Showing 1 - 8 of 8
The importance of reducing the impact of supplier risk in the global supply chain
Business, Chris Catto-Smith, Published on 05/04/2017
» Supplier risk is not a new concept. We continually face supplier risk in both personal and business environments: when we invest in the stock market, await the next version of a smartphone, or even when we purchase groceries. For most organisations, reducing the impact of supplier risk on their respective supply chains is a key priority.
Will there be sufficient logistics skills to meet region's future demand?
Business, Chris Catto-Smith, Published on 11/03/2015
» It is coming up to 20 years since I arrived in Asia, and for most of that time I have worked in the niche professional field of logistics and supply chain consulting. Today there are many logistics professionals employed by large companies in functional roles ranging from procurement and transport to warehousing and demand management, but very few consultants.
Honey, I shrank the warehouse
Business, Chris Catto-Smith, Published on 25/02/2015
» The main concern of nearly every logistics consultant is if companies were any smarter at managing their inventories, they would not need us. Put another way, there is no greater source of consulting opportunities than surplus inventory, and (much to my delight) this issue extends across nearly all industries and their multiple supply chains.
New expectations for supply-chain skills development
Business, Chris Catto-Smith, Published on 28/01/2015
» In our last article, we presented our State of the Nation for the Supply Chain as it applied to this region. We felt it challenged the readiness of many organisations to embrace supply-chain management (SCM) development opportunities, and in reality our message was clear. Many large organisations are not even mastering the basics and are struggling in how to establish appropriate supply-chain strategies and improvement initiatives that can support efficient cross-business processes while developing internal functional skills to support them.
Following the grain chain into Southeast Asia
Business, Chris Catto-Smith, Published on 05/11/2014
» Last week I presented a paper at the annual Asia Pacific Food & Fibre Summit in Melbourne, Australia. The conference focused primarily on the challenges of exporting Australian food products to Asia. It was well attended by a wide range of government policymakers and senior executives from some of the world's largest bulk grain handlers.
The show must go on (and shut down): event logistics
Business, Chris Catto-Smith, Published on 12/03/2014
» Bangkok has played host to many large-scale events over the years, but few have drawn such international attention as the recent anti-government Bangkok shutdown. With the streets now clear of blockades, and the seven big stages gone, the only reminders of the event are empty hotels, lingering editorials and a heavily fortified city park full of hiking tents.
The palm Oil-Sustainability Trade-Off
Business, Chris Catto-Smith, Published on 13/02/2013
» Oil palm is a remarkably efficient crop that provides the majority of the world's vegetable oil and generates valuable revenue for the developing countries where it is grown. Trade value is US$50 billion a year for the commodity that goes into about half the products on supermarket shelves (soap, margarine, ice cream, noodles and chocolate, to name a few), but palm oil has struggled on the road to sustainability. It is even a candidate for some UK power plants as a cheap but unsustainable fossil-fuel alternative.
Taking steps to ensure food chain connectivity
Business, Chris Catto-Smith, Published on 15/02/2012
» Connectivity within supply chains is not easy to achieve, especially as competitiveness in developing and less developed countries may be weak. This constraint also affects food chains where farmers face many challenges in improving their competitiveness and developing mutually beneficial linkages from suppliers of raw materials through each stage of production to retail outlets and ultimately to buyers and end consumers. Understanding the requirements of each of the different players and taking a longer-term approach to creating and nurturing strong partnerships can provide the key to unlocking these challenges.