Supply Chain Lessons from Disney: What if we looked at supply chain management through the lens of Walt Disney?
Discovering Another Side of Disney
I remember the first time I went to Disney World. I was 10 years old. My mom, dad, brother, sister and I made the 16.5-hour drive from New Jersey to visit my grandparents who were staying in Kissimmee. I was excited to visit Disney, but I only have two clear memories: the Mickey ears I purchased and my brother’s trying to order the most expensive item on the menu every time we ate out. I’m a little embarrassed to admit that Disney wasn’t too memorable the first time around, but I’m happy to say my most recent visit was a little different. This time, for a supply chain conference.
As a new addition to Arkieva and the supply chain world, participating at SAPinsider SCM and Logistics 2017 was exciting for me. My goal for the week was to learn how to we can better serve our customers and educate professionals within the industry.
As the new guy in town, I’m still learning the basics. There’s so much information, and as I dig deeper, I get more impressed by the things people are doing to make supply chains better around the world. An excellent example of this is Disney.
Supply Chain Lessons from Disney
Think outside the box. The Disney Corporation is a universe that was created from the imagination of one man who was eager to change the world through entertainment. On the outside, we see theme parks, movies, retails stores, and our favorite characters. But the truth is; we can enjoy Walt’s visions today because of supply chain excellence. To attain supply chain excellence businesses, must think outside the box with their supply chain operations.
[tweetshare tweet=”Look at your supply chain as an investment and not an expense.” username=”Arkieva”]
Look at your supply chain as an investment and not an expense. There wouldn’t be a theme park if they didn’t have building materials to construct the rides, didn’t have delicious food to serve visitors in their restaurants, or the resources to keep the park running. There wouldn’t be a retail store if they didn’t have products to sell, and there wouldn’t be movies if they didn’t have the technology to create incredible animations. In other words, Disney wouldn’t be the powerful engine they are today if it weren’t for the time and money they and others invested in their supply chains. At the end of the day, all supply chain improvement efforts should be viewed as a long-term business investment that provides a better, collaborative supply chain network for everyone.
[ Learn More: Collaborative Demand Planning With Arkieva ]I have many key takeaways from my first couple weeks at Arkieva, but none sticks out more than the impact supply chains have on our quality of life. Everything we buy, whether it’s food, clothing, something to sleep on, the car we drive, the books we read, are the results of a functioning supply chain. Every day companies are working to cut costs and make their processes better so that you and I can have the things we need to live. I think that’s why I have so much joy working for a company like Arkieva because what we do is benefitting people around the globe. We help manufacturing companies solve complex supply chain problems so they can provide their customers with quality products when they need them the most. There’s nothing more satisfying for me than to know that I’m part of a team and industry that works every day to make our lives better.
This is what Disney has been doing for almost a century, and I think it’s a great way to approach our roles as supply chain professionals.
What if we looked at supply chain management through the lens of Walt Disney?
Would we be better prepared to take care of our customers and drive our industry forward?
Would we be more willing to collaborate and push our industry to dream big?
