BPI in Supply Chain
A view from the field
Amit Kapoor

Write down the first three
words that come to you mind
when you hear the word
Strategy

System
Learning
Approach
Competitive
Story
Adapt
Blueprint
Industry
Design
Quick
Method
Exploit
Subtlety
Respond
Plan
High Ground
Scene
Culture
Planning
Profit
Strategic
Cost
Gimmick
Action
Excellence
Focus
Competence
Setup
Execution
Program
Capabilities
Procedure
Operational
Present
Central
Policy
Quality
Core
Maneuvering
Tactics
People
Harvest
Process

Identity | Advantage

Advantage is Transient
“Now, here, you see, it takes all the
running you can do, to keep in the same
place” said the Red Queen
- Lewis Caroll, Alice in Wonderland

Identity is Slow to Change
"There is nothing more difficult to take in hand,
more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in
its success, than to take the lead in the
introduction of a new order of things."
— Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince

Identity is your Strength
The innate qualities of an organization
that distinguish it from all others — its
operational processes, culture,
relationships, and distinctive capabilities
— are built up gradually, decision by
decision, and continually reinforced
through organizational practices and
conversations.
- Art Kleiner, The Right to Win

Identity - Advantage

Supply Chain
"A supply chain is a goal-oriented network of
processes and stockpoints used to deliver
goods and services to customers."
“Cost, Quality, Speed, Service and Flexibility are
the dimensions on which manufacturing and
service enterprise compete”
— Wallace Hopp, Supply Chain Science

SC Characteristics
Purpose -- there is an ambition to the organisation, beyond
traditional business objectives, that motivates the pursuit of
excellence
Direction -- explicit choices are made about the offerings and
markets served, the way value will be created through operations,
and the approach that will be differentiated and break traditional
constraints
Responsiveness -- the organisation maintains awareness in
the operating environment -- including customer needs,
competitive threats, supply conditions -- and resets its direction
accordingly at pace
Coherence -- the various elements of the company’s business
model -- such as the commercial, operations, and people strategies
-- are complementary and mutually supporting

SC Characteristics
Empowerment & Trust -- the full extent of a business’s
human assets are aimed and engaged in driving performance and
trusting each other to deliver
Learning -- the key components necessary for a learning
organisation are in place: curiosity, humility, experimentation, and
communication
Execution -- once a decision is made, the organisation can
execute effectively, quickly. Decision rights, information flows,
incentives, and responsibilities are clear, consistent, and
understood

Exemplar

BPI in SC: Conceptual

Thinking about BPI

Four Key Questions
What we do? | Inherent
How do we do it? | Structural
How well do we do it? | Systemic
How well do we apply it? | Realized

Value Drivers in SC

How many Trucks?

Careful on an Oil Rig

Don’t mess with the Falcon

Sweet
Success of
Process

Build Capabilities

Towards a Learning Org

Culture eats Strategy for
Breakfast

Amit Kapoor
Partner, narrativeVIZ Consulting
Website: amitkaps.com
Email: amit@narrativeviz.com
Twitter: @amitkaps