Wonky ERP implementations, inconsistent data quality, outdated KPIs, and lax process standards all create profit sucking inefficiencies across supply chain, manufacturing, and wholesale distribution operations. The Lab is the undisputed authority and trusted implementation partner of business process standardization, data-driven process improvement, and workflow automation for supply chain operations executives around the world.
Our standardization solutions can quickly reduce process cycle times, time-to-market, and time-consuming employee rework while increasing profitability. To learn more, take advantage of our thought-leading manufacturing and wholesale distribution articles, case studies, and videos below. Then contact us to book your no-obligation 30-minute screen-sharing demo to learn even more!
Discover the three underlying assumptions that stand in the way of Knowledge Work Standardization® for your organization—and how The Lab is able to overcome each one—in this informative article, complete with fascinating five-minute video.
Learn how this client of The Lab—with the SVP of Operations as its sponsor—was able to reduce order-to-delivery cycle times by half, while reducing OpEx by 20 percent in this real-world case study which delivered a 12-month ROI of 4x.
Predict customer churn. Preempt unplanned downtime and materials shortage. Identify process bottlenecks. All the KPIs your manufacturing organization needs, clearly defined in this valuable reference, available for free from The Lab.
Your manufacturing/distribution operation isn’t un-standardized. But it is under-standardized. And that’s costly. Even the latest and greatest ERP, CRM, and other core systems and processes require detailed standardization to improve. Learn how.
Profit from reading this real-life, COO-sponsored client success story from the case files of The Lab. This wholesale reseller of IT products was trapped in an outdated paradigm; learn how we helped them, for example, reduce OpEx by 15 percent.
A sizable investment in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) technology wasn’t helping this respected branded-foods maker prevent production delays or errors. Read about how this CIO-sponsored engagement broke even in just six months.
Find 400-plus essential KPIs for wholesale distribution at your fingertips, conveniently organized into “buckets” that you can put to immediate use. Also calls out the “Super KPIs” with the fastest/highest payoff benefit for your operation.
The company, a top-3 global tire manufacturer, was battling low-cost competitors who were overtaking the low-price end of the North American tire after-market. At the high-price end, effective marketing operations, high-quality product, and strong brand recognition kept these new entrants at bay. Even so, high-end customers pushed for lower pricing. Industry margins were so thin that a one-percent cost reduction could deliver a meaningful competitive gain in market share.
Changes in the healthcare industry demanded improved capabilities from pharmaceuticals companies. Customers wanted flexible ordering options, shorter cycle times, new packaging, increased service support—and lower prices. The company’s new ERP upgrades promised to enable this new flexibility, increase productivity, and deliver sustainable cost reduction. But it also delivered mediocre gains. Rapid turnover was only exacerbating operational issues.
This packaging manufacturing company’s most popular products—paperboard and corrugated boxes—were historically the low-price leaders and their customers included many of the world’s most recognized consumer brands. But now some of these customers—across a complex network of wholesalers, manufacturers, and converters—were complaining about the “total costs” of doing business with the company.
Learn from the best practices (and missteps) of others in this compelling article based on The Lab’s extensive experience “playing cleanup” on automation initiatives that failed to deliver promised benefits... without our help.
You need to see where humans interface with systems. Where customers interface with your staff. Where data exchanges reside. Where customer orders go wrong. Where information gets mis-calculated or mis-applied. Where not-in-good-order conditions exist. At The Lab, we take a grassroots/frontline approach (vs. a traditional top-down methodology). We document employees’ daily, minute-by-minute, and even keystroke-by-keystroke (if we have zeroed in on an automation use-case) work activities for all end-to-end processes.
If you’re looking to slash leakage across margin, rebates, and revenue, while improving customer prospecting and delivering breakthrough CX gains, learn how The Lab’s underlying “nano-scale” standardization is your best first step.
Imagine a bot that can automatically log into OEMs’ websites, input the production code and serial number for each part you produce for them, and key it in for the exact right VINs. Informative article includes actual bot-in-action video.
