The problem: a good list is not a plan
Cross-functional workshops produced 72 proposed actions across three areas: store service, network expansion and culture. 42 of them were marked short-term. The feedback from management was clear: too many and too raw, with no estimate of time, dependencies or the people needed to deliver them.
From list to plan
- 72proposed actions
- 30new actions in the plan, in three waves
- 11in the first wave, started October 2023 to March 2024
Alongside 28 running projects, brought into the same plan.
The structure: one line from company priorities to each action
Every action had to trace back to a company priority or a supply chain objective. Actions that could not were dropped.
- Company priorities
The company's strategic priorities, the starting point for everything below
- Vision & mission
Where the supply chain is heading, and the role of its people in getting there
- Supply chain objectives
Four objectives, covering network growth, service to stores, people and sustainability
- Strategies
Replenishment · Fulfilment · Last mile · Employee value proposition · Ways of working · Training
- Actions
Each with a time horizon (up to 6, 7–18 or 19–36 months), a leader and the hours to deliver it; longer programmes on a separate track
The framework: 16 steps in four stages
Built to keep teams fast: clear steps, as few as possible, sessions of 15 to 65 minutes, and most of the work done in about three weeks.
Steps1–8
Clean the list
- Drop actions unrelated to the company priorities or supply chain objectives
- Reword each as the end result it must achieve
- Merge actions that describe the same thing
- Fix the time horizon: short 6, mid 18, long up to 36 months
- Assign each action to a department, at most two
- Add running projects that serve the same goals, then remove duplicates
OutputOne clean list on one structure
Steps9
Prioritise
- Value/effort matrix with Pareto logic: about 20% of actions for 80% of the value
- Members score individually; scores are averaged overall and per department
- Where departments disagree strongly, the department average counts
- Three scenarios for the final size: 10 to 25 actions, running projects included
OutputA ranked shortlist
Steps10–12
Schedule and assign
- Three-point estimate for each action: (worst + 4 × most likely + best) / 6
- A short-term action estimated over 8 months is re-planned to fit 6, or moves to mid-term; the same at 22 months for mid-term
- One leader per action, from the most relevant department
- The VP and direct reports review the list, with changes limited to 20%
OutputDates and a leader for every action
Steps13–16
Resource and launch
- A capacity balance sheet: manager hours per shift available beyond day-to-day work
- Action leaders request people and weekly hours against it
- Gaps under a third go ahead in an agile way; larger gaps go to the VP with details
- Capacity re-estimated four weeks in, and again in January
- Progress stated for every action, then a VP challenge session
OutputA plan the organisation can staff
What made it work
Traceable
Every action tied to a company priority or a supply chain objective, or dropped.
Honest about capacity
Running projects counted against the same hours; capacity measured in manager hours, not headcount.
Independent scoring
Individual scores, averaged; the department view when views diverged.
Review without restart
Management changes capped at 20%; escalation only for gaps above a third.
Governance
- Supply Chain VP
- Projects team
- An action leader for each action
Results
- 72 proposed actions became 30 new actions in three waves, in one plan with 28 running projects.
- The first wave of 11 actions started between October 2023 and March 2024, each with a leader, a time horizon and a kick-off date.
- One view of the whole portfolio: status, time horizon and progress for every project and action.
- Programmes longer than 36 months, in network, systems, automation and a low-emission fleet, set on a separate track.
Expected benefits set in the plan for 2024
≈€5.8mincome and savings
−1day of inventory on hand
Also: better on-shelf availability, a more responsive and resilient supply chain, and a lower carbon footprint.
The same sequence (trace, clean, prioritise, schedule, staff) works wherever a strategy workshop leaves more ideas than capacity.
Sources
The plan's working documents, 2023. Names and internal action lists are left out.
← Case studies