TEDx Ideas worth spreading

If you haven´t seen any TEDx talks before, I encourage you to take your laptop, computer or whatever other device you have near you and enjoy some of the best pieces of interesting material you will be able to find on the net.

Whether you like sports, science, technology or leisure, I´m sure you´ll find a talk that will fulfill your crave for cutting edge information.

Today I´ll like you to watch the next video, not only because of its relation with supply chain, but also because I think the message it tries to deliver should be the future approach every food retailer in the world should follow, I hope you agree with me.

I haven´t had a nice, juicy and tasty tomato since I was a teenager, and that tomato was grown by my grandparents at their vegetable garden, not bought at the local supermarket.

Introduction to Operations Management course

Since I´ve been extremely busy over the past few weeks, I wasn´t able to post as much as I´d have liked, but today I´ll try to make this up with a post that I´m sure will help more than one in their quest of knowledge and entertainment.

I´m currently enrolled in a thrilling course on Operations Management. It´s an eight week long course that hopefully will teach me how to analyze and improve business processes, at the same time I learn how to improve productivity, how to provide more choice to customers, how to reduce response times, and how to improve quality.

I have gone through the second week and I´ve found it more demanding than expected, but I´m sure the effort will be worthy.

The course consists of lecture videos plus standalone homework that are not part of video lectures. At the end of the course there is a final exam and the option to complete a course project along the way which supposedly applies the learnings from the modules to a real world problem.

I´m not quite sure if I´ll be able to complete the course project due to the time it will require, but I´ll do my best to at least do my weekly homework and the final exam!

There are many other free courses at the Coursera website, but I´ve found this specially interesting due to the fact that over the first weeks of the course some of the topics I have written about on previous post have been mentioned, for example lean operations, kaizen and the seven sources of waste that mostly impact any process, therefore you can find extended information here to complete you assignments.

This is the link to the course, offered by Coursera in association with the University of Pennsylvania: Coursera website

Cold Chain

I´ve been recently interested in understanding how some products can get from a point A to point a B, which is basically what logistics is all about. But this time, the products I was thinking about were the kind of products that need specific conditions to preserve their properties, I´m talking about food, vaccines, or even organs from donors that passed away far from a hospital.

There is a specific name for this kind of temperature controlled supply chain, the cold chain; an uninterrupted series of storage and distribution activities which maintain a given temperature range to avoid getting the products mentioned above spoiled.

If the task of moving a product which doesn´t need any specific storage or transport conditions from a given point to another is sometimes a headache, think about moving the kind of delicate products that need some of the strictest temperature conditions to a remote place. Well, it seems challenging and it certainly can be an ordeal even if you have the right resources. Imagine now delivering the much needed vaccines to some of the most remote places in the world, impossible you think? Watch the next set of videos staring world famous actor Ewan McGregor on a run against the clock to maintain the cold chain when trying to reach some of the most isolated places in the world to deliver pharmaceutical drugs.

It´s worth watching these videos to understand the setbacks that can come up when carrying on actions that in any other cases would be done routinely but when working with these products can be somewhat challenging to the most!


Cold chain mission part 1 

Cold chain mission part 2 

Cold chain mission part 3 

Cold chain mission part 4 


Don´t miss out the next episode, where Ewan and his team will be attempting to travel to central Africa to continue with their cold chain mission!

Why Demmand Planning

Over the next post I will try to focus particularly on demand planning. No wonder, demand planning has become a key part of any supply chain department, and its importance has grown as the demand has become one of the key indicators for any end product.

But, how I got into demand planning and forecasting?

Since I finished my degree and started working at a Distribution Centre´s finance department, I was instantly fascinated by supply chain, and became more and more interested in pursuing a career in this field as the time passed. 

The first drawback when I started looking for a role in demmand planning came in the form of my qualifications and background. Having a non engeenier degree was saw at first as a handicap to pursue a career in supply chain by many people, but I was determined to get my foot into a role that could provide me with the experience and know how needed to start a succesfully career in logistics.

It wasn´t until I get the opportunity to join the logistics department of one of the biggest companies in its area of business when I realiced how lucky I was to have the opportunity to work in an area that I love. And it didn´t take long before I corroborate how amusing, dinamic and exciting the role of demand planner was.

