Cycle time for moving material in the chain, preferably broken out by echelon. Inventory levels and bottlenecks along the chain, including those at suppliers and customers. This step will highlight candidates for applying lean technology. Document information flow. Information flow is an increasingly important component of the supply chain.
Competitive advantage is possible by improving information flow.
Decision points along the chain, including the people responsible for the decisions. An inventory of information exchange tools used to plan and control the process. These can include the information technology domain of computerized systems or lean approaches like kanbans. A listing of formal and informal contacts between supply chain participants. Document financial flow.