Method library · 44 methods
Supply chain methods
Forty-four methods to map the flow, forecast, source, make and deliver — and to absorb shocks: value stream mapping, S&OP, the Kraljic matrix, SMED, theory of constraints, OEE, OTIF, CPFR and more.
Ready-made playbooks
Inventory cash release 2–3 days
Free cash from stock in days: classify, kill the obsolete, right-size buffers, cap WIP — with service protected.
Supplier crisis room 90 min
A supplier just failed: map the exposure, pick the alternates, assign actions — in 90 minutes.
Lead time halving week 1 week
One week to find where time hides: map the flow, walk it, compress queues and lots — measure before and after.
S&OP setup quarter 1 quarter
Install the monthly S&OP rhythm in one quarter: demand review, supply review, one reconciliation with real trade-offs.
Resilience audit 2 days
Two days to know your real exposure: risk map, supplier scores, stress scenarios, buffers and backup plans on paper.
Digital quick wins month 1 month
A month of pragmatic digitalization: clean masters, automate one document flow, stand up a lightweight tower, then pilot ML.
All 44 methods, by stage
Map
See the whole chain end to end before touching any part of it.
- Value Stream MappingMap every step of a product family from supplier to customer, with timelines, to expose waste and lead time.
- SCOR Reference ModelStructure the analysis with the SCOR chain: Plan, Source, Make, Deliver, Return — and their metrics.
- Supply Flow DiagramDraw the physical and information flows on one page: who orders what, from whom, with which lead time.
- ABC/XYZ SegmentationSplit items by value (ABC) and demand stability (XYZ) to give each class its own stock policy.
- Bottleneck WalkWalk the flow with the people who run it and mark every queue, wait and double-handling you see.
Forecast
Anticipate demand so the chain plans from facts, not hope.
- Monthly Demand ReviewCompare forecast and actuals item by item, flag the big misses, and capture the reasons before re-forecasting.
- Forecast Method PickerChoose the simplest method that fits: moving average for stability, exponential smoothing for trends, seasonal models…
- Forecast Accuracy AuditMeasure MAPE and bias per item family; a systematic bias means the process, not the model, is broken.
- Safety Stock CalculatorSize buffers from demand variability and lead time: the more volatile or slower the supply, the fatter the buffer.
- S&OP Meeting DesignSet up the monthly Sales & Operations Planning rhythm: demand review, supply review, and one reconciliation meeting…
Source
Secure the inputs: suppliers, contracts and total cost.
- Kraljic MatrixSegment suppliers by impact on profit and supply risk: routine, leverage, bottleneck, critical — and manage each…
- Total Cost of OwnershipPrice is the tip: add logistics, quality failures, inventory carrying, switching and exit costs before comparing…
- Supplier Risk ScorecardScore key suppliers on financial health, geography, capacity, single-point dependency and quality history.
- Dual SourcingQualify a second source for anything that stops production, and split volumes to keep both suppliers honest.
- Supplier Development PlanTreat a key supplier as a partner: joint improvement targets, regular reviews, and support where their process is weak.
- Should-Cost AnalysisBuild a bottom-up estimate of what a part should cost: materials, labor, machine time, overhead and margin.
Make
Turn materials into products at the constraint’s rhythm.
- OEE Improvement LoopMeasure availability, performance and quality on the constraint machine; the biggest of the three losses is your first…
- SMED ChangeoverConvert internal setup work to external, streamline the rest, and cut changeover from hours to minutes.
- Theory of ConstraintsFind the one constraint that sets the pace, exploit it fully, subordinate everything else, then elevate it.
- Level Scheduling (Heijunka)Level volume and mix over the horizon so upstream processes see a stable, repetitive pattern instead of waves.
- WIP ControlCap work-in-progress with a fixed number of job cards; new work only enters when finished work leaves.
- Maintenance StrategyMatch the policy to the asset: run-to-failure for cheap redundancies, preventive for wear items, predictive for…
Deliver
Move goods to customers at the right cost and service.
- Network DesignPosition warehouses between plants and customers: optimize service distance against transport, inventory and facility…
- Transport OptimizationConsolidate shipments, choose modes by total cost and lead time, and fill trucks before sending them.
- Warehouse SlottingRank locations by pick frequency: fast movers near the front, heavy items at waist height, and dead stock evicted.
- Cross-DockingRoute fast-moving goods straight from inbound to outbound, skipping storage almost entirely.
- Last-Mile OptionsCompare carriers, pickup points, lockers and drones on cost, speed and failure rate — the last kilometer eats half the…
- OTIF TrackingTrack On-Time-In-Full per customer and per lane; split the misses into late, short and damaged to fix the right cause.
Resilience
Absorb shocks: buffers, alternates and rehearsed responses.
- Supply Risk MapPlace suppliers on a map with tier, geography, dependency and recovery time; the red cluster is your exposure.
- Stress ScenariosPlay out three shocks — supplier failure, demand spike, logistics blackout — and rehearse the first 48 hours of each.
- Strategic BuffersPlace buffers where they buy resilience cheapest: critical components, long-lead items, single-source parts.
- Backup Supply PlansFor every critical input, document the alternate source, the qualification gap, and the switching trigger before you…
- Nearshoring DecisionWeigh landed cost, lead time, risk and carbon: a cheaper far source can lose on every other axis.
Digital
Instrument the chain: data, integration and decision support.
- Supply Chain Control TowerGive one team end-to-end visibility of orders, shipments and exceptions — with authority to act on what they see.
- EDI/API IntegrationReplace emails and spreadsheets with structured data exchange for orders, confirmations and invoices.
- Digital Twin SimulationBuild a simulation model of the chain and test changes — layouts, policies, shocks — before touching the real one.
- ML Forecasting PilotStart one machine-learning model on one product family, benchmark it against your current method for three months, then…
- Master Data QualityClean the basics first: item masters, lead times, bills of material, supplier records — automation amplifies whatever…
Improve
Compress time, stock and cost — permanently.
- Supply Chain KaizenRun a focused improvement week on one flow with the people who operate it; implement on the floor, not in a report.
- Supply Chain KPI TreeDecompose one top goal — cost, service or cash — into driver KPIs each team can actually move.
- Lead Time CompressionAttack the longest segments of your order-to-delivery time: queues, approvals, transport legs and changeovers.
- Inventory Reduction ProgramSet a target, classify the stock, and attack each class: kill the dead, shrink the slow, fix the planning that creates…
- Green Supply ChainMeasure the carbon where it lives — transport modes, packaging, energy — and redesign the biggest emitters first.
- Collaborative Planning (CPFR)Share forecasts and plans with key customers and suppliers so the whole chain plans from the same numbers.