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Join the following experts as we share the latest sustainable thinking and practice:


Emma Fromberg– Course Director at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leadership
Jessica Short – Operations & Finance Manager at TrueStart Coffee, UK
Magnus Firth– Workshop Manager at Renewable Parts Ltd, UK
Richard Singleton – Finance & Sustainability Director at Menzies LLP

Environmental and social sustainability have become staples of a successful modern firm in today’s business landscape. Investors and customers alike are demanding more transparency around how a company operates – making a sustainable supply chain essential to SMEs going forward.

What's discussed when:

2 mins - Brands we admire

6 mins - SME Challenges and opportunities

10 mins - What is ESG? - Richard

13 mins - Are you leveraging your business for good? - Emma

16 mins - TrueStart applying for B Corp status - Jess

19 mins - Where to start and Help staying abreast - Richard

28 mins - Does ESG box ticking go far enough? Emma

32 mins - How green is green energy? - Magnus

34 mins - Carbon Mapping and acting on it  - Jess

37 mins - Growth and sustainability - Jess and Emma

41 mins - Measuring your carbon emissions - Scope 4! - Richard

45 mins - We need to be more ambitious - Emma and Richard

52 mins - Carbon Boarder Adjustments - The Emissions game

54 mins - The economic system - a mind shift is needed - Emma

57 mins - Greenshoring to crush your competition - Magnus

101 mins - How ‘local’ and ‘longevity’ is the answer  - Emma

109 mins - Reverse logistics and waste innovation - Magnus

116 mins - Scope 3 – Help your suppliers help you  - All

121 mins - Where to start? All

- Find your Inefficiencies - Jess and Magnus

- Focus on a root cause - Tony Chocoloney - Emma



Watch the full discussion or skim read the highlights here⁠⁠⁠

Our episode on net zero

Talk to one of our supply chain consultants – ⁠book a 20 min chat⁠  

Our deep dive sessions grant you exclusive access to a unique conversation with an admired brand or lesser-known trailblazer. A chance to go into detail with a customer. So indulge yourself; shut out the noise and focus in on one voice, one brand, one story.  

In this episode Unleashed's UK content lead Bryony Hampton is lucky enough to sit down with co-founder of Candy Kittens, Ed Williams. You may know CK via Jaimie Lang from Made in Chelsea fame. Ed is the yin to Jamie's yang. Hope you enjoy the chat. 

What's discussed?


How to source a manufacturer
Early demand planning for first grocer deal
Punching above weight with their tech stack
HFSS ups
New net zero targets over and above carbon nutrality
Leading in the vegan sweet category
Sharing their experience with Tuck Shop
Growth with focus
Product dev through socials
Ed's advice for scaling brands



And what the poster says behind Ed? WALES IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA

Optimising your supply chain is a surefire way to create competitive advantage. But it's a broad, fast-moving topic, so we've recruited customers and partners to share best practice and help find ways to refine operations, inventory, purchasing, and distribution.

The bottom line is, if you're delivering products at lower costs with higher profit levels, you're succeeding. Easy peasy yeah?  



The Experts:

Neil Keegan – Head of Manufacturing at Automata, robotic lab solutions in London 

Sam Walker – Systems Architect at Flowstore Systems, Lean manufacturing, engineering, production line and warehouse bespoke solutions in Uxbridge 

Alex Townson – Head of Outsourced Supply Chain at FY formally known as young foodies, an incubator and community for ambitious FMCG brands - in London 

Hugh Robinson - Transition and Transformation Senior Manager at flinder (a technology and data-led finance partner) 



What's discussed when:



6 mins - Demand planning best practice

19 mins - Bottlenecks in robotics , OTIFs, Hidden Factory

34 mins - bottlenecks in FMCG, managing lead times, mitigating risk, 'walking the line'

40 mins - Automata's pivot and nearshoring

47 mins - 3PM benefits

52 mins - Inventory placement and warehouse efficiencies

58 mins - Meeting customer expectations in the NHS and multichannel best practice

105 mins - Reducing cost, capturing cost, BOMs, COGS

108 mins - Performance, supplier analysis, component consolidation, pareto charts cut through,

119 mins - Contribution margin and unit economics



Watch or skim the highlights here

⁠

How do you quickly optimise min & max stock levels in Unleashed? And other videos



Inventory formulas & live inventory calculators



Talk to one of our supply chain consultants – book a 20 min chat  



 

 

While technology has been a focus in supply chain management for many years, in the end successful supply chains depended on people. In this eighth Unleashed Supply Chain Management Roundtable we speak to a collection of experts and industry professionals on their approach to the challenges of staffing and skills management. 

 

The Experts: 

Sergio Da Silva, Supply Chain Analyst, Flava Dot Global 

Phil Peters, Head of Supply Chain Services at YF 

Ned Neville-Rolfe, Head of Operations, Sapling Spirits 

Chris Willcock, Head of Brewing and Supply Chain Operations, 4 Pines Brewing Co. 



In this episode out panel discuss: 

 

5 mins - What appeals about working in the manufacturing supply chain?  

8 mins – State of the nation. What are your staffing challenges? South Africa, Australia and the UK 

20 mins - Attracting the right talent and how being a B Corp helps. 

27 mins – Is training a ‘magnanimous gesture’? 

31 mins - What’s the right personality type for a role in supply chain management?   