I had a vague thought of what demand planning was, and reduced it to putting a couple of years of sales history into a forecasting software, sit and whatch the magic happen, obiously it didn´t take me any long to realize that forecasting and planning is a mixture of hundreds of different things and only if all of them run smoothly, the whole system works.

 

Nowadays I try to keep things simple, experience is key to stay ahead of the many aspects that may affect the future demand of a particular product, whether this product will feat in a catalogue or the strikes in a factory in China will delay the goods you were expecting to receive in your warehouse, demand forecasting will always be very influenced by certain elements that you won´t be able to control, therefore, understanding the market you will be working in and the different specific situations a product will go through until it reach the shelf of an outlet will help, you but it won´t guarantee your predictions will be accurate. Only when you try to see the big picture and encompass all the different aspects you will be getting closer to a prediction that hopefully in the end will not be too far from the real figure!

Forecasting and demand planning is not a science, and the different elements involved in any demand analysis will prevent any forecaster to present an exact figure, however, the development of new forecasting systems has helped a lot to improve the predictions we make.

In the next post I will try to delve in some other aspects that make forecasting and demand planning one of the most exciting areas to work in. I hope I see you around

Pall-Ex, Hilary Devey

By an unexpected chance I get to watch for the first time Drangon´s Den: probably most of you have watched the pograme, but for all of you that haven´t, its a reallity television program that freatures entepreneurs pitching their business ideas to get the investetment they need to secure their business from a couple of self made millionaries.

After watching several episodes I was so fascinated by the figure of one of he dragons, Hilary Devey, that I decided to research and write about her, therefore, today´s post will verse about, yes, you had it right!! Hilary Devey, CEO and founder of Pall-Ex.

Pall-Ex its a palletised freight network company founded in 1996.Since its creation has grown to become the UK’s number 1 network for distribution of palletsied goods with over 7,500 trucks and 5 million square feet of warehousing facilities.

Most of you already are familiarized with the company, and some will probably have heard about Hilary´s origins but before I go thorugh her story, I will recomend you to watch the next video, which will give you an insight of Hilary´s muiltimillionaire business and on what she had to give up to start from scratch what today is one of the most successful business in the UK.

Honestly, it takes a lot of courage to sell all your properties to start a dream that yes, might work out well, but also might end up failing and letting you skint with a pile of debt to pay off and turning what was supponed to be your dream into a nightmare. But that´s exactly what Hilary did after seeing her loan request rejected, she decided to sell almost everything she had to start Pall-Ex, and by now, you know the end of the story!

The more I read about her, the more respect she earned from me. Being a woman in a tipical male business, a single mom and a trully enterpreneur with not financial support whatsoever makes her story even more inspiring.

I recomend you to read the next interview, recently publiched by The Guardian, where Hilary speaks about the difficults she faced troughout the process of setting her company and about some other personal issues she has have to overcome to get where she is at the present time. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2012/may/20/hilary-devey-dragons-den-interview)

You've written your autobiography. Your life was pretty eventful from early on, wasn't it? 

It wasn't the usual childhood. My dad was very spontaneous: it was: "Come on kids, we're going on holiday." "No, Arthur, you can't, they're at school tomorrow." "Sod it, they'll learn more with me." Or, 11 at night, "I think I'll knock that wall down." The following morning, we'd get up and the wall would be gone. It was a rather different childhood.

But you also reveal some extremely traumatic times, particularly being raped when you were a young adolescent. How did it feel to write about it?

It was emotionally stressful. Things I suppose that you suppress over many, many years, that are not even thought about for many, many years, actually came to the pen. I've never told a soul; even my family are going to get a shock when they read that.

And we get a glimpse of the embryonic dragon. You got the bug early, didn't you?

I've always loved business, since being a kid. Even from working on a stall on the market. I could take dictation in shorthand and type the letter by the age of 11. It must be inbred. I love the cut and thrust of getting the deal.

You've had a very successful career in the freight industry and brought a son up on your own. How did you manage that?

I had to go back to work two weeks after my son was born, but those two weeks I had with him were probably the happiest of my life. But I had to feed him, clothe him, house him. I'm totally independent. It was my choice to have him. The fact that his father chose to sod off isn't the state's fault, is it? I was determined I would continue with a career.

