SC Enterprise-wide Process innovation

SC Enterprise-wide process innovation is focused on hands-on application of demand-driven concepts.  It incorporates the fundementals of lean by examining core business support processes with particular focus on enterprise-wide and inter-enterprise wide SC processes. 

 

As firms organize their resources around functional and business or geographic structures, the design and execution of horizontal, cross-functional process flows offers the greatest improvement opportunities affecting the SC Diamond.  These opportunites come from removing flow constraints where cross-functional hand-offs or interdependencies within the process flows are not well designed or are executed in a non-standard manner.  In a phrase, simplify, standardize and automate incorporates  the essential application of our PICO DNA deployment approach in enterprise-wide process innovation. 

 

The selection and design of hands-on pilot learning initiatives is configured to match client needs and incorporates the client's own process as the platform for focus of the team.  Avicon deploys their tools and techniques to accelerate the flows, remove constraints and align work efforts around execution disciplines.  Our innovation coaches assist participants who gain understanding through knowledge transfer, practive and cross-functional teaming.

 

Firms vary in their description and scope of enterprise-wide processes.  Avicon will work with the client to determine which process offers the best learning opportunity and has the highest innovation value to the firm.  We offer several examples below as illustrations.

Quote to Cash Process (QTC) Innovation

QTC generally spans the sales steps to quote customers, customer order entry and support, order fulfillment, invoicing and collection.  In this process area, cross-functional execution often includes such groups as sales, marketing, finance, IT, logistics, customer service, and manufacturing.

Supply Chain Planning Process Innovation

The supply chain planning process is often referred to as Sales and Operations Planning or Integrated Business Planning.  The scope address all aspects of supply and demand planning and frequently extends to integration with business or financial planning.  The organizational involvement reaches across the enterpririse and beyond to key trading partners like suppliers and customers including such groups as sales, marketing, logistics, planning, procurement, manufacturing, customers and key executive team members.

Procure to Pay Process Innovation

The Procure to Pay process extends from the planning of material requirements, purchase order creation, execution, supplier reliability, goods/service receipt and payment to the supplier.  The organizational groups involved include procurement, engineering, logistics, finance, manufacturing, quality and the supplier organizational interfaces.

New Product Design for SC Process Innovation

The new product design process can also be stated as the product life cycle management process.  The supply chain plays an important role in all stages of the product lifecycle process cycle and therefore shares a dual responsibility with the product or service designers to insure design for supply chain considerations are fully integrated at all stages of the life cycle model.  As SC complexity is greatly affected with decisions occuring within the phased cycle of products and service creation and end of life management, early involvement as a partner is key and embedded process steps for SC involvment are key.  The SC integration with the existing new product or lifecycle management process is the starting point for learning in this process area.  The organizational groups involved in this process include engineering, procurement, quality, marketing, sales, finance, manufacturing, customers. suppliers and supply chain.