In a very small company one frequently encounters Jacks-of-all-Trades, who know almost everything that is going on in the company. They understand both the suppliers and the customers, they know the people in the company by name, they arrange production schedules and equipment maintenance. Without them the company would be paralysed. However, as the company grows these key players must be replaced by systems, which provide the same service. None is more important than the Supply Chain Management (SCM) function. They are the brain and spinal cord, i.e. the Central Nervous System, which must be able to guarantee that materials, spares and services are available at exactly the right place, in exactly the right quantity and at exactly the right time.

One such large, successful company is Sasol. Sasol is a leading global player in the petrochemical business, based in South Africa but with operations around the world. In early 2016 Sasol engaged CDI to introduce the Mini-Business^® model in Procurement teams in three centres, and has seen significant performance improvements in almost all of their key performance indicators. 2018 will see the process rolled out further into Demand Management teams in several centres. These critical players provide the link between the operational sites and the Procurement functions to ensure excellence in the supply chain. The first workshop is now behind us and we look forward to seeing the same success as was delivered in Procurement.