Logistics Matters

We are pleased to introduce this occasional series of papers and articles written by Bisham' consultants...

Logistics Strategy & Operations

While logistics is often overlooked within the broadest context of business processes, sub-optimisation or failures in your supply chain can and will have serious repercussions. Logistics costs may be a relatively small proportion of net sales, but the impact on customer service is major.

Supply chains are always changing and developing therefore the need to build flexibility into your supply chain as well as identifying customer needs and tracking changes. Be careful! The least cost solution is rarely sustainable over time...

... read on >

Measuring Performance

For a number of years now business has been plagued by a series of clichés. Perennial favourites such as ‘failing to plan is planning to fail’ and ‘what gets measured gets done’ are greeted with either wise nods of agreement, knowing smiles or groans of cynicism. But the annoying thing is that, by definition, clichés usually contain some fundamental truths...

... read on >

Integrated Diagnosis

Like many of its competitors, US diagnostic manufacturer and supplier Becton Dickinson was fettered by a distribution system, based on a network of national distribution centres. This had evolved as its business expanded in the early 1990s across Europe and, as a result, the company was suffering high inventory costs, high inventory write-offs due to shelf life expiry, poor stock availability and high distribution costs...

... read on >