SHELL
the implementation ,” he says .
“ If you can take out the firefighting , and the noise within the business – the expediting , changing schedules , etc . – then the day in the life of the supply chain individual will feel quite different when this is fully implemented .”
Demand-driven planning will be a distinct game changer for Shell Lubricants , and enable the business to better serve its customers , with a higher stock availability and a lower working capital commitment .
“ If you think about a change programme , this is changing the planning in 15 time zones around the world , as well as the different depots and planning locations . With the first implementation in October 2017 , we will be finishing the bulk of the implementation in 2019 with just a couple spanning over into 2020 .
“ Shell Lubricants is an enormous supply chain , and I think this will provide a huge competitive advantage for Shell ,” concludes Lynch .
“ Once one major player has moved over to this , more and more companies will be forced to take a good look at their planning processes and consider whether to move away from 20 + years of forecast driven MRP and the industry that exists around that .
“ It ’ s a significant investment and a bold move , but the returns are very attractive for all .” 22 June 2018