Once you have a formal plan - this section is about keeping that plan on track. Controls can be before the fact, during or after the fact. For Example:
- Before the fact you might have a target of reducing inventory of raw material by 20% through better co-ordination with production planning and the sales forecast in one year.
- During the fact (CPM Bridge Exam takers - note that "during the fact" is what you need to know), to keep this plan on track you might want to keep track two types of metrics, one inside the organization like variations in sales forecast and outside as to how the supplier delivery contract and transportation changes are being implemented. Maybe, the supplier is working on a nearer warehouse to cut delivery time and you are keeping track of progress on this metric on a fortnightly basis.
- After the fact when budgets and performance is being reviewed at the annual review meeting you are looking good if you have met or exceeded the 20% reduction of inventory target.
The other recent (also bridge exam) topic is about business continuity. Supply management plans must have continuity provisions. Have you addressed what happens if there is a power outage in a business process suppliers' organization? Do they have a generator? Or a second facility at a different place. Typically, supply managers need to have more than one supplier for both bottleneck and critical items like technology no matter how good the primary supplier is.
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