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TECHNOLOGY TODAY
Simple suggestions for some of your favorite tech tools
H
ere are a few quick keys to technologies I’ve been using for about a month that can
help you in your business. • xshot for stability, better pic-
tures and video One of the best features of the
iPhone 4 is the video camera and camcorder. The quality is good, and it is easy to carry with you. However, in order to have a more stable video, it is often best to have a stable tripod or other device. A company called xshot has an
iPhone 4 case that gives you the abil- ity to shoot jitter-free video. It con- sists of an easily assembled case with two attachments to position your iPhone 4 in either landscape or por- trait mode. When you couple this with the included tripod, or with a regular mini-tripod of your choice,
you have a convenient way to shoot videos on the fly. I’ve tested this, and it works nicely.
I assembled it in a matter of a few seconds. The ability to use it in both portrait or landscape modes makes it good for real-world applications. If you use your iPhone 4 for video or still pictures, this is a great applica- tion to add for a reasonable price. Also, check out the handy xshot 2.0
for better pictures with your digital camera and your camcorder. It gives you the ability to securely attach your digital camera or camcorder on the end and extend it to about one foot. This helps with shooting pictures of you and another person. It is also great for more creativity and expression for videos. Check it out on their website and you’ll be glad you did. (xshot iPhone 4 Case with flex
mini tripod, $29.95, xshot 2.0 exten- der, $29.95,
www.xshot.com) • Better upgrades and cus- tomization for your computer Getting the best computer for your
use requires some configuring. If you want to have an updated model (don’t we all?), you often buy a brand new computer. However, that is not always necessary. Many people are discover- ing that they can get a computer that is as good as the latest available for what they need in their job without spending a lot for a new computer. Recently, I had the opportunity to
talk with Larry O’Connor. He is the founder and president of OWC (Other World Computing), which he founded when he was 14 years old. It is now the biggest supplier of Mac upgrade drives, memory and enhancements. He explained to me how I could use
my old computer and get much better performance just by replacing the hard drive and adding some memory. The cost savings would have been great. I ultimately decided to get a newer
Inventory optimization helps meet goals (Continued from page 86.) Replenishment order frequency is
another critical aspect of inventory optimization. Replenishment is not just reordering. It’s not just about the cost to generate a purchase order, but rather about “how much we order each time we order.” That’s where each order costs your company money. More accurately pinpointing an optimum or best order frequency can, by itself, account for significant inventory reductions and service level enhancement Anticipating lead time with accu-
racy goes beyond simply determining a supplier's lead time from past aver- ages. It requires not only an in depth assessment of the supplier's overall performance but it also requires being able to understand its impact on all locations within the distribution net- work, to minimize or eliminate those self-defeating practices, such as hav- ing to "over order" or “over transfer”
in an attempt to compensate for vari- ations in supplier performance.
The multi-echelon distribution network and the need for inventory optimization
A “hub & spoke” distribution net-
work can have some major pitfalls, because stocking and replenishment strategies are often applied to one echelon without regard to the others. There are some potential negative consequences: • Excess inventory in the form of redundant safety stocks (at both hub and spoke) • Stock-outs at a Spoke, even
though adequate inventory exists in the distribution network. • There may be a minimal relation-
ship between what you order and the actual demand you are experiencing, due to demand variability. Going back to Figure 1, there is
often a “split” in replenishment ap- proaches, much like a sequential ap- proach, one for the DC, and then one for the Spoke. This poses problems such as the following: • Lack of visibility up the demand
Figure 2.
chain. When a Spoke seeks to replen- ish itself, it’s “blind” to suppliers be- yond the DC. The Spoke ignores any lead times other than its own, the lead time from the DC. The Spoke may also assume that the DC will com- pletely fill its replenishment orders each and every time. And, depending on your ERP system, the Spoke may not have any visibility into the DC’s inventory balances.
• Be sure to visit
www.thewholesaler.com for web exclusive articles and videos! • • Lack of visibility down the de-
mand chain. Similar to the case above, when the DC seeks to replen- ish itself, it may be oblivious to cus- tomer demands beyond those of individual spokes and/or have no vis- ibility into the Spoke’s inventory bal- ances. • Demand distortion. Because the
DC and Spoke create independent de- mand forecasts (based on their own immediate “customer’s” demands), distortions in demand and peaks and valleys often result. • Total distribution network costs.
If one or more of the Spoke’s inven- tory drivers are modified, the cost im- plications may be readily apparent at the Spoke, but not readily visible to the DC. The impact becomes strictly focused on one single echelon. • No linkage between safety
stocks. DC and Spoke each protect themselves independently, so any de- sire to optimally balance inventory is made more problematic. Overall, this “lack of cohesive-
ness” is caused by independent de- cisions as to how inventory will be managed, either at the DC or at the Spoke.
A change in thinking and a call to action If any of this seems familiar to you,
then committing an organization to realizing the benefits of inventory op- timization will require a change in philosophy; a real change in thinking. It also requires a “solution,” a tool to use to realize that objective, making
•THE WHOLESALER® —MAY 2011
BY TERRY L. BROCK Technology/marketing specialist
computer but to upgrade it to a better hard drive using an SSD (Solid State Drive), which is more like a USB portable drive. It is much faster and more durable for my frequent trips on the road. Larry also helped me to see how I
could replace the seldom-used optical drive. I really don’t use the DVD or CD often, and it would be much bet- ter to have the extra storage space for the video production I do.
(Turn to Tech tools... page 96.)
“inventory optimization” something that you should be looking at as a source of real supply chain manage- ment business value to your com- pany, as well as a competitive advantage (your supply chain vs. your competitor’s supply chain). Distribution focused companies, I
believe, must view inventory and supply chain management as an un- tapped profit and service level en- hancer, as well as a cash saver. By making these concepts a reality, you can truly reduce your total supply chain costs, generate additional capi- tal and increase service levels in a meaningful way.
This is your call to action! n Howard Coleman is the Principal
of MCA Associates, a management consulting firm since 1986. MCA As- sociates works primarily with whole- sale distribution companies that are seeking operational excellence. Howard and his staff of Senior Con- sultants provide operational excel- lence — idea-leadership — and implement continuous improvement solutions focused on business process re-engineering, inventory and supply chain management, sales develop- ment and revenue generation, infor- mation systems and technology, organizational assessment and devel- opment, and succession planning. MCA Associates can be contacted at their corporate office in CT at 203- 732-0603, at their Florida Southern Regional Office at 561-989-3221, or by email at hcoleman@mcaassoci-
ates.com. Visit their website at
www.mcaassociates.com.
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