to grow and maintain connections and put those connections to work for our clients.
Creative: A business is like a board game where players leave and join in the middle of the game, the rules are always changing, and success can depend on a combination of skill and luck. Playing the game successfully requires creativity to continuously innovate and drive out cost and waste, not to mention solve unprecedented challenges and tackle unforeseen problems. Even where seasoned operations leadership exists in a company, their tenure can work against them due to “that’s not how we do it here” syndrome.
Capable: As a result of providing both consulting and actual logistics services, Supply Chaney is capable of converting advice into action. Additionally, leveraging our experience operating in all corners of the supply chain industry and as a logistics service provider allows us to advise based on the actual conditions of the market and not just theories and best practices.
Respected Member of the Supply Chain Community: The supply chain is a community because it is not uncommon for former co-workers, competitors, or customers to find themselves in the same conference room again years after their previous engagement ended. Being a respected member of the community means operating with integrity, investing in the success of the industry as a whole, and mentoring the next generation of professionals. Being engaged in the community has the added benefit of building connections, providing creativity-boosting experiences, and improving our logistics capabilities, all which contribute to our ability to deliver value for clients.
In summary, Supply Chaney is a different kind of provider that provides supply chain advice and services for small and midsize businesses in the manufacturing, retail, and logistics industries.
