Leaders' Blog

“When we lose process discipline and alignment between business functions, we have more disruption when we’re under pressure.”

— Andrew Faulkner, Tools, Process and Planning Manager - Alstom

Supply chain disruption has become a familiar challenge for manufacturers, but when pressure hits, the biggest risk may not be a lack of data, it is a loss of trust in the processes behind it.

Ahead of the Manufacturing Leaders’ Summit in November, Alstom Group’s Andrew Faulkner, spoke about supply chain visibility, collaboration and the importance of maintaining discipline when disruption strikes. His experience highlights how quickly organisations can move into “firefighter mode”, with teams adopting local workarounds and moving away from standard processes.

While these short-term solutions may help address immediate problems, they can create longer-term consequences. When teams stop following core processes and systems, the data being collected no longer accurately reflects how the operation is working. As a result, confidence in that data begins to disappear – and with it, the ability to make effective, timely decisions.

For Andrew, the answer is to strengthen process adoption and focus on exception management. Rather than overwhelming teams with information, organisations should use their systems to quickly identify where problems are occurring and enable teams to take action in real time.

Building that capability starts with trust. Empowering employees to make decisions based on reliable data gives them greater confidence to act, particularly during periods of disruption. But that trust depends on strong master data.

Master data sits at the foundation of manufacturing, supply chain and industrial processes. Establishing a single source of truth ensures that teams across different functions are working from consistent, reliable information. It also creates the foundation for more advanced technologies, including AI, to support better decision-making.

Ultimately, supply chain visibility is only as valuable as the data and processes behind it. By maintaining standardised processes, strengthening master data and empowering employees to act on trusted information, manufacturers can move from reactive firefighting towards more resilient, collaborative and data-driven supply chains.

Andrew Faulkner

Tools, Process and Planning Manager, Alstom