36 mins – How long should you hold on to someone having invested in training? 

38 mins – The halo effect of carbon neutral strategies – i.e. how tree planting retains customers and staff 

44 mins - How do you attract and retain millennials for supply chain roles?   

49 mins - Are candidates arriving with the right skillset, could more be done at an educational level?  

54 mins - What labour challenges are particular to a B Corp?  

62 mins - South African brain drain.

64 - What are your top tips when moving to a successful digital workflow? 

68 – 4 Pines maintaining agility after buy out.  

70 – YF: consultancy, tech advice and how outsourcing your supply chain means you can redeploy your team on more ‘value-add' tasks.

73 - What are the challenges of retaining a highly skilled team?  

74 - How do you better engage a larger remote workforce across multiple locations?  

75 - What would you say to convince others to join the manufacturing supply chain?  

 

Watch or skim the highlights here

https://www.unleashedsoftware.com/blog/scr-manufacturing-staff

  

Factory Automation – What It Is & How To Implement 

⁠https://www.unleashedsoftware.com/blog/factory-automation-what-it-is-how-to-implement

 

Talk to one of our supply chain consultants – book a 20 min chat  

⁠https://engage.unleashedsoftware.com/book-a-chat-global⁠  

 

 

It would be fair to say the art of traditional demand forecasting has been tested over the last few years and what was a reasonably straight-forward process has many now scratching their heads.  

More border regulations, macroeconomics, eCommerce growth and siloed data have contributed to muddying the waters. Failing to predict demand, or poor forecasting, can bloat inventory or create stock outs and dampen a brands’ confidence in their capacity to manage without stockpiles. 

But getting demand forecasting right can lead to better supplier relationships, increased customer satisfaction, and more capital to grow and scale your business without the need for surplus stock as a buffer. 

Join five SME manufacturing experts as they to unpack their approach to demand forecasting and share their challenges and best practice. 



Scan the highlights here: 



The Experts: 


Nicki Hawkins - Cost Accountant & Head of Purchasing – Ribeye Boats, Premium Leisure Boats in Dartmouth, Devon 


Mark Houghton - CEO Radical Cloud Solutions, our cloud solution specialist in Zimbabwe 


Katherine Rowlatt - Head of Operations for AFP Services Ltd, Business Services for Food and Drinks Brands based in Kettering 




John Toon - Senior Manager, Tech Advisory Lead, Beever and Struthers - Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors in Blackburn 


James Trevelyan - Business Director at Circle One Surf Co near Exeter 



In this episode, the panel discuss: 

 

4 mins – Quick fire – What does demand forecasting me to you? 

8 mins – Harnessing bottom-up data 

15 mins – Katherine in ePOS data and human intervention 

17 mins – Correlations between predictions and cash availability  - John

20 mins – Mark on data accuracy 

21 mins – This is a team sport, don't let the accountant take over 

23 mins - Top-down curve balls 

25 mins – James’s pre-season forecast musings 

28 mins – Juggling long- and short-term planning 

30 mins - Nicki: Keep challenging the numbers 

33 mins – How are we shielding margins? Or are we?  

39 mins – ALC and FX tips from John 

41 mins – Small changes can have a big impact - Nicki 

44 mins – NPD and Promotions 

53 mins – Supplier relationships and China insights 

61 mins - One piece of parting advice for those struggling with their demand forecasting 

 

To watch the chat or scan the take-aways 

https://www.unleashedsoftware.com/blog/scr-demand-forecasting 

 

What is Demand Planning? [The Ultimate 2023 Guide] 

https://www.unleashedsoftware.com/blog/what-is-demand-planning 

 

Our latest Cash Flow and Over Stock Report 

https://www.unleashedsoftware.com/blog/cash-flow-overstock-report 

 

Talk to one of our supply chain consultants – book a 20 min chat 

https://engage.unleashedsoftware.com/book-a-chat-global 

 

Product businesses are holding more stock than ever before, creating new cash flow problems for manufacturers. In our latest Supply Chain Roundtable, four supply chain experts share their advice on avoiding insolvency during turbulent times.



Scan the highlights here:


Lauren Du Plooy: 14+ years of accounting experience, Partner at Rae and Associates – specialists in cloud-based accounting
James Ewing: Procurement Manager at Renewable Parts Ltd. with 20+ years of supply chain experience
Darren Glanville: Country Manager UK & EMEA at Fathom – a technology and data-led finance partner that builds and runs smart finance functions
Tim Wright: Founder of two medical equipment manufacturing companies and currently MD of Langcroft Consultancy – specialists in digital transformation

In this episode:

3 mins – Quick fire

8 mins – Cash being held up in stock

16 mins – Innovation off the bat of the current climate

18 mins – Production efficiencies

21 mins – Learnings from load shedding in South Africa

23 mins – Planning and Average Landed Costs

26 mins – Don’t be lonely, network and collaborate

32 mins – Credit and getting paid faster

40 mins – Supplier relationships, call-off orders

47 mins – Data driven supply chain

60 mins – How to improve business visibility

65 mins – Pricing and margins

72 mins – A year from now...

77 mins – New equipment considerations



Watch the roundtable or scan the take-aways

7 Ways to improve cashflow in a manufacturing business

Talk to one of our supply chain consultants – book a 20 min chat