Claremont, CA – Manufacturing and Supply Chain Expert Lisa Anderson, MBA, CSCP, CLTD, president of LMA Consulting Group Inc. confirms that supply chain resiliency requires acute attention to inventory and cost pressures for manufacturers and distributors. As predicted in her 2019 forecast, “Manufacturing & Supply Chain in the New Normal”, ever-changing customer needs, increased expectations, tight labor and transportation challenges are the ‘new normal’ and key issues for manufacturing and the supply chain.
Inland Empire manufacturing and supply chain Expert Lisa Anderson asked key business owners and executives about their predictions for the state of business in 2019.
Economic volatility and what Ms. Anderson calls the Amazon Effect – high customer expectations requiring rapid deliveries, accessibility and flexible, customized service – is putting pressure on costs and inventory levels.
LMA Consulting Group just released the findings of the executive predictions for 2019.
“It’s the perfect storm; tariffs, last minute changes, rapid delivery requirements and increased customer demands are challenging the supply chain. In turn, inventory levels are increasing. Add in elevated labor and logistics costs and it gets tougher and tougher to control costs,” Ms. Anderson explains.
The result is an increased focus on improving inventory turns to accelerate cash flow, as well as an emphasis on re-shoring and near-sourcing.
“Aligning sales forecasts with operational capabilities is critical for manufacturers to thrive. In our 14 years of consulting, sales, inventory and operations planning (SIOP) has consistently delivered the strongest increase in business value. Leveraging best practices in demand planning and better aligning sales forecasts with operational capabilities will drive significant improvements in customer performance and the bottom line,” she says.
LMA Consulting Group works with manufacturers and distributors on strategy and end-to-end supply chain transformation to maximize the customer experience and enable profitable, scalable, dramatic business growth. As a result of her work with manufacturers and distributors and financial knowledge of factors affecting the bottom line, Ms. Anderson has been appointed by the Logistics Council of the Inland Empire Economic Partnership (IEEP) to lead the effort to develop a consortium for logistics, supply chain and advanced manufacturing success.
“Inland Southern California leads California in job creation and manufacturing growth. We are in an ideal situation to become a global leader in logistics, advanced manufacturing and export excellence. I’m very excited to be spearheading the effort with the IEEP to create a Consortium of Excellence to support the future of the industry and accelerate regional growth,” she says.
More From Lisa Anderson:
- Artificial Intelligence on Manufacturing Profit, Inventory Levels and Cash
- Manufacturing & Supply Chain Predictions for 2019
About LMA Consulting Group – Lisa Anderson, MBA, CSCP, CLTD
Lisa Anderson is the founder and president of LMA Consulting Group, Inc., a consulting firm that specializes in manufacturing strategy and end-to-end supply chain transformation. She focuses on maximizing the customer experience and enabling profitable, scalable, dramatic business growth. For information, to sign up for her Profit Through PeopleTM Newsletter or for a copy of her book, visit LMA-ConsultingGroup.com.
This story is Partner Content.
