ARmy Rumour SErvice

Who were you with when in the Service? Were you on the logistics side?

PRINCE2 is (mainly) aimed at IT projects, but project mgt is project mgt.

I'm PRINCE2 qualified but have never used it in it's entirety from start to finish, however it does impose a discipline especially when dealing with stakeholders when they buy into it.

I'd have a look around amazon and a google the subject too. There's quite a few primers and intros to the subject that have been published (of varying quality, but read the reviews), and there's more an enough blogs, forums, and websites to give you a feel for the practice.

Originally Posted by Thai_exile

Who were you with when in the Service? Were you on the logistics side?

RLC Supply Controller.

Is it relevant? I left in '99 and have been in Inventory Management since

I will respond at more length this evening, but all any quality tool/system does is provide a framework by which you can anaylse and improve a business process. Don't get too hung up on the jargon and the high flown technicalities - use the techniques as a toolkit to move you towards the solution.

First thing to do is get the big picture straight in your mind - what am I trying to achieve? Then you can break the big picture down into smaller problems to solve one at a time. And as you solve each smaller problem, your big problem also improves.

You have a toolkit of techniques you can use. Simplistically:

-- Do a Pareto analysis to get a feel for what the most important problems are.
-- Do a Cause and Effect diagram to find probable causes of the problem.
-- Put some charts in place to understand the degree and causes of variation in the process.
-- Prioritise the individual causes of that problem.
-- Start putting solutions in place.

A lot of people get hung up on the detail - first try and understand what the philosophy is behind the systems. If you understand the philosophy then everything else will fall into place. If you don't understand the philosophy, you'll end up using the tools parrot fashion...

And a BIG, BIG Point. You need a champion at the highest level in the organisation. Unless you have the CEO or another senior director pushing on your behalf, you'll have trouble getting things done. (Bitter experience).

Wordsmith

Before looking at TQM, Kaizen and 6 Sigma etc what if any QM-System does your company have in place ? as these three systems tend to build up on an exsisting QM

Cheers Wordsmith, most of what you're saying sounds familar.

I have experience most of it, but as I said, it was all in-house. I didn't stay long enough in the company to exploit their very good training program . Considering I was quite a cynic at the time I did try to absorb most of syllabus.

The reason I asked about your background was really to determine the level of logistics training you received in the Service. I am now a management consultant specialising in supply chain management and have been in the civilian logistics industry as a 3PL operator, an in-house SCM director and a management consultant since leaving the RAOC some 20 years ago after 20 years service. My honest opinion is that concepts such as 6 Sigma, "Lean Logistics" etc. are buzzwords covering what are the basics of common sense logistics and supply management principles that were taught at the School of Ordnance on my OO's course nearly 40 years ago.

These are not the ramblings of a dinosaur but fact. I have developed and conduct training courses on supply chain management, inventory management and warehouse design and management that are in great demand and are highly thought of which are, to be honest, based very much on the military supply chain as it was and/or should be managed.The only thing that has changed are the information systems that are now available from proprietory packeage to the use of simple, self-generated spreadsheets.


The point I am trying to make, rather poorly I suspect, is that these buzz-words are just that. You have had introductory training in these concepts and I think that is all you need. If your Boss is happy with what you are doing and is willing to, as you say, invest in CAPEX based on your work, that take that as a compliment and an acceptance of your effectiveness. The Accountants will soon apply the financial brakes if they don't agree with your figures.

The over-riding requirment for logistics and supply chain management is Common Sense. Just apply it. It beats all the buzzwords into a cocked hat. PM me if you feel I could be of further assistance. T.E.

Originally Posted by Fat_Cav

RLC Supply Controller.

Is it relevant? I left in '99 and have been in Inventory Management since

This came in while I was rambling on my other post. Don't worry. What you learned in the Service is better than anything you will learn outside. It is still very relevant as long as you apply the same principles in a civilian context and ensure you introduce the commercial/financial viewpoint.