Supply Chain / Value Chain Research - An Update

I wanted to send a word of thanks to those of you who have participated in the Supply Chain/Value Chain survey so far. With well over 100 respondents in the first few days we are in the process of making the first analytical pass of the data. The speed with which you have responded has been gratifying, particularly given the business demands associated with the holiday season and the end of the year.

A special thanks to the Value Chain Group for helping get the word out on the survey.

For those of you who started but then had to interrupt your survey, we will be looking at completed surveys again on December 12 so if you can complete your entry by then, your response will be included in the initial analysis. (As you know, with surveymethods.com you can begin the survey, leave the site, and then return to complete it without starting all over again). For those of you who have not yet started your response, the good news is that our initial estimate of approximately 20-25 minutes to complete the survey has been confirmed by a number of respondents.

If you are just now discovering the survey you can read the announcement of its launch here. And if the links don't work you can paste the link to your web browser. (http://www.surveymethods.com/EndUser.aspx?87A3CFD080C0D5D2)

Thanks again to everyone who is collaborating in this research.

Supply Chain Research - An Addendum

Yesterday I asked for your participation in some value chain / supply chain research that I am conducting with Dr. Sanjay Menon of Louisiana State University - Shreveport. I failed to let you know that unlike some research cycles that take weeks and months, this research is designed to move at the speed of business. Fast.

The first review cycle of data will take place within a matter of days. While the current plan is to let the survey evolve in scope and breadth, the significance and direction of the continuing research will be shaped by the early respondents.

So, in the next 20 minutes, you may help guide research that will be important to businesses in multiple industries, executives in multiple disciplines, and organizations in multiple geographies.

If you are a supply chain or value chain practitioner, a consultant, a technology provider, or an academician your participation in the research is welcome here. (http://www.surveymethods.com/EndUser.aspx?87A3CFD080C0D5D2)

Supply Chain Survey Research

A short while ago, I was flattered to be approacahed by Sanjay Menon, PhD, Lousisiana State University - Shreveport who was interested in continuing the supply chain research he began a few years ago. His original research used an expert panel (Delphi) to frame some basic questions regarding supply chain management - including developing a snapshot of best practices and basic management trends.


Dr. Menon is revisiting his research questions (with limited assistance from me) and expanding them to include: 1) how different people perceive supply chains and value chains, 2) how supply chain considerations drive human resource practices, 3) how organizations address performance measurement (KPIs) and who is responsible for those measurements, and 4) what the perceived state of the art in supply chain management today.


Unlike many surveys I have seen and participated in, this survey was designed to answer some very basic questions and can be completed by almost anyone in about 20 minutes. (I don't know is a valid answer for most questions). The results of the survey are intended to be published in academic, peer-reviewed publications. There are no sales or marketing efforts associated with the survey and you are invited to participate.

For the friends and colleagues I made during my tenure as the Chief Technology Officer of the Supply Chain Council, I encourage you to participate in the survey to help to frame answers for questions we have been asking since the 1990s. For those of you who are seasoned in value chain and supply chain practice, I would ask you to contribute your knowledge to help understand how to link management practice and measurement to the managers and exectuves who are responsible for their planning and execution.

What is your reward for participating in the survey? Your anonymity will be protected. You will not be put on a never-ending mailing list. You will receive a summary of the findings and there may be an opportunity for you to participate in additional research.

Thanks and the link to the survey is here.

In Search of the Perfect Order Webinar

As I mentioned in a previous post, the Value Chain Group was kind enough to host one of my webinars - this time, an overview of Perfect Order Fulfillment. In the one hour that we devoted to the topic, we were able to discuss how perfect orders are calculated and some of the issues associated with capturing and using the measurements.

As a special note, in the webinar I mentioned a survey that Louisiana State University at Shreveport's Sanjay Menon, PhD, and I are conducting on metrics, supply chain management, and human resources. If you are interested in this research please feel free to send him (or me) a note.

The webinar introduces the use of a powerful metric that has been termed a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) by practitioners, research organizations, academics, and consultants. While the measurement of Perfect Order Fulfillment may be the state of the art in fulfillment measures, it can be difficult to implement. Failing to reach consensus on the definition of the order, the required delivery times (what constitutes early/late), or quantities (e.g.,blanket order agreements, call-offs) can make any measurement impossible. Imperfect execution (inconsistent purchase order agreements, failure to collect delivery information, or an inability to link invoice accuracy with the on time in full delivery of a customer's order) can make it impossible to measure perfect order fulfillment but other measures (On Time In Full, Fill Rate, etc.) may provide acceptable alternatives.

The VCG recorded the webinar and has passed along a link to for those who may have missed the original broadcast. The recording includes the PowerPoint presentation and an audio recording of the event. The link to In Search of the Perfect Order uses GoToMeeting and will ask for an email address prior to launching a Windows Media file that will play the audio recording and show the accompanying PowerPoint presentation.

