The facts

• Recent disruptions including COVID-19, semiconductor shortages, and geopolitical tensions have exposed the vulnerability of single-source supply chains.
• Dependencies on critical Tier 2 and Tier 3 suppliers remain poorly mapped in many industrial organizations.
• Supplier lead times are becoming longer and increasingly unpredictable, making traditional planning methods insufficient.

Les préconisations

• Map and assess supplier risks across Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 suppliers to anticipate potential disruptions.
• Diversify sourcing strategies for critical components and establish effective dual-sourcing or substitution plans.
• Extend the S&OP process to strategic suppliers to synchronize capacity and demand in real time.

The facts

• Industrial capacity is often poorly aligned with fluctuations in demand, resulting in temporary overloads and chronic underutilization.
• Bottlenecks remain difficult to identify without the right tools, slowing down corrective decision-making.
• Pressure to meet customer delivery deadlines leaves little room to absorb production disruptions.

Les préconisations

• Leverage Process Mining and flow simulation to identify bottlenecks and test operational redesign scenarios.
• Deploy capacity management integrated into planning to continuously align workload and capacity.

The facts

• Order book volatility has increased, making traditional forecasts unreliable beyond a four-week horizon.
• Safety stocks are often oversized for certain items and insufficient for others, tying up capital without effectively protecting service levels.
• Traditional MRP management amplifies the bullwhip effect and generates production orders that are disconnected from shop-floor realities, as well as inappropriate lot-sizing rules.

Les préconisations

• Adopt DDMRP to decouple flows from variability and manage operations based on actual demand.
• Recalibrate safety stocks by item based on actual risk and observed variability.
• Implement regular S&OP reviews integrating commercial and industrial data to refine forecasts.

The facts

• The digitalization of flows (ERP, MES, WMS, IoT) is progressing but often faces adoption and system integration challenges.
• Operational data exists but remains underutilized for real-time management and anticipating deviations.
• Digital transformation projects frequently fail not because of a lack of tools, but because of insufficient change management support.

Les préconisations

• Develop a realistic supply chain digital roadmap, prioritized around quick operational gains.
• Support teams in adopting new tools through change management tailored to the industrial environment.