CARGOCONNECT-MAY23 - Flipbook - Page 56
KARAN VOHRA
LEAD– SCM AND CUSTOMER SERVICE –
NORTH INDIA AND NEPAL
COLGATE-PALMOLIVE
“It’s not that the importance of agility, customisation in supply
chain were not being realised and embedded prior to 2020, what
has evolved is the capability to fail, and bounce back. At Colgate,
our end-to-end supply chain from procurement to last-mile
delivery to the end customer has put in place robust business
continuity plans to manage contingency. With that, the edge
that we gain in supply chain resilience and flexibility keeps us
prepared to manage geopolitical standoffs and hyperinflation.
We have segmented all potential red flag risk areas extending
up to suppliers in order to have backups and alternates ready.
What’s more, we have rationalised over dependency on imports
from a particular geography. Our manufacturing plants have been
capable of producing almost the entire portfolio in case of any
unforeseen situation that might occur with any other facility. Our
strong network of warehouses across India services to customers/
stockists, who in turn reach out to 1.7 million stores directly with
an indirect coverage of product availability at around 6.5 million
stores. The source to customer mapping can be altered if the need
to ensure product supply continuity arises.”
G
enesis and Operations of a market leader
WE NEED TO
ANTICIPATE ALL
POTENTIAL RISKS IN
A TIMELY MANNER
AND MAKE QUICKER
DECISIONS
56 | CARGOCONNECT MAY 2023
The brand Colgate is synonymous with the Oral
Care category in India. The parent company is
headquartered at New York and was founded in 1806
and operates in more than 200 countries worldwide.
The journey of its inception in India began in 1937
and through more than eight decades of its existence,
the company has sustained its leadership with a
vision to bring smiles and embrace new possibilities.
Building a flexible supply chain in times of uncertainty
It’s not that the importance of agility, customisation in supply
chain were not being realised and embedded prior to 2020, what
has evolved is the capability to fail, and bounce back. For a robust
continuum, we need to anticipate all potential risks in a timely
manner and make quicker decisions. In the wake of any crisis,
this becomes paramount and thanks to the technology and IT
evolution and internet penetration, this is now possible even from
our hand-held devices.
At Colgate, our end-to-end supply chain from procurement
to last-mile delivery to the end customer has put in place robust
business continuity plans to manage contingency. With that, the
edge that we gain in supply chain resilience and flexibility keeps us
prepared to manage geopolitical standoffs and hyperinflation. We have
segmented all potential red flag risk areas extending up to suppliers
in order to have backups and alternates ready. What’s more, we have