In Search of the Perfect Order - Webinar Invitation

A month ago I presented a webinar on Measuring, Managing, and Improving the Extended Value Chain for the Value Chain Group. About 40% of the attendees who responded to survey questions indicated they were interested in additional information on metrics, KPIs, and benchmarking. Statistics indicate that readers of my blog are frequently attracted by the entries on those same activities and the list of benchmarking resources that I maintain.

On November 6, I will present another webinar, this one focused specifically on a KPI / measurement that has attracted significant attention in the last few years - Perfect Order Fulfillment. In the hour long webinar, I hope to address the challenges in defining and measuring the Perfect Order and how "metrics maturity" might progress from fill rate to delivery performance to on time in full delivery to perfect order fulfillment. While we will talk about how to calculate the metrics, the webinar is intended to discuss the issues in applying these service level metrics across the value chain (suppliers - customers). We will also touch on how superior or substandard performance may effect the financial performance of members of the value chain.

I was very pleased with the number of participants we had in the last webinar and if this one is received as well as the last, I hope to follow it with several metric-specific sessions. The VCG Invitation follows including the link if you choose to participate:

You are invited to join our VCG Webinar:

In Search of the Perfect Order

Join us on 6 November from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM ET US (16:00-17:00 GMT)

Space is limited.Reserve your Webinar seat now at:https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/695292800

In Search of the Perfect Order is a webinar introducing a key performance indicator (KPI) that has soared in popularity in recent years. Perfect Order Fulfillment has been touted as the customer service delivery metric by state of the art companies.

For many companies, the costs associated with an accurate measurement of Perfect Order Fulfillment may be prohibitive. If you are building a business dashboard, leading a value chain team, trying to understand how business measurements can drive business design and performance, or considering participating in a benchmarking program - this webinar may provide some important insights.

Large and small businesses recognize that achieving consistent, superior results requires managers and executives to monitor business performance and take decisive steps to maintain or improve outcomes. Strategic partnerships, go-to-market-strategy, and business plans are built on service level agreements that use business performance metrics to specify the commitments of the business partners. "Standard" contracting terms employ measurements terms that are often not well-defined nor standard. World-class companies are investing in business intelligence/analytic applications, employing "dashboards," and investing in benchmarking programs. At the heart of these efforts is consistent and meaningful definition of what and how to measure.

This webinar focuses on the implementation questions of employing a perfect order metric. How is a perfect order calculated? What is the financial impact of less than perfect orders? Should you use On Time in Full Delivery or Perfect Order Fulfillment as your primary service level metric? How does a fill rate metric compare to Perfect Order Fulfillment? Where are the common failures in measuring Perfect Order Fulfillment across an extended value chain?

Scott Stephens will be leading the webinar based on his experience in defining and employing the metric in multiple industries, multiple geographies, and across the extended value chain. More about our Speaker.

Sponsor: Value Chain Group, Inc. See http://www.value-chain.org/

Title: VCG Webinar: In Search of the Perfect Order
Date: Thursday, 6 November 2008
Time: 11:00 AM-12:00 PM ET USA (16:00-17:00 GMT) Time Zone Converter


System RequirementsPC-based attendeesRequired: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista

Macintosh®-based attendeesRequired: Mac OS® X 10.3.9 (Panther®) or newer

Webinar Link - Measuring, Managing, and Improving the Extended Value Chain

Recently I was privileged to present a basic introduction to using metrics and process mapping as tools and techniques to measure, manage, and improve the extended supply chain. The Value Chain Group was kind enough to invite me to present my thoughts on how to use a business-centered, metrics driven approach for value chain / supply chain improvement.

Besides hosting the webinar, the VCG recorded it and have posted it with a link on their website. They were also kind enough to conduct a brief survey regarding how the participants received the presentation and provided me with some feedback. Intriguingly, much of the feedback mirrored the comments I heard a decade ago when a few practitioner companies were forming the Supply Chain Council. When participants were asked in what area they would like to receive additional information, about 40% indicated they were interested in additional information about metrics and KPIs, 40% indicated they were interested in additional information about processes and value chain mapping and modeling, and the rest were interested in specific implementation techniques and tips.

I hope to continue to assemble information and resources that might help new value chain practitioners as well as those who are more experienced. I also hope that in the future I can work collaboratively with others in the field to share implementation experience, best practices, and case studies. Based on the feedback that I mentioned, I am working on a couple of presentations that focus on the challenges of effectively employing specific measurements across an extended value chain. I have started to put a presentation together that has a working title of: In Search of the Perfect Order (which will is focused on fulfillment metrics).

For those of you who had registered for the webinar but were unable to attend, the hour long presentation and the accompanying PowerPoint presentation can be accessed via the VCG link. There is a brief and painless registration process to access the archived presentation.

