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

Business Process Improvement - A Strategic and Supply Chain Perspective