Administration
It may not be a glamorous subject but deficiencies in administration probably lead
to more supply chain interruptions than any other cause. Supplying components and
systems to numerous customers in many countries on a 'just-in-time' basis certainly
puts a supplier’s administration system to the test, yet often these systems have
failed to keep pace with customer requirements. Another factor is that large customers
typically impose elements of their own administration systems onto their suppliers,
and therefore companies such as Blackthorn which deal with several large OEM’s need
to customise their own procedures in order to interact efficiently with their customers.
At Blackthorn we thoroughly overhauled our administration system in 2008/9 prior
to obtaining ISO9001:2008 approval, with the result that our procedures are tailor-made
for the current demanding marketplace.