Thanks again to the VCG and thanks again for those of you who provided feedback. I would be pleased to receive additional feedback from the participants or from those who will be reviewing it for the first time.

Measuring, Managing, and Improving the Extended Value Chain Webinar

The Value Chain Group was kind enough to invite me to present my thoughts on how to use a business centered, metrics driven approach for value chain / supply chain improvement. It is a back to basics approach that focuses on the business drivers rather than the technology.

I am impressed that the Value Chain Group has opened the invitation (below) to anyone that might benefit from the webinar - not just their members. They have recognized that my presentation is model "neutral" and hopefully will provide some insights to the attendees who have little experience with value chain concepts as well as those that have considerable experience with process models like VRM, APQP, DFSS or SCOR.

VCG Invitation

You are invited to join our VCG Webinar: Measuring, Managing, and Improving the Extended Value Chain Join us for a Webinar on September 11 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM ET US Space is limited.Reserve your Webinar seat now t:https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/640642420

Discussion: If you lead a business or team that has been tasked to improve the performance of your business unit, you have probably elected to use an approach that is driven by numbers. If you are a departmental leader or manager that is developing a business solution that requires collaboration with suppliers, customers, and other internal business units, you have probably been researching standards and practices that you can use. If you are a technology vendor or a consultant trying to build a business case for an IT solution or application, you have probably realized the imperative to successfully identify business drivers and processes that span sales, marketing, engineering, finance, IT, logistics, production, and customer service.

Large and small businesses recognize that achieving consistent, superior results requires managers and executives to monitor business performance and take decisive steps to maintain or improve outcomes. Strategic partnerships, go-to-market-strategy, and business plans are built on service level agreements that use business performance metrics to specify the commitments of the business partners. "Standard" contracting terms employ measurements terms that are often not well-defined nor standard.

World-class companies are investing in business intelligence/analytic applications, employing "dashboards," Measuring, Managing, and Improving Business Operations is a webinar introducing the use of business process models and metrics as frameworks for rapidly assessing and improving the extended value chain. It has been designed for those of us who are not experts in business and finance and statistics and information technology and logistics and process modeling and consulting and supply chain management.

If you are starting (or starting again) to explore a cross-functional, cross-enterprise KPI-driven approach to improving your business, this is designed to help orient you.

About our Speaker: Scott Stephens works as a consultant, trainer, and mentor with commercial and government executives, managers, and cross-functional project teams in value/supply chain management, performance measurement, and process improvement in both discrete and process industries. He has worked collaboratively with the Value-Chain Group in the past but may be best known for his contributions to the Supply Chain Council. This webinar is adapted from a workshop developed for the GPI - Global Performance Initiative (GPI), an organization dedicated to identifying and sharing measurable best practices for achieving operational excellence, particularly in the area of value/supply chain management.

From 1996 to 2006, Mr Stephens was a key contributor to the Supply Chain Council (SCC). As one of the founding members and the first chair of the Council's Board of Directors (representing Lockheed Martin), he was instrumental in establishing the Supply-Chain Council and transitioning the Council from a loose consortium of practitioners to an independent, not-for-profit trade association. For almost ten years, Mr. Stephens served as the Chief Technology Officer of the Council, working with practitioners, academicians, software providers, government organizations, and consulting companies in developing and advancing the Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) Model. SCOR is a cross-industry supply-chain management reference model designed to describe, measure and analyze the performance of supply chain configurations. SCOR contains standard supply-chain process definitions, metrics, best practices, and references to enabling technology, which can contribute to SCM efficiency.

Mr. Stephens works with the world's leading organizations in industry, government, and academia in supply chain initiatives in Europe, Asia, Australia / New Zealand and the Americas. Mr. Stephens publishes and speaks frequently in international supply chain management and business forums. He is a guest lecturer at universities world-wide. He has delivered supply chain management workshops to over 2000 executives, globally and was responsible for training and certifying all SCOR instructors during his tenure as the SCC's Chief Technology Officer. He has assisted a number of Fortune 100 companies with business transformation and supply chain improvement.

Prior to establishing his business, and serving as the full time Supply Chain Council Chief Technology Officer, Mr. Stephens worked at Lockheed Martin with responsibilities in: all phases of the value chain (pre-sales, sales, design, production, and delivery through support and warranty management), development and implementation of supply chain strategy and technology to improve corporate competitiveness, the identification of commercial supply chain management best practice and off-the-shelf technology in support of DOD programs through the design and delivery of supply chain management "command and control systems," and supply chain management support for Lockheed Martin's commercial customers.

Sponsor: Value Chain Group, Inc. See http://www.value-chain.org/

Title: VCG Webinar: Measuring, Managing, and Improving the Extended Value Chain

Date: Thursday, 11 September 2008

Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET USA

System Requirements

PC-based attendees Required: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista

Macintosh®-based attendees Required: Mac OS® X 10.3.9 (Panther®) or newer