SHOW SUMMARYIn this episode of What the Duck?! Another Supply Chain Podcast experienced supply chain expert Greg Manhire delves into the challenges and solutions of managing direct materials procurement. From his time at Amazon Devices to his current endeavors, Greg shares his journey from grappling with manual spreadsheets and shortages to building a sophisticated MRP system. He reveals the complexities of scaling reverse logistics and how strategic partnerships turned failure into success. The episode underscores the importance of collaboration, innovation, and technology in modern supply chain management. Tune in to learn from Greg's unique experiences and gain insights into optimizing procurement processes. SHOW HIGHLIGHTSGreg’s Background in Supply Chain Management Initial Challenges Encountered at Amazon Devices Rapid Growth of Device Production at AmazonShortages of Critical Parts and the Impact of These Failures Building an MRP and Replenishment System Custom Solutions and Complexity of Minimizing Shortages The Rarity of Building Something from Scratch MOMENTS TO DUCK AROUNDGREG: Managing Inventory Without Forecasts “I walked into the first day on the job and was basically handed about six spreadsheets for six different fulfillment centers or third-party repair vendors and said, "Here's our inventory, go replenish it." You know, no forecasts. I had to go look up BOMs, had to figure out who the suppliers were. It clearly was not going to scale, and we probably had 10 or 20 devices we may have been managing in the beginning, which, as you've seen the amount of devices coming out of Amazon Prime Day, it's multiplied probably 10x since I started there eight years ago. So, it wasn't scaling, and reverse logistics, as I think we've talked before on a previous show, is much more difficult than just manufacturing.” GREG: Transforming Failure Into Success “The amount of shortages that we had, I didn't say it went to zero, but it was down to the point of being minuscule and not interrupting production. And we got to the point of actually measuring misses of proactive planning. So, getting out of firefighting, but how many times should you have ordered something and you didn't, because we got to that level that we could trust the system and take it to the bank, essentially. Not many people get the opportunity to build something from scratch in their career, so pretty interesting”  Connect with Greg and learn what he’s been duckin’ around with:Greg Manhire |Amazon Web Services Connect with Sarah and find out more about what the duck she’s up toLinkedIn |Twitter |SourceDay |SourceDay.com Had fun with the podcast? Leave us a like, share our content, and subscribe! See you soon on the next episode of What The Duck?!