Evolution & Dynamics of the Supply Chain

Following on from the concept of the Value Chain we now have a thinking frame for articulating Business Value. By virtue of its components, it forms a Chain of interdependence. It establishes two sides of the whole system - Demand & Supply.

While the nature of desire on the Demand side changes - the population of people that constitute the demand - does not change other than for the size of this population as it fluctuates. We will come back to the demand side dynamics in a little bit. 


However, on the Supply Side, evolution takes hold via the Value Creation capability (people driven). The core assets at Value Creations disposal are Specialisation & Synergy.


 What unfolds, are additional interdependent links with defined roles at each link that increases the efficiency of the whole supply side.


The Supply side is now forming a chain - This is the first level of the Supply Chain - Organisational Interdependence bound by a common promise to fulfil on the desire of the demand side.

Anatomy of A Value Chain

What is Value? What is a Value Chain?

The term "Value" seems ambiguous ... It can have many meanings to many people and it can also have the opposite meaning to two people regarding the one subject.


Is it like beauty? Is it a characteristic of an object/outcome that is perceived or felt by the observer?


How can you have clarity around "Business Value" if value itself is so difficult to pin down? 


I would liked to propose a line of thought that I have found useful in establishing a way of seeing value, describing value and focusing on value.

A Storyboard Outlining the Journey Ahead …

ARE WE FOCUSING ON THE WRONG END OF THE STICK?

Organisations are not machines and therefore should not be managed, directed nor changed as if they consisted of inanimate objects that simply respond to the will of the few who profit most from the efforts of the many.

There is considerable damage being done to people, organisations, industries (value chains) and the planet (ecosystem) as a result of this mindset that Peter Drucker refers to as the Industrial Era Management style.

Organisations are living systems - social systems - with a commercial & trading back drop, based on the essence of capital, the nature of cash-flow & profit and the promise of value. 

What's in a Name ... Alchemy of EA ?

WHY ALCHEMY ?

The defining objectives of Alchemy are varied however I like the following two

1. The Philosophers Stone - the capability of turning base metal into gold or silver, and
2. The Elixir of Life - conferring youth and immortality

For the purposes of Alchemy of EA I am intentionally adopting the essence of the first object ... for now ;) ...


Regarding EA - what I am referring to is Enterprise Architecture. I believe that today, there is a shroud of mystery surrounding EA which claims to possess profound powers, a rightful place at the seat of enterprise strategy - yet - the contorted look on peoples faces when confronted with the term - Enterprise Architecture - indicates mass confusion compounded by many people claiming to be EA's.


When no one really knows what it is, why not call yourself one, shroud yourself in the mystery and know one will know the difference ...

A Theory of Free Will

The central hypothesis is that so long as the central gravity of man kinds conscious awareness tends toward the unaware, we are subject to the evolutionary forces and thus determinism ... Awareness is the key that unlocks access to free will and thus establishes a foundation where by we create our own destiny

A Theory of Leadership & Talent

I will begin with the Dabbawala … Mumbai Lunch Box delivery company operating since 1880

THERE IS LIGHT:

This is an organisation that has targeted its vision - "delivering home made meals to loved ones" - mission - "the war against time" - has a laser sight on its goal - "always delivering on time" - and has optimised their understanding and configuration of the network, transportation, warehousing & inventory.

They have then created an organisation that has a very simple instruction set (encoding system) that harnesses the benefits of the optimised logistical elements & have identified the critical rules of the game - waves of network aggregated & disaggregated delivery/return, fixed time windows for transportation.

Within this environment and abiding by these rules, talent and ingenuity are free to play - an engaged workforce with clarity of purpose & always performing. (note: literacy is not a sufficient measure of talent)

To me the secret is that they have cracked the essence of WHY they are in business, WHAT the essential components are in order to deliver and HOW the activity MUST be guided in order to enable a workforce of any level of intelligence to be a value contributing asset.

This is my definition of Institutional Leadership - it is a collective creation and sadly, todays media popularises the individual and more appallingly, their ego ….