You describe some traumatic times with your son, Mevlit. How are things now?

I'm very positive about my son. Very, very proud of him. He's one in 10 million, 100 million, that comes back from the brink of death as a heroin addict and puts his life back on track, and he's now working, he's happy, he's slowly, slowly becoming an outgoing, humorous person again, with the aid of no drugs whatsoever.

Do you think women get a fair deal in the workplace? Is it getting better?

There is chauvinism or misogyny in any industry all over the world. Therefore, if a woman's got it in her, then for God's sake, fight for it, go for it, get there. I do feel that having a child, and taking a sabbatical to have a child, and taking two years out of the corporate ladder to care for that child, if you think of a woman's working life now, it's probably 30-40 years, so it's not even a tenth of her career, so why should she be penalised?

How does it work in your companies?

My middle and senior management within the businesses are a 50/50 split. I do think mixed-gender workforces have more fun and are more innovative. You can have more banter; you can have more tears as well. But, in general, I think you get more out of a mixed-gender workforce.

You were an instant hit when you arrived on Dragon´s Den. Had you ever thought about going on TV before?

No, never. They just said I was a natural. Whether I am or not, I don't know. People respond to being told the truth and I don't believe there's any other way to do it. I was always brought up that, if you've got any bad news to deliver, then you must deliver it face to face and look them in the eyes. And you take compassion out of a commercial decision and then put some compassion in subsequently. That's been my mantra all my life.

Why do you think we're so obsessed with shows such as Dragons' Den and The Apprentice?

I think everybody's got a dream, and everybody wants to realise that dream. I want to help, but make them aware of what is required from them to make that dream come to fruition.

You obviously have a lot of fun getting dressed up for Dragons' Den, don't you?

I love doing it. Putting outfits together is my passion and I don't always buy expensive clothes, contrary to popular belief. I buy skirts and a cheap top and dress it up with a really nice jacket and matching shoes and a matching bag, and it looks fabulous, and I'm probably dressed for 50 quid. I actually hate wearing make-up – or as much as they put on me on TV. If I go out shopping on Oxford Street, it would be tinted moisturiser, a touch of blusher, bit of lippy, bit of mascara.

You do complain in the book about having to wear a different outfit for each posh do.

I've found that incredibly frustrating, really. I'm not getting value for money, am I? In fact, I am going to wear the same outfits again, and if I get criticised, I'm going to say: "Why be wasteful?"

You've suffered some ill-health in the last couple of years. How are you now?

I'm OK. I had a stroke; so have millions and millions of other people. It has left its after-effects, which are quite frustrating, but I'm one of the lucky ones, aren't I? I can now move my arm, but I've no feeling in my fingertips so I can't fasten buttons. I can't fasten a bra. I can't put rollers in my hair. I've got a young girl who'll help me with my hair and whatever. I'm very fortunate that a) I can afford it and b) I've got her. I keep saying" "You're my left arm" and she says: "But I'd rather be your right one."

So do you take it a bit easier these days?

I don't think I've had a holiday in 17 years. Some days, at weekends, I don't get up out of bed, I'm that tired. I have a shower, put clean pyjamas on, go back into bed with my Kindle and that's bliss.

Can you ever imagine yourself retiring?

I think I'd die when I do. I'll carry on working for as long as I can be effective. Once I start hindering, I like to think I've got enough savvy to say: "Enough's enough."

Any other jobs you'd like to have a go at?

I'd love to be in politics; it's probably my next career move. I tell you what, I don't think they'd like me very much, whichever party I joined.

I´m very much impress by this woman, and can´t think of a better example of a self made business person. I will keep an eye on every new venture she starts as I´m convinced there is plenty to learn from her.

If you would like to know more about Hilary, you can visit her personal website: http://www.hilarydevey.com/ you can read her biography "Bold as Brass: My Story" and of course you can watch her on Dragon´s Den.

Where chocolate comes from?

First and foremost I would like to start this post apologizing for not updating the blog over the past weeks, I´ve been travelling with little to no access to internet hence writing or updating the blog was almost an impossible mission.

I´ve been in Belgium, Holland and Luxemburg so I thought this post should verse about chocolate or tulips. As a feverous chocolate eater, there wasn´t much of a question and chocolate has been chosen as today´s post topic!!

