How do you create better synergies across BUs, and drive supply-chain collaboration?
Sort By:
Oldest
Director of Information Security in Manufacturing9 months ago
Create cross BU strategic initiatives as scaled programs and have BUs participate in these. These initiatives are to be mandated by top leadership in the strategic plan. The BUs continue to do the operations. Chief Supply Chain Officer in Consumer Goods8 months ago
Cross-Functional Teams:Establish cross-functional teams comprising members from different BUs to encourage diverse perspectives and holistic problem-solving.
Rotate team members periodically to promote cross-BU understanding and collaboration.
Unified Planning Sessions:
Conduct regular planning sessions that involve representatives from all BUs and key supply chain stakeholders.
Align on overarching goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure a unified approach.
Shared Information Platforms:
Implement a centralized information-sharing platform that enables real-time data access and collaboration.
This platform should include relevant information on inventory levels, production schedules, and market trends to facilitate informed decision-making.
Joint Strategy Development:
Collaborate on the development of joint strategies, especially in areas such as procurement, production planning, and distribution.
Identify opportunities for bulk purchasing, reducing lead times, and optimizing production schedules.
Regular Communication Channels:
Establish regular communication channels, such as monthly cross-BU meetings, to discuss challenges, successes, and areas for improvement.
Encourage open communication and the sharing of best practices.
Supply-Chain Visibility:
Enhance supply-chain visibility by implementing technology solutions that track products from manufacturing to delivery.
This visibility will allow for better coordination and proactive problem-solving.
Training and Development Programs:
Implement training programs that enhance the skills of employees across BUs in areas such as supply-chain management, fostering a culture of collaboration and mutual understanding.
Performance Incentives:
Introduce performance incentives that reward collaboration and achievement of shared supply-chain goals.
Encourage healthy competition among BUs to drive overall excellence.
Feedback Mechanisms:
Establish feedback mechanisms to gather insights from employees across BUs and use this input to refine processes and address any challenge.
VP of Supply Chain in Transportation2 months ago
Synergies are achieved by breaking down silos, unifying a shared vision, promoting collaborative relationships and partnerships that create win-win scenarios, visualizing interdependencies, celebrating shared wins and successes, and even going as far as to have employees shadow others to understand better what they do. Other things that come to mind are cross-functional KPIs that force collaboration to achieve results, the use of technologies that streamline processes and enable shared data in real time, and as-needed cross-functional team meetings to provide a forum for sharing pain points, support needs, priorities, and challenges by soliciting input from others to solve major problems.
At the end of the day, the leader should create a community environment where employees are empowered to seek help and guidance from their peers.