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A. Last Year: Supply Chain Performance Retrospective (What results did we produce?) These prompts extract measurable outcomes across cost, service, capacity, and resilience. 1) Service, reliability, and customer outcomes 1. “Summarize last year’s service performance: OTIF, on-time delivery, order cycle time, and fill rate. What moved and why?” 2. “Where did customers feel pain most often (late, short, damaged, incorrect, missing ASN/invoice)? Quantify frequency and impact.” 3. “Which accounts or product lines consumed the most expediting, exceptions, and manual intervention? Why?” 4. “Where did we over-deliver service relative to value (gold-plating)? What can be standardized this year?” 2) Cost performance and cost-to-serve 5. “Break down our cost-to-serve shifts: transportation, warehousing, labor, packaging, accessorials, demurrage/detention. What were the drivers?” 6. “Which lanes, modes, carriers, or customer delivery requirements drove the most cost overrun? Identify root causes.” 7. “List our top 10 operational cost leaks last year (rework, expedites, claims, returns, idle time, premium freight). Which are structurally fixable?” 8. “Where did we spend money to mask process problems (manual workarounds, urgent shipments, repeated corrections)?” 3) Inventory, working capital, and demand-shaping 9. “How did inventory perform: turns, DOH, backorders, aged inventory, write-offs, and stockouts? What changed?” 10. “What was the cost of uncertainty last year (buffer inventory, premium freight, overtime, lost sales)? Quantify where possible.” 11. “Which SKUs consistently created stockouts or excess? What patterns exist (MOQ, lead time, forecast bias, substitution gaps)?” 12. “Where could we have reduced inventory without hurting service if our planning or execution had been better?” 4) Capacity, throughput, and constraints 13. “What constrained us most often: labor, dock space, carrier capacity, container availability, system limitations, supplier lead time, customs?” 14. “Where did throughput break down: picking/packing, receiving, putaway, staging, appointment scheduling, labeling, documentation?” 15. “What were the highest-frequency reasons for holds or delays (quality, compliance, documentation, missing data)?” 16. “Where did small operational issues create big downstream delays? Identify the recurring chain reactions.”

Supply chain projects require several special considerations to effectively manage risks and ensure smooth operations. Here are some key points to consider: 1. Global Disruptions: Factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic have exposed vulnerabilities in supply chains, such as overreliance on single-source vendors. Project leaders must prepare for future disruptions by developing strategies that prioritize flexibility and resilience. 2. Reprioritization: During major disruptions, it may be necessary to set aside current projects to focus on critical gaps. This might involve reallocating resources to ensure fundamental services continue, such as providing essential supplies and services. 3. Fragile Points Analysis: Identifying and documenting the weakest points in supply chains can help in planning contingencies. This might include building relationships with additional vendors to mitigate risks associated with supply chain interruptions. 4. Vendor Relationship Management: Establishing strong relationships with suppliers through site visits and open communication helps build trust. Enhancing vendor accountability ensures that they are integral to the decision-making process, which facilitates smoother project execution. 5. Technology and Automation: Adopting best-in-class technology and automation to replace manual processes can address technological inadequacies exposed during global disruptions. This enhances efficiency and reduces the scope for errors. 6. Sustainability: Engaging with the supply chain to minimize environmental impact by promoting local sourcing, responsible production, and sustainable practices can enhance the overall resilience and sustainability of the supply chain. By addressing these considerations, project leaders can develop a robust approach to managing supply chain projects, ensuring they are both prepared for future disruptions and aligned with sustainable practices.

I just published my first of a series of short quizes I'm working on to help people prepare for the PMP and better understand Project Management as a practice.