Affirmation

CIOP is an end-to-end supply chain training and certification program designed and developed by supply chain practitioners and consultants. The syllabus was developed in consultation with the industry, which led to Inventory Management Body of Knowledge (IMBoK v3.0). Most of the class discussions you will hear cannot be found in any textbook rather these are all the original contribution from the developers of CIOP. For example, think about the types of inventories such as raw material, work-in-process and finished goods. Out of these three, WIP is the most difficult to sell in the market and that is one of the reasons, WIP should be controlled well. The company has a built-in capability and capacity to sell finished goods, which is their business. The second easy to sell are the raw materials as you know the suppliers, who may either buy-back or at least guide you. But in case of WIP, this is custom manufactured to suit your manufacturing processes and may not well fit any other organisation, hence you may have to sell it as a scrap.

The concept of the "New Product Syndrome" is a critical component to the adoption of an efficient Supply Chain Management strategy. In recent years, the use of new technology in the form of RFID labeling has become commonplace. This technology allows for bar codes to be put on the items that are picked up at the manufacturing plant. 

Once the items have been identified as having been picked up at that particular facility, the production staff is then instructed as to where they should pick up the items from the warehouse. Having an exact knowledge of the location of the warehouse minimizes the amount of time that items sit in inventory, improves the ability to quickly move merchandise and avoids overtime costs.

Companies who embrace New Product Syndrome use affirmations as a means of encouraging their staff members to adopt the positive characteristics associated with the new technology, as well as motivating them to work creatively and productively. Positive statements such as "I am using RFID labels to monitor the products in my warehouse," "my team is using new technology to deliver items faster to my store," and "my manufacturing plant is utilizing RFID tags to better track the perishable items in my storage unit" are all examples of Affirmation statements. The use of Affirmation statements can be as simple as a brief sentence added at the end of a presentation, or as complex as incorporating the statement into an annual employee development meeting or training program. The more elaborate the statement, the more impact it can have on company morale and the actual success of a company's New Product initiatives.

Implementing the use of positive affirmations in the workplace requires a bit of thought, training and implementation. In most cases, these types of statements will be used to encourage individuals to take action toward their goals. In order for the company to be successful, there must be a significant number of employees enthusiastic about the change that is taking place, in order for that change to become successful. Using positive affirmations, coupled with a general awareness of the positive attributes associated with a new technology, will have a significant impact on employee motivation and productivity and can help companies succeed where others have failed.

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