A team of supply chain scientists is working on developing solutions for global company supply networks from a holistic perspective. Their approach involves incorporating supply chain data, design, planning, execution, and a visibility layer. They use quick model-building techniques to create reproducible and repeatable procedures, making it easy for users to transition from raw data to implementation. The team has developed several ideas that explain different alterations that organizations can make to improve their performance using this scientific technique.
What is the Goal for You and Your Team when Working with a Company?
Our goal is to create a graphic display of the best solution to increase a company’s return on investment. We work with our clients to model and test various supply chain scenarios and provide them with multiple options based on the collected data. We simulate different scenarios to analyze the impact of alterations on the supply chain and determine the best approach for our clients. For instance, we can add or remove facilities and evaluate how they affect the overall supply chain costs. Our objective is to help our clients achieve their business objectives through the best possible solutions.
After that, we’ll estimate how these scenarios might affect other operational variables.
What sets this team apart from regular engineering teams is that most customers do not know which aspects of their supply chain need to be improved. The team begins its study with this open approach, much like other scientific processes where data is analyzed and theories are generated. There is a need to improve supplies. The team begins its study with this open approach, much like other scientific processes where data is analyzed and theories are generated. There is a need to improve supplies. The team begins its study with this open approach, much like other scientific processes where data is analyzed and theories are generated.
How Often Should Companies Reassess Their Supply Chain?
Every company is unique due to the complexity of its network. You must re-evaluate the individual components of these networks at different frequencies. For example, you should examine a company’s whole supply chain network every six months to a year to assess performance and identify areas for improvement. On the other hand, a customer should check into the variables of their operations, such as transportation, more regularly. If a firm owns assets and maintains a private fleet, it should review the usage and performance of such assets every two to three months.
What Main Changes Might a Business Undergo that Should Warrant a Supply Chain Analysis?
Many events can occur when firms evolve and their business climate changes, necessitating a supply chain study. Any corporate expansion, such as mergers and acquisitions or expansion into new markets, should, for example, prompt a supply chain study. Physical inventory changes can affect the entire network, such as product introductions, phase-outs, or changes to a product’s BOM. External influences, such as significant spikes or fuel price drops, are worth investigating. In these instances, it is preferable to
What are the Most Common Data Sources?
Each business and challenge has its own set of data sources. ERP and current transportation or warehouse management systems usually handle data aggregation. Large and small businesses may lack appropriate data or may not even recognize they require more. Fortunately, this shouldn’t prevent them from working with supply chain scientists since 3PLs may help them cover data gaps and enhance their future data collection.
What do You Notice are the Biggest Challenges for a Business?
In my opinion, the most challenging difficulty for organizations is getting and working with data in general. Businesses that continue to use spreadsheets to evaluate their supply chains and coordinate operations via email lack sufficient traceability and visibility. More advanced methods are available for organizations to optimize their processes, such as utilizing technologies like transportation management systems. One issue I’ve noticed in the sector is that there appears to be increasing pressure to save expenses through negotiating rates with carriers. Companies may be surprised to learn that the geographic location of a company’s facilities accounts for around 80% of supply chain expenditures. Businesses could successfully access a more significant percentage of their consumer market and dramatically improve their return on investment by shifting the site of a fulfillment center in numerous instances.
What Advice Would You Give to a Company Unsure of Its Optimal Performance?
Hiring a logistics service provider or consulting firm would be an excellent first step. A corporation can benefit from personal experience, but logistics service providers can benefit from managing large-scale operations with several customers. A logistics service provider might use shared resources and share success stories in certain situations. Businesses must be proactive in their supply chain design, which may require looking outward. The supply chain industry has a skills scarcity, and outsourcing can help organizations better exploit talent and other resources. We can be considered an extension of a company’s teams. By partnering, companies can acquire insight into multiple views and the potential for progress.