We have been putting more effort again into our “Your Questions Answered” feature – the good news (and the bad news!) is that we are being hit with many questions. But we are gearing up to be able to execute this effectively and meet this obvious need. (See Your Supply Chain Questions Answered.)

We recently observed a small sub-theme emerging. We have been getting a large number of questions from the international operations (South America, Asia, the Middle East, etc.) of some very large companies, many asking some fairly basic questions.

That is not to say the questions necessarily have simple answers. For example, we recently received a question about how to make small lot runs in manufacturing more efficient. We received another that asked about some best practices with regards to Sales and Operations Planning. Another was around the effectiveness of different storage modes in the DC.

SCDigest has a growing international readership, and we love getting these questions. It is obvious there is an incredible thirst for knowledge in areas ranging from India to Dubai to South America.

But, the trend also has me wondering whether the home base is really doing enough to share what they know with their international operations.

I realize that just sharing info and knowledge domestically is a bit of a challenge for most companies. The company’s structure can also be a barrier to sharing and communication – if the international supply chain is under a different business unit (e.g., the “EMEA group, or whatever), not only can it be an obstacle to communications, in some cases the international groups may not even exactly welcome “advice” from the mother ship.

Still, I think there is something to this, and would encourage supply chain executives to do some investigating to see how well insight, knowledge, experience and learning, etc., are being shared around the company, certainly internationally but even domestically.

I asked my friend and contributing editor Gene Tyndall of Tompkins Associates about this issue, and he responded: “How right you are! For example, when I did the global logistics review for a major multi-national manufacturer in 2007, I found international silos larger than the China Wall. Conflicting objectives, independent P&Ls, limited sharing, no best practice knowledge sharing, etc."

In the mean time, we’ll keep busy answering those questions. BTW, we are looking for more experts to help us in this area. If you would like to “apply,” drop me a note at the Feedback button below.