Archive for June, 2008

KOM Klinic 2008

Thanks to all of you who made the KOM Klinic 2008, our 25th annual conference, such a tremendous success.  The key to this event, year in and year out, is the opportunity for distribution managers and executives to spend two days collaborating, idea swapping and sharing experiences.  And, of course, we squeeze some fun as well.

Our speakers almost exclusively come from the ranks of KOM clients so attendents learn from folks on the ground who are getting things done.  These brave souls step up to the podium and make our event unique in the industry.  Following are some key take-aways from each speaker:

  • Allan Kohl, President &  CEO of KOM, walked the group through a case study in automation design for a foodservice distributor where automation can be a tool to enable sales growth.
  • Eberhard Braun of METRO Cash & Carry International GmbH gave an overview of the complex logistics network required to support 2,000 wholesale stores across 29 countries.  For many North American based retailers, globalization is an inbound phenemenon.  Eberhard showed us that the outbound side has many risks and challenges along with enormous opportunities as well.
  • Klinic veteran Ron Cellupica, VP at Price Chopper drew on his 35 years in the grocery business to put Computer Generated Ordering in historical perspective.  The immense power of data processing today makes complex decision making possible to automate and companies pursuing those possibilities are seeing benefits rapidly accrue.
  • Scott Craig, Director of Supply Chain Services for Hannaford Brothers shared insights on how to develop an operating strategy culled from lessons learned at Hannaford as well as personal lessons in life.
  • Pat Tagnani, Senior Director of Supply Chain Services for LMS, led a moderated discussion on the topic of fuel prices.  Discussion groups came up with a number of ideas - some that were completely off the table just a few years ago - on how to manage our way through this new world of high energy prices.
  • Another veteran of the Klinics, Richard Kochersperger, reminded us of the trends in retail and demographics that are shaping the nature of our businesses.  Top of mind: staffing the supply chain in light of changing attitudes towards work in the young workers of North America.
  • Charles Fallon, partner at KOM, gave a brief review of the productivity benchmarking survey for 2008.  One highlight: the most productive warehouses invest in inventory control and minimize the number of problem orders they handle.  Problem orders can turn a 200 cases per hour selection rate into 40 cases per hour.
  • Ken Koester, Sr. E. VP of Affiliated Foods Midwest, gave a primer on building a compelling case for supply chain investment.  From the perspective of a former CFO, Ken covered the basics in building a financial analysis and putting together the financial measures that will win board approval.
  • Steve Creed, E. VP of Warehousing and Transportation for Associated Grocers of New England, walked the audience through his company’s recent move from a decades-old facility to a state-of-the-art 350,000 sq.ft. facility in Concord, NH.  Steve shared strategies and tactics for managing a move which was completed in a weekend and maintained a 96% service level during that period and the first days following.
  • Tom Frederick, Director of Distribution Services, Weis Markets shared with the group the experience of selecting and implementing a Yard Management System.  The technical considerations and operating benefits of such systems were presented - Tom also gave some cautions on potential pitfalls to avoid.
  • Clem DeLiso, President of Pioneer Cold Storage, teamed up with Nick Hill of Hill Energy Services to paint a picture of the current energy market in the United States and strategies to manage energy costs through load deferring and pricing contracts.  As the cost of energy rises, operators must become increasingly sophisticated about their energy purchases and use management.

When not in session, attendents enjoyed the sights of Old Montreal in a collegial atmosphere.  The weather was perfect.

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