I´m fairly sure everybody knows where chocolate comes from, but I don´t think most of you know how cocoa is processed and treated before getting in our hands. As with many other industries, creating chocolate products involves a chain of productions with many links.

The process starts with bean producers and ends when retailers sell us the final product, maybe in a supermarket, a convenience store or a vending machine to name few. But in the middle, there are several other intermediates that help the process to run smoothly. Any of these intermediates play an important part in producing chocolate, and even if simplified, the following chart depicting all the intermediates involved in the process still looks slightly complicated to follow.

-        Research: Even though coca supply chain has never been known for its investments in research, over the last few years this tendency has changed, and nowadays research has become more and more common and cutting edge technologies are used on the fields in regards to pest control, quality improvement and labor technology.

-       Partners: As we said, the cocoa supply chain is not solely the process that involves the farmers turning the coca beans into a final product. There are a wide number of organizations that even though aren´t directly involved in the production still play an essential role in the process. Nongovernmental organizations, for example provide training to farmers, or offer certifications on best farming practices.

-        Governments: The role governments play on the cocoa supply chain varies hugely from country to country. Some governments are more prone to participate in the process by fixing prices or establishing quality standards for example, whereas others are more relaxed in their approach to chocolate life cycle.

-        Farmers: Probably this is the most important link of the chain nonetheless is the most forgotten. Chocolate is grown by individual coca farmers in charge of the whole process of sowing, growing and hand harvesting the pods. Most cocoa farms are based in Africa, Asia and America where the climate conditions are best for these crops.

-    Certifications: Regardless of the implication of governments in the process, some quality standards and certifications need to be acknowledge by chocolate factories, including cocoa quality, safety regulations, pricing or environmental awareness among others. These certifications help farmers, manufacturers and final consumers to know that the cocoa they buy is up to the highest standards.

-        Local buyer: Local buyers collect the cocoa beans from many farmers. Buyers vary in size from individuals to large cooperatives, but no matter what the size of the buyer is, all play an important part in the post harvest process, providing farmers with information, training and ensuring the quality of the product meets the standards demanded by the manufacturer. Local buyers carry out the first quality check on the cocoa beans measuring them by size, color and quality. When local buyers have gathered enough beans, they sell them to an exporter.

-       Exporter: Exporters buy the cocoa beans from local buyers and prepare them for international shipping. Cocoa exporters can be local companies, international traders, or even governments. Some exporters may also buy cocoa directly to the farmers.

Exporters form important relationship with local buyers and farmers and that result in better conditions for both the producers and the merchandise. Exporters can provide training, advice, and support to the other links of the chain. Moreover, the more access farmers and local buyers have to exporters, the more easily they will find a market for their crops and the more accurate the information regarding the origin of the coca beans, and the process they have gone through will be.

Finally, exporters are responsible for the second quality check of the cocoa, sometimes the exporter itself carries out the checking, some other times a third party does it before taking the cocoa to a local processor or shipping it abroad.

-        Processor: When the cocoa beans reach the processing plants, which usually are away from the countries where cocoa is grown and collected, starts the process of transforming the beans into cocoa products (cocoa power, cocoa butter, cocoa liquor etc).

Processors play a fundamental role in the rest of the supply chain. Because of the large volumes they purchase they can encourage significant industry change by pressuring manufacturers and exporters.

-        Chocolate manufacturer: The final product will depend on the manufacturer personal recipe and the ingredients used to blend the cocoa. When the product is ready it will packaged and sent to the distributors. As the most visible part of the supply chain, they can make the biggest impact on the process and ensure the final product reach the consumer timely.

Although the manufacturer can´t have direct relationship with every individual processor, exporter or farmer they can make a big impact on the whole process, and by putting the well-being of the industry and of struggling individuals ahead of their own advantage, they can support significant change for the farmers.

-      Final customer: The last step on the chocolate supply chain, the consumer, the individual who will enjoy the final product. Satisfying consumer´s demand involves every part we have seen of the coca supply chain.

This is it, summarized, but this is how cocoa beans travel from the pod to the selves of your favorite store. Lots of work and lots of links involved in the process just to get a final product at the right time and place.

Next time you enjoy a chocolate bar, a hot chocolate or a piece of delicious chocolate cake remember that there has been a long journey before it ended up to your hand!!