Creating the “Culture of Supply Chain Possibilities”
Sometimes we get stuck in the “here and now” and forget the possibilities that exist in reinventing, revitalizing and reimaging our supply chain operations. We need to go beyond what is to envision new models, new benchmarks and set new standards for everyone within our industry.
Yes, we can create a culture of supply chain possibilities, but first we need to eliminate the limitations we put on ourselves and our supply chain department so we can release this new energy for the possibilities at hand. The first step in this empowering process is to write down all of the limitations you believe are holding back your supply chain department’s possibilities (e.g. no money, lack of staff, management and clinicians’ inflexibility, etc.) until you get it out of your system.
Next, you’ll want to write down each of these limiting forces, but with a positive spin on them (e.g. my healthcare organization doesn’t have any money, but I still can make progress toward achieving my goals by being persistent, patient and progressive) to open up new possibilities that are available to you and your department.
As an illustration of how this works, my first supply chain director’s job in the 70s was at a children’s hospital that had no money, inadequate staffing and insufficient management vision (they were maintainers), but I was still able to automate my storeroom’s inventory using a cheap outsource service, initiate par level systems on our nursing floors and start up this hospital’s first value analysis committee while bringing order where chaos had reigned. This all happened because I didn’t let my limitation interfere with my possibilities.
You have a choice. You can either let you self-imposed limitations hold you back from creating a culture of supply chain possibilities, or, you can unleash these possibilities by reinventing, revitalizing and reimaging what your supply chain can, should and will be, without any limitations at all. All it takes to do so is defining and describing your limitations in a new, positive and uplifting way that opens the door to new possibilities!
Filed Under: savingsblog • Supply Chain
