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Home » Authors » Howard Coleman
Howard Coleman

Howard Coleman

Howard Coleman is the Principal of MCA Associates, a management consulting firm since 1986. MCA Associates works primarily with wholesale distribution companies that are seeking and are committed to operational excellence. Coleman and his staff of senior consultants provide operational excellence — idea-leadership — and implement continuous improvement solutions focused on business process re-engineering, inventory and supply chain management, sales development and revenue generation, information systems and technology, and organizational assessment and development.

Howard is also the creator of the podcast "Distribution on the Cusp of Metamorphosis."

MCA Associates can be contacted at their corporate office in Connecticut at (203) 906-7268 or by email at hcoleman@mcaassociates.com. Visit their website at www.mcaassociates.com.

Articles

ARTICLES

TW1122_business success-innovation-reinvention.jpg
Performance Management

Don’t Call It Innovation: Burst That Bulb, Part 2

Why not reinvent your company?
November 4, 2022
Howard Coleman
No Comments

In Part 1, I posited that innovation is something completely new or different being introduced that changes the marketplace — it’s one and done. 


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TW1022_exploding-lightbulb.jpg
Performance Management

Don’t Call It Innovation: Burst That Bulb, Part 1

You may mean improvement, but your employees will hear alarm bells. It’s time to stop using the word.
October 3, 2022
Howard Coleman
No Comments

Research suggests that people react negatively to the word innovation. Some companies seem to be finding that using other terms helps employees engage more with the process.


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TW0722_robotic arm in warehouse.jpg
Performance Management

Four Key Success Factors for Human-Robot Collaboration

Distribution-focused operations are seeking to automate workflow operations and reduce the transaction costs of labor and time.
July 4, 2022
Howard Coleman
No Comments

The use of robots is quickly evolving, especially in distribution-focused operations. 


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TW0422_smart-inventory-management-system.jpg
Performance Management

Supply Chain Troubles: What Have We Learned So Far? Part 2

With some creative thinking, our future supply chains can be more efficient and resilient while becoming more collaborative.
April 1, 2022
Howard Coleman
No Comments

In Part 1 of this column we examined the concept of just-in-time inventory management amid major supply-chain disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the devasting effects of last year’s Winter Storm Uri


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TW0322_global-supply-chain.jpg
Performance Management

Supply Chain Troubles: What Have We Learned So Far? Part 1

If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s that supply chains need to change.
March 1, 2022
Howard Coleman
No Comments

We’ll explore a series of questions in this month’s column. 


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TW1221_butterfly.jpg
Performance Management

10 Commandments of Today’s Sustainable Company

What separates companies that survive from the others is the ability to proactively reinvent to stay relevant in the marketplace.
December 6, 2021
Howard Coleman
No Comments

Being sustainable is not just about being “green” — or only about sustainable supply chains. 


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TW1021_iceberg.jpg
Performance Management

Business Reinvention: Distribution on the Cusp of Metamorphosis

We all need healthy cycles of planned renewal because consistency ultimately builds a culture of reinvention.
October 5, 2021
Howard Coleman
No Comments

You know, for me, the last 18-plus months have felt like a science fiction movie. Hasn’t it? 


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TW0721_strategic-thinking.jpg
Performance Management

Tactical Vs. Strategic: Which Drives Your Metamorphosis Best?

Whether execution and firefighting will serve tomorrow’s distribution managers is still very much up in the air.
July 2, 2021
Howard Coleman
No Comments
Execution and firefighting historically were highly valued skills. Whether those same skills will serve tomorrow’s distribution managers is still very much up in the air.
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TW0421_warehouse-automation.jpg
Performance Management

Distribution Is on the Cusp of Metamorphosis

Adopt and employ these tips to create opportunities from disruption.
May 7, 2021
Howard Coleman
No Comments

For as long as the term “metamorphosis” has been in use, distribution management has been characterized by tacticians, focused on ensuring that orders rolled and were filled. Execution and firefighting were highly valued skills.


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tw12_coleman
Performance Management

Safety Stock: Love It or Hate It? A Rebuttal

There’s a better way to recognize customer demand signals within your distribution network.
December 1, 2020
Howard Coleman
No Comments
An August article in the Wall Street Journal titled, “Why Are There Still Not Enough Paper Towels?” was extremely thought-provoking.
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