We all know that whenever supply chain challenges are discussed or assessed, inevitably human resources or lack of capacity comes up as one of the key bottlenecks. Nearly always the response is to include more training in whatever improvement plan is being developed. But is a pure lack of capacity really the issue here? Are we really saying that logisticians, pharmacists, doctors and nurses who have gone through years of higher education and are saving lives in circumstances where one has to constantly improvise and stretch one’s imagination to the fullest, lack the capacity to understand or complete basic supply functions like entering information into a stock register? After all we effectively run supply chains in our homes, we forecast what we need based on consumption, procure at the best value for our money, store it in the right place, distribute it when needed and monitor our supplies to ensure they do not run out. So is it really a lack of capacity that is at the root cause of human resource issues?
