WHY GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN GROUP?

You do not need a supply chain strategy consultant if you already have a precise answer to this question, and, you can answer the rest of the four questions easily and accurately.

However, as in most cases, the answer is somewhat vague like a scatter gun shot, you need to start at the top. Clarify and agree on this answer before you do anything else.

You may need a firm like ours to help you clarify answers to these questions, and many similar questions. Contact us on [email protected] in that case.  

If it is a strategic problem, a tactical consultant simply would not be able to get their minds around it. They will likely ignore the real problem, or trivialise it, and make themselves look useful by focusing on the wrong problems that they can comprehend. 

Same applies to the areas of supply chain that are directly underperforming. Shipping, manufacturing, warehousing, logistics, inventory experts can rarely step out of their respective comfort zones. Very few of them can deal with the real board level strategic supply chain projects. 

Similarly many board level strategy consultants rarely know even the terminology used by the lower level personnel in supply chains – they end up ‘inventing’ their own terminology, which creates adverse reactions, and, proves counterproductive in most cases.

Supply chain management deals with problem solving in supply chain, while supply chain governance deals with problem prevention in supply chains. Most companies now pay a lot of attention to supply chain management, but pay scant attention to supply chain governance. And, as a result they end up employing the wrong kind of consultants at the wront time. 

Supply chain is all about integration, and optimisation. On a scale of 0-10 try and assess the level of integration and optimisation in your company. At a lower levels of integration and optimisation, you need to assess your company’s comfort level with higher level concepts such as integration, or optimisation. Do not waste your money on super-expensive strategic consultants if you, and your team, are not yet ready to move to a higher level of supply chain. That would be like buying Ferrari to drive on a dirt road. 

It is common knowledge that everyone complains about the supply chain in almost every company. All sorts of ills are blamed on supply chain management simply because, in general, the supply chain leaders are the least savvy in boardroom politics. 

While this is a big weakness (and must be addressed as such), bigger weaknesesses in sales, marketing or even finance can be masked by just pointing their collective fingers at the supply chain team. If that is also the case in your company, you are wasting your effort by focusing your transformational effort solely on supply chain management.