Todd Barker MBA/BSME

Align production and shipments to preempt Q1 supply chain shocks Q1 can make or break your revenue. Many sellers lose sales before they even start WHY? All because of supply chain shocks. → Step 1: Align production early Plan your orders now to avoid delays from post-holiday backlogs. → Step 2: Time shipments strategically Ensure inventory lands before high-demand periods, protecting both availability and ranking. → Step 3: Protect the Buy Box Out-of-stock or delayed shipments can cost you visibility and top-of-search placement. → Step 4: Monitor and adjust Keep tabs on inventory, sales velocity, and restock triggers to avoid surprises. The key? Proactive planning beats reactive panic. Q1 wins go to the brands that anticipate, not the ones that scramble. Best, Afrasiab Khan CEO — Extreme Branding #AmazonFBA #Q1Launch #SupplyChainStrategy #AmazonGrowth #PrivateLabel #BuyBoxProtection #EcommerceStrategy #ScalingBrands

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Is the wide-world of purchasing actually open to the average #SterileProcessing decision maker? Or is it really a supply chain or GPO-driven multiple choice question? 👉 "You can go with Vendor A, B, or C...but Vendor D 'is not on contract.'" On this clip from my "Why I Buy" interview series, Nicholas Day, BS, LSSGB, CRCST, CHL, CIS, CER and I were talking about the industry trends driving much of SPD's scope of decisions AND how department leaders can at least influence, if not control their options when it comes to accessible vendors. One of the topics I'd love to talk about more is the "contract compliance" piece of all this, but we'll save that for another time and another interview. Nick's full interview with SPD buyer intelligence drops tomorrow on the "Why I Buy" newsletter right here on Linkedin! https://lnkd.in/gNvwgNqA HT: Beyond Clean, Healthcare HQ #SterileProcessing #BuyerInsights

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Navigating the supply chain can often feel like threading the eye of a needle. One pattern I've identified through years of supplier management is the chronic issue of late parts that aren't surfaced until after the promise dates have already passed. This has far-reaching implications: • Slows down the entire production process. • Increases costs due to overtime and rush orders. • Creates workplace frustration and impacts morale. The key to alleviating this problem: Transparency. Implore suppliers to report potential floor-level misses as soon as they occur, not when dashboard updates reflect them. This real-time information can streamline schedules, decrease unforeseen costs, and improve team morale. How are you encouraging transparency from your suppliers? What practices have helped you lessen the impact of late parts in your production process? Let's share our experiences and learn from one another.

When progress is good, suppliers usually report numbers. When it is not, some report adjectives. “On track.” “Almost complete.” “Should dispatch soon.” These phrases sound reassuring, but they do not help a buyer make a decision. A useful update says what has been completed, what remains, who owns the next action, which risk exists and when the next milestone will be achieved. Good reporting is not surveillance. It is how two companies prevent surprises from becoming disputes. Never accept an adjective where a number should be. What is the vaguest project update you have received? #SupplyChain #ProjectManagement #SupplierCommunication

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Most inventory conversations never make it to the boardroom. They get filed under "supply chain ops" — delegated down, buried in the budget, treated as someone else's problem. But a company carrying 20% more inventory than it needs is quietly funding that excess with capital that could be working harder elsewhere. These are the 5 questions that change the conversation. Swipe → #SupplyChain #CFO #WorkingCapital #InventoryManagement #Algo

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In supply chain, we’ve normalized chaos. Late PO? Escalate it. Supplier didn’t confirm a PO? Send three follow-ups. Production risk? Pull everyone into a meeting. But most “emergencies” could be avoided. Real urgency should be rare. If your team stopped chasing supplier POs tomorrow, what would break first? #SupplyChain #Procurement #Operations #Manufacturing #OperationalExcellence

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Volatility didn’t create margin loss. It exposed it. Tariffs. Material swings. OEM volume shifts. These didn’t break supplier margins, they revealed how fragile they already were. Suppliers who protect margin don’t react faster. They see earlier. Where assumptions drift. Where recovery is assumed. Where programs absorb cost silently. 👉 See the early margin signals suppliers miss: https://hubs.li/Q041Dt3K0

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