ASIA
A major part of the make-up of Schneider ’ s supply chain is it ’ s sourcing . Through this transformation , Ahmed along with sourcing department has refined the company ’ s strategic sourcing methods . This all ties into the overall goal of reducing lead time , reducing the costs and better serving the customers .
When an order is made , Ahmed and the supply chain department will check the region in which the order is made from and immediately look at alternative products ( to the same standard and specification ) located in different regions , ones that may have much quicker and cheaper lead times .
This process is enabled through a wide range of vendors and suppliers that Schneider has amassed locally in Pakistan .
“ For example , the lead time of a product coming from the USA , taking into account clearance and transportation , is around 40-45 days ,” says Ahmed . “ Compare it to another supplier more locally . It ’ s the same product specification and quality , but it takes no more than
18-20 days to reach our factory and be ready to ship out to the customer , which in domain of supply chain is a greater reduction of lead time .”
To the future With this transformation already considered a key success to the company , Ahmed has his eyes set firmly on the next step , a new way in which the company can grow to be better for the customer .
This next step , he feels , is one more focused on sustainability in the supply chain . “ In the supply chain industry , every department operates separately and individually , however , linked through a chain which keeps every department bonded with each other ” he says . “ With the passage of time we are beginning to see a number of departments operating under the umbrella of supply chain . Similarly , more chances are created for practitioner like me to create sustainability and tap the gaps amongst different operational units . For me , the next transformation will be building and developing sustainability into that supply chain .”
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