Inventory is a crucial and continuous concern for any firm that deals with physical goods. As a result, most businesses will need to know their overall costs, losses, and profit margins in order to ensure they are functioning effectively.
Many small businesses keep their inventory at a third-party’s storage facility to cut costs. They can benefit from a supply chain consultant (or a logistician) who is an expert in vendor and inventory management to assist with internal warehouse management of the company’s externally stored products.
When inventory and/or vendor management become difficult or time-consuming, many firms will seek assistance from a supply chain consultant. The consultant can either take control of the storage vendor’s administration and handling or offer advice on how to improve business procedures.
As their name would suggest, supply chain consultants are supply chain experts who get tasked with streamlining processes and improving efficiency in logistics for organizations. They do this by taking on a leadership role in supply chains, supply networks, or supply systems to optimize supply flow. If you’re looking to improve your supply chain management strategy, then it may be time to talk to a supply chain consultant!
What Is Supply Chain Consulting?
If you’re a business leader or senior manager at a firm that doesn’t usually hire management consultants, or if you’ve never worked with them before, you might be wondering why you’d ever need to. But every company faces problems or difficulties for one reason or another that are simply beyond its capacity to address internally alone.
When problems arise in your company’s supply chain, a management consulting partner can quickly identify the issues, provide cost-effective and seamless solutions, as well as ensure a successful implementation. This will easily save your organization far more than the typical consulting charges.
There are, of course, certain strategies and procedures for collaborating with management consulting firms that if used, will ensure you get the most out of the relationship.
Most supply chain consultants have substantial expertise managing multiple vendors, managing freight expenses for shipments, procurement, and even price negotiation. Many supply chain consultants are also members of respected organizations and hold certifications or have acquired a variety of qualifications in the field to demonstrate their devotion to enhancing and updating their logistics and supply chain knowledge over time.
What Do Supply Chain Management Consultants Do?
The ability to rapidly assess inventory costs and develop strategies to lower them is the most important benefit that a supply chain consultant can give a business. This may take many forms, including reducing vendor choices, increasing purchase amounts, and taking advantage of scale economies in pricing and shipping expenses.
Many supply chain and logistics experts are well-versed in vendor consolidation, which is beneficial to many firms large and small. A consultant with the skills to choose the most effective inventory management system for a customer will be highly sought after.
Supply chain activity and logistics operations experts usually utilize a variety of best practices to integrate an inventory management system that will complement their client firm’s market, industry, clients, and overall business philosophy. It equips the firm with a toolkit of solutions to reduce ongoing inventory and logistics costs, and assist in increasing overall profitability. They do this by matching up an inventory management approach that will match their customer organization’s market, industry, customers, and general business philosophy.
What Are The Responsibilities of a Supply Chain Consulting Firm?
A consulting firm will usually work with supply chain managers and decision-makers. Consultants will be able to provide supply chain solutions for a company or organization’s supply chain process, as well as offer advice on different supply issues that may arise throughout the year.
A consulting organization can also help companies develop new strategies involving logistics planning, risk management, demand planning, purchasing, and procurement, among other operational processes. If you are interested in learning more about what supply chain consultants do then continue reading below!
When it comes to working with their clients, these professionals strive hard to build strong relationships through transparency and communication – not only between their clients but within all levels of stakeholders at the organization too. This is essential because they need buy-in from everyone and anyone who could affect the success of achieving the company’s business goals.
Not all consultants provide the same services. Some may specialize in some areas while others will focus on others. That said, here are several examples of supply chain consultant duties and responsibilities:
- Ensure that packaging SKUs are developed and implemented in a cost-effective manner.
- Manage all procurement processes and activities including RFPs, RFQs, RFIs, supplier management, and more.
- Oversee production and warehouse personnel, ensuring that DOD policies and corporate rules and regulations are followed while exceeding government nuclear facility audit requirements.
- Assist the company in the proper use of Request For Proposal (RFP) processes, negotiations, and a strategic sourcing strategy.
- Consult with customers on ways to use their ERP and SCM processes effectively to organize all of a firm’s resources.
- Create a strategy for improving supply chain logistics and supplier connections for the largest pieces of equipment.
- Improve supplier performance by using KPIs to measure performance. Encourage the sourcing and finance department to establish new KPI evaluation systems that will track commodity success.
- Perform a gap analysis to assess whether any changes to the planned WMS are required.
- Create, monitor, and report requirements for operational, systems, and technical logistics information architectures.
- Metrics are used to assess areas of opportunity and improvement in obsolete/excess material, invoice discrepancy resolution, and document change implementation.
- Collaborate with local assets on standards, performance measures, incident reviews, and corrective/preventive actions.
- Performs QA review of contracts for key negotiate concepts, terms and conditions, risk mitigation plan, and appropriate pricing mechanisms. To meet ISO requirements, standardize QC laboratory operations and reagent manufacturing processes.
- Manage production and warehouse teams to guarantee that DOD rules and regulations are followed as well as to exceed federal nuclear facility audit requirements.
As supply chain consultants, they also strive to provide their clients with insights into global supply chains and supply chain management. They will be able to help companies develop new strategies involving logistics planning, risk management, demand planning, purchasing, and procurement among other operational processes. They are experienced individuals who work on all levels of the organization including senior leadership.
How Graham Logistics Can Help
Graham Logistics Services offers consulting services to businesses looking for more efficient supply chain solutions. We evaluate, detect problems, and propose effective solutions for efficiency losses and service failures. In addition, we also provide supply chain services to our clients, including logistics management and warehousing. We help organizations through the transformation of their supply chains so that they can keep up with ever-changing global markets.
We use Six Sigma techniques and tools to enhance both our own performance and that of our customers. Six Sigma is a method that focuses on eliminating all process-related faults through a disciplined, data-driven approach. Our cost savings, claims handling, and delivery time have been reduced thanks to our own internal applications. We proudly provide the services of our Six Sigma team to help clients succeed in their overall success via continuous improvement.
Graham Logistics Services offers clients the opportunity to design a plan that covers every aspect of their processes, including content. We make certain that our services are aligned by employing a variety of methods, including:
- Supply Chain Analysis
- Network Modeling
- Technology Integration
Our Six Sigma methods help us evaluate and advise on particular supply chain solutions for our customers. To identify the sources of missing efficiency, we use a thorough examination of the client’s difficulties and the supply chain. Graham Logistics Services uses cutting-edge technology and transportation systems to reduce client costs while increasing delivery times.
We believe in the strength of accurate, sophisticated modeling to assist us to develop unique supply chain solutions. Our sophisticated models are then put to the test using cutting-edge software that enables us to map out improved, more practical methods.
We use modeling and testing to discover possible lost assets and efficiencies that clients may not realize until something worse happens. We choose the one that generates the most efficiency and cost savings for our clients after comparing strategy alternatives.
Our team of professionals is committed to offering the best shipping solutions. The Six Sigma approach, proven modeling techniques, and cutting-edge technologies provide us with the knowledge we need to get it right every time. We can effectively apply our unique services because of our large network, ensuring worldwide access for clients who want to do business without limits.
In addition, we also supply different supply chain strategies. We provide our clients with the tools and services they need to succeed by taking a proactive approach to their supply chains. Our team of logistics consultants, technology experts, and industry veterans help us offer exceptional service that businesses can rely on for success.
Lastly, we provide customized solutions designed just for your business’s needs—we do not use one-size-fits-all methods because no two supply chains are alike! Graham Logistics Services has many years of experience in supply chain consulting and is proud to offer the services of our Six Sigma team as well as many other initiatives meant specifically for you!For more information, feel free to contact us at your earliest convenience!
