Girl Scouts learn about the perils of product proliferation

They don't offer a badge for it, but Girl Scouts are learning about supply chain management and the perils of product proliferation. As reported in The Atlantic Online, Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) has launched a pilot program that will reduce the number of cookie varieties it sells. The aim is to eliminate the excess inventories of less-popular varieties accumulated by most scout councils and to sell more of the popular varieties like Thin Mints to achieve the same overall volume. GSUSA and its member organizations depend on cookie sales for the lion's share of their operating funds.

The Girl Scouts may even be cultivating a future crop of supply chain professionals. A GSUSA slide presentation included in the article touts the diesel fuel savings and more efficient truckloads resulting from packaging changes. "We teach the girls about supply chain issues and the need for efficiencies," Denise Pesich, vice president of communications, told The Atlantic's Derek Thompson.