Checklists: To make sure you don't forget anything...Stick-Figure-with-Cheklist

Here you will find an ever growing number of checklists. Every third checklist we publish is available for the general public.

Understanding Your Supply Chain Customers Checklist

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Topics: Supply chain | Checklist | Customers

Understanding Your Supply Chain Customers Checklist

 
Checklist to be used to evaluate your supply chain customers.
 
  • Mark all that apply.
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  • Develop an understanding of your competitors (link to Porter’s 5 Forces checklist below) and how your products fit into your market (link to Growth/Share Matrix checklist below).
  • Engage your customers (e.g. survey, meetings, research) and rank their supply chain requirements.
  • Gain an understanding (e.g. survey, meetings, research) of your customers’ customers. This will allow you to understand the full context of any downstream supply chain and requirements.
  • Divide your customers into groups based on their product and distribution requirements.
  • Develop a high-level distribution model that outlines the steps and processes that connect you to your customers.
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    J. Paul Dittman. “Supply Chain Transformation: Building and Executing an Integrated Supply Chain Strategy” (McGraw-Hill, 2013), pp. 40-41.
     

    Managing Supply Chain Risks Checklist

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    Managing Supply Chain Risks Checklist

     
    Checklist to proactively manage key risks to your supply chain.
     
    • Mark all that apply.
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      • Does your supply chain function in such a way that resources are committed or mobilized before they need to be (i.e. in advance of customer demand or before the next downstream step in your supply chain is ready)? If so, consider a risk management strategy of POSTPONEMENT to increase flexibility and avoid spending before it is necessary.
      • Does your supply chain have opportunities that can be exploited by strategically committing resources through a process of selective risk taking? If so, consider a risk management strategy of SPECULATION to anticipate future demand.
      • Does your supply chain rely on a single supplier or single market to remain profitable? If so, consider a risk management strategy of DIVERSIFICATION to give you the flexibility to adapt to outside variables that you do not have control over, such as natural disasters or drastic price increases by a supplier.
      • Does your supply chain interact with or depend on any uncertain variables such as unstable markets or unreliable upstream suppliers? If so, consider a risk management strategy of AVOIDANCE through active research closely tied to strategic actions such as exit strategies from specific markets.
      • Does your supply chain have opportunities for you to take control of either upstream or downstream systems, processes or decision-making? If so, consider a risk management strategy of VERTICAL INTEGRATION to minimize uncertainty in the flow of your operations.
     
    If you marked any of the boxes above, consider employing a simple risk management methodology:
     
    • DEFINE – Define the potential risk to your supply chain. Consider the ways in which risks are often interrelated and can therefore pose exponential threats.
    • ASSESS – Measure the potential risk to your supply chain. Consider ‘hard’ financial costs and also ‘soft’ or indirect measures such as opportunity cost and employee morale.
    • MITIGATE – Develop and implement an action plan to avoid risks and exploit opportunities.
    • CONTROL – Monitor the action plan, document the impact, and remain flexible if results are not attained and risks are not being managed as desired. If necessary, re-define, re-assess, and re-mitigate.
     
    J. Paul Dittman. “Supply Chain Transformation: Building and Executing an Integrated Supply Chain Strategy” (McGraw-Hill, 2013), pp. 33-42.

     

    Identifying Supply Chain Risks Checklist

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    Topics: Checklist | Supply chain | Operations

    Identifying Supply Chain Risks Checklist

     
    Checklist to be sure you have considered key risks to your supply chain.
     
  • Mark all that apply.
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    • Supply Risks:
      • Are the suppliers upstream from you unable to provide products for acceptable costs?
      • Are the suppliers upstream from you unable to provide products within agreed upon time frames?
      • Are the suppliers upstream from you unable to provide products for you that are of high quality and safe for customers?
    • Demand Risks:
      • Are product deliveries being delayed in your supply chain?
      • Have any wrong new products been introduced to your supply chain resulting in wastes of inventory or defects?
      • Have new competitors entered the market offering more options for your customers beyond your offerings?
      • Have inefficiencies and inconsistencies downstream in your supply chain made it difficult for you to respond to changing demands in regards to volume of products or customizations of products required by your customers?
      • Are you experiencing variations in demand from your customers that are making it difficult to forecast market demand?
    • Operational Risks:
      • Have you experienced a breakdown in core operations?
      • Are you facing issues with manufacturing or processing abilities?
      • Are your processes not stable (i.e. have a high degree of variability)?
      • Have there been recent changes in technology that will require your operations to change (usually at a cost)?
      • Have there been recent changes in technology that will require your operations to change (usually at a cost)?
      • Is there a change in the “operating exposure” or context of your operations (i.e. exchange rates, government policies that affect production)?
     
    J. Paul Dittman. “Supply Chain Transformation: Building and Executing an Integrated Supply Chain Strategy” (McGraw-Hill, 2013), pp. 29-31.

    Business Process Mapping Checklist

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    Topics: Business process | Checklist | Process improvement

    Business Process Mapping Checklist

    Business Process Mapping is drawing a picture of the steps involved in how something is done so that you can understand it and improve its effectiveness and efficiency. This checklist poses some critical questions to ensure the effective use of this tool.
     
    • Mark all that apply .
    • Do you have a clear understanding of what business process you are trying to address? In other words, what are you trying to make more effective and efficient?
    • Is a business process map the right tool for the job? Or do the business problem and associated process require a more complex business tool such as a Value Stream Map (that involves more measurement) or perhaps a simpler tool, such as: critical thinking or a conversation that can inspire change.
    • Does the process have a clear beginning and end?
    • Does the process have a clear input?
    • Does the process have a clear output?
    • Is the process cross-functional? In other words, does it involve different areas of your organization in different steps?
    • If you are working on a team, do all members have the right experience and training with business process mapping?
    • Will you leverage specialized software such as Microsoft Visio to create your process map?
    • What set of symbols will be used in your process map?
    • What are all of the steps in the process? Are you being consistent with the level of detail you are capturing in your map throughout the whole process?
    • Once you have mapped the current state of your business process, do you have a clear plan of action for how to redesign and then implement your improved process?

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