Supply Chain Consultants

Guide to Supply Chain Consultants

Utilize supply chain consultants to minimize your costs while maximizing efficiency and production
By A.S. White

If you work in manufacturing or distribution, you know that supply chain management can make or break your cost and production projections. If you have a break in your supply chain, it can cripple your business. If you have an excess of material incoming, you'll have storage costs well beyond your budget. That's why it's important to bring in a supply chain consultant to help you plan for your company's logistical needs.

Professionals working in supply chain consulting are well-versed in how to meet the needs of businesses such as yours. While working as a SCM consultant, these professionals learn how to minimize lead times and inventory levels while maximizing your company's productivity. This will, of course, maximize your profit and thus explains why supply chain consulting firms are in such high demand in today's market.

When looking to bring SCM consultants into your company, among the key points to consider are:

1. The experience of the supply chain management consulting firm in your industry.

2. The availability of supply chain management consultants in your local area.

3. The methods employed by a supply chain optimization consulting firm.

Action Steps

The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Choose a supply chain management consultant with experience in your particular industry You don't need anyone to tell you the unique needs of your industry, you know them keenly. So when hiring a supply chain consultant, it's imperative that they already know your industry and its quirks. This saves you the time and effort of trying to explain why you work in certain industry-accepted ways to green supply management consultants.

I recommend:  Bristlecone Services has experience in a wide variety of industries, increasing the odds of your SCM consultant knowing your business.

Find supply chain consulting firms as close to your location as possible When working with SCM consultants, it's imperative that they work with you on site at your facility; that's the only way they can really understand what you do to give you the best optimization solutions. If you work with supply chain consulting companies from outside your local area, you will incur higher costs due to their travel expenses.

I recommend:  Archstone Consulting offers several different offices both in the United States and abroad.

Ensure that your supply chain consultants' methods fit with your business's goals While it should go without saying that your supply chain management consulting firm's workflow should lend themselves to furthering your goals for your business, this isn't always the case. It's important to fully vet out the methods by which they intend to optimize your processes ahead of time so that you can be assured that the end product fits your needs.

I recommend:  The Progress Group touts its process as one focused on your success as the benchmark.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• When choosing amongst supply chain consulting companies, ask that the team that will be assigned to your project meet with you at your facility. This can help you feel comfortable with how they will interact with your employees.