Developing a supply chain strategy

The vertical range of manufacture, and thus the value-added portion contributed by the company itself, has declined significantly in recent decades in all sectors and today is often less than 30%. As a consequence, the procurement of primary materials and components has become highly important. Premier companies no longer stand out merely by having designed their production in an optimal manner but rather, and above all, by having created an efficient, effective value-added chain, both externally and internally.  

The main challenge facing this supply chain is being able to deliver to the customer, anywhere in the world, the right products and services with the right quality and in the right amount at the right time.

The framework for this is provided by the supply chain strategy, which is derived from the company strategy. The following need to be defined: locations and networks, their desired degree of autonomy, the extent to which process models are binding, principles of collaboration with external partners, incorporation of IT strategies, etc. This enables design and control to be consistent and holistic optimization to be balanced against local optimization.

Under these requirements, it is the task of operational supply chain management, when faced with fluctuations in demand, to find an optimal mix of inventory, lead times, responsiveness, ability to deliver, guarantee of supply, and costs.

ROI Consulting offers comprehensive, holistic support in designing an optimal supply chain strategy. The basis for this is a widely tested procedures model, which is tailored to the basic conditions and objectives specific to the company.

You can find an overview of our entire spectrum of services in this area under Supply Chain Management (SCM).