The Profitable and Safe Supply Chain Paper #1 (GFT-713A)

For consumer packaged goods companies, the smartest product strategies are double-edged swords: while diversifying product lines to capture market share in consumer micro-niches is a winning plan for growing revenue and margins, it creates challenges for operations, particularly in the areas of cost management and proof of quality, which is the foundation of a firm’s brand equity. Each new product line brings a new set of recipes, specifications, quality regimens and optimization challenges to the factory; in the face of increasing consumer and retailer concerns, manufacturers cannot be driven by choosing between cost and quality—they must have comprehensive operational strategies that address both.