The supply chain will almost never go as planned, and this is one of the best learning opportunities for a supply chain beginner. Don’t focus too much on smooth flow, and focus instead on the impact of small deviations from the plan. A late shipment, a sudden increase in demand, or a missed due date can teach you more about the supply chain than the plan itself. As you drill down into the details of the deviation, you will start to notice patterns emerge regarding the interdependence of the supply chain.
A good way to practice this is to find a simple supply chain scenario and introduce a small disruption. For example, let’s say a shipment of goods to a warehouse is running late. The obvious effect is the delay itself, but don’t stop there. Will the next shipment be late? Will inventory levels drop below the minimum threshold? Will a transportation schedule need to be adjusted? This kind of thinking will help you learn to think ahead, instead of simply reacting to a disruption. It will also help you learn to think of your supply chain as a system, and not a collection of separate parts.
A common pitfall here is to treat each problem separately, as if correcting one delay will solve everything. In reality, supply chains are systems, and fixing one problem can cause another. For example, if you expedite transportation to compensate for a late shipment, it may cost more or create a capacity problem for the warehouse. The antidote for this is to always think about the next level of effect. Ask yourself what new problem will arise once you solve the immediate one, and whether the tradeoff is worth it.
To help with this, I recommend trying a simple daily exercise involving the analysis of a disruption. Pick a supply chain scenario you are familiar with, and introduce one realistic disruption into the plan. Spend a few minutes tracing the effects of the disruption throughout the supply chain, and making a list of all the nodes it affects. Then, pick one solution to the disruption and trace its effects throughout the supply chain as well. This daily exercise will help you get used to thinking in terms of sequences of effects, rather than treating each problem separately.
As you practice this exercise, you will find your judgment growing sharper with time. Instead of feeling lost when a deviation occurs, you will begin to feel a sense of direction. You will find yourself making fewer guesses, and more informed decisions based on cause and effect. This is crucial, because in the real world there are few right and wrong answers in supply chain logistics. Most of the time, you will need to make adjustments based on changing conditions.
If you find yourself getting stuck, it may help to scale back a bit. If your supply chain scenario is too complex, try simplifying it down to just two or three nodes, and practice tracing the disruption between them. Once you get comfortable with that, you can add the other nodes back in and try again. This will help you keep from getting overwhelmed by complexity, while still challenging yourself to think ahead. With each passing day of practice, you will feel yourself growing more confident and competent in your ability to analyze and correct disruptions in a real-world supply chain.