The missing links : a demand driven supply chain detective novel

321 Pages·2016·5.96 MB·English

by  Caroline Mondon

Advance Praise for The Missing Links
“The Missing Links is a business novel by Caroline Mondon. It is similar to The
Goal by Dr. Eli Goldratt, probably the best selling business novel ever written.
It clearly explains the process necessary for a company to adopt the latest think-
ing about planning and management as the organization struggles to adapt to the
changing needs of customers as they become ever more demanding. Caroline has
written a compelling story about a fictional, privately held manufacturing com-
pany that is facing serious challenges when the owner of the company suddenly
dies, and his daughter is left to take over the business. This book can be read by
anyone with an interest in how businesses can be run more efficiently and effec-
tively. This book is already a best-selling business novel in France, and I have no
doubt that it will be just as successful in the English version.”
KEIth LaunChbury, CFPIM, CIrM, CSCP, CDDP
Past President of aPICS, the premier professional association for supply chain management
“For more than 15 years, I have been involved with education in the field of sup-
ply chain management. The Missing Links has been a real inspiration for showing
how to explain both fundamental and advanced concepts of business manage-
ment, supply chain management, and innovation. The storyline of the book makes
it easy to understand the importance and leverage of supply chain management
concepts, even for smaller companies. It was a pleasure reading about the devel-
opment and transformation of a small traditional company into a modern, next-
century enterprise. The way innovative concepts and methods have been applied
in the book is logical and helps readers quickly get over a steep learning curve. I
will definitely recommend this book to my supply chain management students.”
anDrEa WaLbErt, CPIM, CSCP, PLS, CDDP
Managing Partner, PMI (Production Management Institute) Gmbh
“… like the clever plot of this detective novel which has clues weaving their way
through the story, this book uncovers the mystery of how to implement best prac-
tices, and improve business processes and operations—all the while keeping you
guessing as to ‘Who did it?’ topical, relevant, and practical advice encompassed
in a step-by-step methodology wrapped in a captivating storyline, which starts by
turning the first page.”
traCy Lyn ChEEthaM, CPIM, CSCP, SCOr-P, CDDP, PLS
ParadoxSolve—aPICS Instructor and tFC Facilitator
“The Missing Links is a story of discovery, not unlike alex rogo’s journey in Eli
Goldratt’s The Goal. today, many companies, not just in charming rural France,
are plagued by similar problems: poor results, a disillusioned workforce, over-
whelming complexity, variability, lost focus, and unclear priorities across all levels
of operations and management. héloïse, Caroline Mondon’s heroine, a passion-
ate musician, sets out to save her family’s business and has the courage to face the
inconsistencies and gaps between the way the business should work and reality.
The solution to these is not just an operational one, and it is not easily found. In
addition to effectively managing complexity and variability in her supply chain
with a state-of-the-art Demand Driven Operating Model, she looks beyond plan-
ning and control to leadership and personal development.
Making complexity manageable through focused infusion of simplicity, driv-
ing out variability through buffering, replacing backward-looking accounting with
relevant information for decision making, eliminating conflicts through win-win
solutions, and helping people make a positive contribution through unambiguous
and inviting leadership: these are the links that turn an ailing enterprise around to
reach a state of harmony and high operational and financial performance. When
we leave our heroes at the last page, let’s take these insights to our own workplaces
and add the missing links to make our own supply chains strong, for the benefits
of our customers, our people, our societies, and our shareholders.”
ChrIStOPh LEnhartz
Managing Director, Catena Strategies
Master Instructor, Demand Driven Institute
Member of the board, Theory of Constraints International Certification Organization
“I wish all textbooks were written like this one! The Missing Links is easy to read
and understand, written as a realistic story about the development of a factory,
and set up as a detective story. The work is great for remembering supply chain
management concepts. as an nLP Master trainer and International Leadership
trainer, I especially enjoyed Caroline’s use of metaphors to enhance understand-
ing and to use as memory hooks. This shows how you can ‘walk your talk,’ whether
you are a president of a company or a student. I learned a thing or two about
French culture as well, as an extra bonus. Thanks, Caroline, for sharing your exten-
sive know-how in this pleasant way!”
Eva hyLLStaM
nLP Master trainer and International Leadership trainer,
business Owner, World trade Center Gothenburg, Sweden
The Missing Links
A Demand Driven
Supply Chain
Detective Novel

