Is your supply chain holding you back?
Most SMEs face similar challenges in managing their supply chains, including limited resources, lack of visibility, and outdated or deficient processes. These often translate to symptoms like excess stock, high scrap rates, and inefficiencies that impact productivity and profitability.
Your Supply Chain can seem like a complex web, full of risks, unidentified waste and hidden costs. Imagine transforming it into a strategic asset that drives your business forward… Many tried and tested methodologies exist that can bring about the needed improvements and even full transformations.
You may already be very aware of the supply chain issues that are holding your business back. Or maybe, you can clearly see the symptoms but are unsure about the underlying sources. In that case, an assessment of your operations can uncover the root causes and identify your opportunities for improvement.
Either way, resolving your supply chain issues in a structural way will nearly always give a substantial pay-out for years to come!
Realistic goals and implementations
Many industrial improvement projects struggle to implement overly complex solutions. Aiming for a ‘gold standard’ solution is often not practical, or even beneficial, for most SME’s. Overambitious goals are one of the main reasons why 70% of projects fail. (By the way, all of these can be avoided!)
It is vital to stick to essential, pragmatic applications of proven concepts, with a focus on cost, efficiency, agility, and transparency, that address your real needs and, most importantly, can be sustained over time.
The same goes for the implementation, which should be manageable within a realistic timeframe and budget, and with the available resources. This is the only way to get a fast and real return on your investment.
Importantly, for all improvements, securing your customers’ needs and continuity of service levels must always remain in focus, both as part of the defined objectives, and during transitions.
Why use a consultant ?
In the current light of increasing global supply disruption risks and sharply rising raw material costs and logistics costs, the need for operational resilience, efficiency, waste reduction and cost optimization has never been greater.
For most SMEs though, it is not realistic to acquire or build the internal resources and expertise needed to effectively optimize their operations – often, employing the temporary support of the right external expert is faster, more flexible, and significantly more cost effective.
Just make certain to select a consultant who will do everything to get you the needed results, not one who just gets you another PowerPoint deck with shiny recommendations.
Reach your sustainability goals
Supply chain processes will play a pivotal role in achieving sustainability goals. Supply chains encompass the entire lifecycle of products, from raw material extraction to production, transportation, and end-of-life disposal.
Each of these stages can have significant environmental impacts in terms of resource consumption, emissions, and waste generation. Therefore, optimizing supply chain processes can considerably reduce your environmental footprint.
For example, better planning processes significantly reduce excess stock and waste. And optimised inbound and outbound transportation and distribution plans directly reduce CO2 emissions.
Like these examples, many sustainable supply chain practices will also lead to cost savings. Efficient supply chains often translate to lower operational expenses, making many sustainability projects financially viable or even profitable.
