Supply chain

supply chain

Overview

Our team of supply chain experts has tackled the toughest supply chain strategy challenges and produced significant value for our clients. Our ability to combine cutting-edge digital technologies, deep domain expertise and a rich database of industry KPIs into highly effective, customized solutions makes us the perfect partner to collaborate with on your supply chain reinvention.

We not only integrate seven core capabilities, but augment that expertise with complementary skills and experience spanning change management, enterprise technology, digital transformation, and more.

Divergent Approach

Why think in terms of reinvention? Because incremental improvements are no longer enough.

The journey from suppliers at one end to customers at the other has many steps, and along the way there are any number of places where mistakes, delays, unnecessary costs, inefficiency, poor communication and missed opportunities can creep in. So it’s not surprising that most companies have supply chains that under perform, typically leaving 5 to 10 percentage points in potential gross margin gains—and often more—unrealized.

We provide the right mix of planning, technical expertise, specialized tools and ongoing engagement to bridge the gap between strategy and design, and ensure that your supply chain reaches its full, unconstrained potential.

service offerings

Supply Chain Reinvention

No matter where your company falls on the supply-chain maturity curve, Supply Chain Reinvention can help you become a leader.

And, we have helped companies in many different industries:

Conquer capacity constraints
Overcome margin pressure
Embrace the latest digital technologies
And fully align their supply chain capabilities with their strategic ambition.

Network Optimization

Companies often find themselves constrained by a complex manufacturing network. Assets, spin-offs and siloed investments are a common cause, as is the tendency to build expensive new plants to meet demand for a high-margin product. Complex regulations can pose a challenge, while asset- or plant-level throughput initiatives often fail to take into account the impact on the broader supply chain or manufacturing network.

The results can be devastating:

Poor service levels
Declines in perfect order rates
Low asset utilization
Skewed capacity-to-demand ratios
Frequent disruptions
Slow or expensive logistics

We can help you redesign your networks using a proven, repeatable approach that begins with a detailed assessment of the current state, an analysis of future demand and a definition of what full potential can look like.

Our approach generates impressive results that span Capex and gross margin improvements, shrink and logistics cost reductions, and significant improvements to service levels, inventory turns, customer satisfaction, and more.

Sales & Operations Planning

We believe there are three essential building blocks to sales and operations planning (S&OP):

It should begin with strategic translation, to make sure that your top business priorities inform the choices you make about your network and operational parameters.

It should integrate with your demand and supply planning.

And, it should rely on metrics, root-cause diagnostics, feedback loops, and a variety of other tools and data sources to support continuous improvement.

Our S&OP consulting expertise builds on those three elements by creating coordinated, cross-functional teams; applying clear governance and decision rights; integrating plans; connecting data systems; and developing the capability to identify the root causes of any problems or sources of underperformance

Inventory Management

Every supply chain has an “efficient frontier” that defines the trade-off between service level performance and inventory levels. Most companies don’t get as close to that frontier as they could, opting instead to carry too much inventory and pay the price in diminished service level performance.

We work with companies to optimize inventory management, first by getting you closer to the current efficiency frontier and then by helping you “shift the curve,” to achieve step-change improvements in inventory efficiency. We help you address multiple facets of your supply chain design and operations, including planning, purchasing, manufacturing, distribution, product portfolio and your manufacturing network.

We also work with you to integrate digital capabilities across your supply chain.

Transportation & Logistics

Becoming a leader in transportation and logistics requires finding the right balance between cost, investment and service levels based on segment need.

We help companies do that through an approach that includes three major elements.

Strategy translation

Determine optimal service levels based on customer needs and your overall strategy for customer service and logistics.

Network optimization

Evaluate resource sharing across units, and make critical decision about whether and what to own versus outsourcing to a 3PL.

Customer service and logistics excellence

Optimize the order-to-cash process and the warehousing and transport components of your logistics operations.

We also inject state-of-the-art digitization and automation technologies wherever they produce value, and help your teams acquire the capabilities they need to support continuous improvement