The Missing Links
A Demand Driven
Supply Chain
Detective Novel
Caroline Mondon
InDuStrIaL PrESS InC.
Industrial Press, Inc.
32 Haviland Street, Suite 3
South Norwalk, Connecticut 06854
Tel: [phone] Toll-Free: 888-528-7852
E-mail: [email protected]
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Mondon, Caroline, author.
Title: The missing links: a demand driven supply chain detective novel / Caroline
Mondon.
Description: South Norwalk, Connecticut: Industrial Press, Inc., [2016]
Identifiers: LCCN 2016025647 (print) | LCCN 2016026865 (ebook) | ISBN
9780831136079 (softcover) | ISBN 9780831193874 (ePDF) | ISBN 9780831193881
(ePub) | ISBN 9780831193898 (eMobi)
Subjects: LCSH: Inventory control. | Materials management. | Production control.
Classification: LCC TS160 .M595 2016 (print) | LCC TS160 (ebook) | DDC 658.7—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016025647
ISBN print: 978-0-8311-3607-9
ISBN ePUB: 978-0-8311-9388-1
ISBN eMOBI: 978-0-8311-9389-8
ISBN ePDF: 978-0-8311-9387-4
Copyright © 2016 by Industrial Press, Inc.
All rights reserved.
This book, or any parts thereof, with the exception of those figures in the public domain,
may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form without
the permission of the copyright holders.
Sponsoring Editor: Judy Bass
Translator and Editor: Alicia Peres (www.aliciaperes.ca)
Interior Text Designer: Patricia Wallenburg, TypeWriting
Cover Designer: Brian Cartwright, Rocket Design
industrialpress.com
ebooks.industrialpress.com
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
ConTenTs
Foreword ix
How to Use This Book xi
Acknowledgments xiii
About the Author xv
ParT one
Chapter 1
hÉLoÏse anD The Missing sUPPLY Chain Manager 3
Poor S&OP Processes Generate Discord
Chapter 2
a ThreaT oF BankrUPTCY aT h. raMi 21
Silos Lose Customers
Chapter 3
Pierre PLaYs ToTaL-QUaLiTY DeTeCTiVe 41
Color-Coding Clarifies Non-value-added Flows
ParT Two
Chapter 4
a sTraTegiC wiTness sPeaks UP 69
Customers and Suppliers Affect Variability
vii
Contents
Chapter 5
TeaMwork in The ForesT 107
Motivate Change with International Benchmarking
Chapter 6
BaD BLooD 145
Link Physical and Information Flows
ParT Three
Chapter 7
LiLa FraCTaLLe-Cass To The resCUe 179
Drive Competition with Innovation
Chapter 8
FroM sChooL BUs To CLassrooM 217
Accelerate Learning by Observation and Simulation
Chapter 9
Linking To The FUTUre 261
Connect Strategy and Operations with DDS&OP
viii
ForeworD
two roads diverged in a wood, and I–
I took the one less traveled by,
and that has made all the difference.
—from “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost
The Missing Links takes the road less traveled, and indeed it makes all the differ-
ence. héloïse, the daughter of a seasoned factory owner, is a professional musician.
Enamored with music and her personal relationships, she is traveling her well-
known road until that one fateful night when she is thrust onto a different road—
one of discord and mystery. Join héloïse as she meets the challenges and surprises
along the way. Can she restore harmony in the company and in its collaboration
with suppliers, distributors, and customers? Did harmony even exist there before?
Why did the supply chain manager disappear suddenly? What will be the conse-
quence for her family business?
This detective story of héloïse and the h. rami company had to be told to the
world. It is a story of mystery, intrigue, and surprise that also brings great insights
and new ideas—clearly the road less traveled. The Missing Links introduces an
innovative yet proven methodology called DDMrP. you will be captivated by how
real the characters are and by the situations in which they find themselves. you will
understand how they move from common practice to common sense.
This wonderfully written novel is the first English book written by the French
best-selling author, Caroline Mondon. It has been my pleasure to know Caroline
for over twenty years. The past few years we have worked closely to bring DDMrP
to France. I was honored to play a bit part in bringing this book to market.
This is not a book that will sit on your shelf once you have read it. you will
pass it along to others to read, and they will pass it along to others. Like the very
best books, you will find that you will purchase this book many times because
ix