Services
We partner with you to build winning supply chain strategies that deliver sustainable competitive advantages
Supply Chain Assessments & Strategies
Create a demand-driven, resilient supply chain that drives competitive advantage.
Our assessments evaluate the structure, processes, workflows, tools and resources of the extended supply chain, from planning to delivery/returns; identify gaps that may exist; and provide a roadmap for improvement. In addition to recommendations, we partner with managers and teams to develop & implement informed, data driven SCM strategies.
We start by collaboratively defining key questions (goals/outcomes) with our clients, which drive the scope of each assessment. Our assessments evaluate and rate the current state and determine a target future state. We define areas of improvement and action plans. We then guide and assist supply chain teams through strategy development & implementation. Assessments and strategies cover:
- Demand analysis & management
- Network analysis
- Planning methodologies
- Performance metrics
- Sourcing strategies and processes
- Risk Management
- Analytics
Category (Spend) Management
Capability & Category Assessments: To ensure that a supply management team is effectively positioned to deliver sustained value, it is important to periodically assess its processes, activities and deliverables. Our assessments evaluate the tasks teams perform, the processes, tools and resources they utilize, and the strategies they deploy. Assessments can be conducted at a broader organization level or on specific categories. The assessment report with details of the analysis, identifies gaps and opportunities, and provides a roadmap for implementation of improvements. .
Strategy Development: Delivering sustained value requires documented and up-to-date category management strategies. We partner with managers and teams to develop informed, data driven strategies across the spectrum of category management activities, from sourcing to price, risk and relationship management.
Ensure the spends on products and services are being effectively managed
We conduct a detailed assessment of specific categories to evaluate the effectiveness of current spend management activities. It includes an examination of existing market intelligence, sourcing strategies, cost knowledge, cost management efforts; and the processes, tools and resources used to deliver savings. The category is then given a rating based on a gap analysis with an outline plan identifying areas and steps for improvement.
Beyond the assessments, we partner with individual category managers to develop and implement robust category management strategies. We provide them with the process, templates and tools; and coach them through the analyses and steps required to develop the strategies. Examples of the areas we can assist with include: make vs. buy evaluations, demand analysis, TCO modeling, supply market analyses, value-chain mapping, risk assessments, sourcing strategies, supplier selection, price analysis, supplier negotiations, performance metrics and supplier relationship management (SRM).
Analytics
We help supply chain managers conduct in-depth analyses of supply chain costs and supplier prices utilizing a variety of cost modeling techniques and methodologies. These models build the foundation for informed supply chain strategies, sourcing decisions and spend management.
We partner with supply chain managers to develop strong analytics that help propel effective data-driven decisions. We help teams gather appropriate cost and market data, and construct models to effectively understand and manage overall supply chain costs. Our analytics include:
- Supply chain cost-to-serve models
- Landed cost models
- Price benchmarking
- TCO models
- Make vs. Buy Analyses
- Supplier price estimation and determination
- Pricing structure analyses
- Escalation and de-escalation mechanisms
Supplier Relationship Management
Using education, assessments, workshops and collaboration, we help supply managers and teams design, nurture, and manage effective relationships with their supply chain stakeholders, and leverage those relationships to maximize value.
Our Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) services help teams develop truly value driven relationships with their suppliers and internal stakeholders. They include:
- Relationship health assessments to gauge the current state of supplier relationships.
- Supplier surveys to gauge the perceptions suppliers have of the supply management team. These surveys provide valuable feedback on areas where the team excels, and those where improvement is needed.
- Internal customer surveys to obtain feedback from internal stakeholders on the work and value of the supply management team. The feedback provided in these surveys is crucial to developing and enhancing the “brand” of the supply management function within the company.
- Facilitation of focus groups & working sessions to evaluate and remedy issues and gaps identified in the surveys.
Facilitation of process improvement workshops, programs and initiatives with key supply chain stakeholders. Cross-functional and cross-organizational teams develop and evaluate a number of value improvement ideas and create actions plans to deliver direct bottom line results. These programs and workshops deliver actionable strategies, and can provide very significant returns (10X to 100X) on investment.
Analytical Center of Excellence
The quality of any strategy is critically dependent on the base of knowledge upon which it is built. The base of knowledge must not only be developed with sound data, it must also be kept current with continual monitoring of markets and suppliers. Effective category management strategies require analyzing and monitoring pricing trends, market capacity, internal needs, supplier costs, regulatory changes and a host of other factors. Developing the expertise to build and maintain this knowledgebase in-house can pay off handsomely.
We manage the creation and establishment of an internally staffed Center of Excellence (COE) within the supply management organization that supports the research and analytical needs of supply/category managers. It will gather, interpret and analyze relevant data, and provide teams with timely market and supplier intelligence and reports to guide their category strategies. The program will establish market, cost and supplier analysis as a core competency and key value deliverable. We assist by:
- Organizing the COE team
- Establishing and deploying appropriate processes
- Identifying and deploying appropriate resources and tools
- Developing the skills and capability of the team
- Evaluating projects and creating a project pipeline
- Project management