How Adaptable is Your Supply Chain?

Lean for many years has promoted the idea of a flow-based system tied to actual demand and TOC has helped solve other associated problems with Drum-Buffer-Rope. Both of these systems offer flow-based thinking which I believe is a current minimum requirement over the cost-based systems of the past.

However, they both start breaking down when the idea of emergence is entered into the picture. They certainly have for me in today’s sales and marketing arena. In the attached diagram I think the disciplines do a good job 2/3 of the way through the diagram, for many industries that may be enough.

Other industries that are affected by disruptive forces or emerging products face different dilemmas. They must not only react but be already adapting to a reaction. Adaptable needs to be baked into the system to an extent we may call it foresight. I think the DDMRP principles offer people the best alternative for that and they have been doing for over a decade.

Take a look at the https://www.demanddriveninstitute.com/ webpage, for more details. Membership is free.

The Demand Driven Adaptive Enterprise: Surviving, Adapting, and Thriving in a VUCA World: https://amzn.to/2xdeo2n