Plan
In operational planning improvement, the focus of optimization is primarily on creating transparency by evaluating clear deadlines and measuring points, as well as, the usage of deviation between planned and actual targets.
During the project the involvement of all relevant service partners such as sales, operative purchasing, production planning and engineering is essential. Above all, the Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) methodology is an essential starting point for (supply) planning and the basis for demand planning. A great deal of attention is paid to the cyclical coordination and the accuracy of forecasts achieved.
Planning often has a series of media discontinuities, different granularity on the same levels and thus little transparency with regard to the effects of changed quantity on all service partners. Above all, harmonization with financial planning is a major but very important task in projects with our customers. Integrated Business Planning (IBP) is the linking of planning processes on a time horizon of 6 to 36 months. IBP is an essential strategic component for companies.
The assessment of the status quo on basis of a maturity model and the definition of a target provides a good introduction to the optimization of planning.
Methods & Assets
Tested planning and controlling models
Maturity models
Database of external influencing factors (e.g. market and environmental information)
Predictive planning
Continuous improvement
Superforecasting
Source
A holistic purchasing transformation with the goal of an increased degree of maturity and a measurable value contribution for the company (costs, lead time, risk) is often demanded by companies. This usually consists of a quantitative and qualitative analysis phase, a design phase with the result of a renewed or newly created purchasing strategy and an implementation phase in which strategic, organizational, cost-reducing and risk-reducing measures are defined and also implemented.
In critical situations such as restructuring or lack of profitability, the focus is often on a pure cost reduction program – here a team approach between purchasing, users and our team is very important in order to maximize business case and ROI as well as ensure sustainability.
The recent boom made many companies focus on the digitization and automation of strategic and operational purchasing processes (S2C / P2P). The cleansing of all purchasing data, consolidation of the IT architecture and implementation of modern methods such as artificial intelligence also form a focal point of our activities.
Our assets and methods for the above presented project models include practical and easy-to-use BI tools and templates, proven and cooperative workshop formats, benchmarks and an active expert and industry network for all purchasing categories, as well as our quality-tested ecosystem.
Methods & Assets
Spendcube-Dashboards
Automated classification of free text data
Automated supplier search
Machine Learning based availability optimization
Value lever workshops
Maturity models
Benchmark database
Deliver
Network planning projects deal with overlaps in the supply area and unfavourable transport relations. In addition, the focus is on optimizing the overall process costs by including cost aspects at the relevant locations (cost to serve). A realistic structuring of cost drivers together with our customers is essential for this. With clearly structured process costs, the actual profitability of end customers or products/product groups becomes transparent and decisions in sales or before investments are better supported.
In order to improve transport and warehouse management, we work with our customers to create transparency, select IT solutions (TMS/WMS), develop key figures and control systems, introduce efficient processes and reduce costs.
For inventory optimization, we focus on process and information improvement at trigger points such as production planning and operative purchasing. In the projects, we analyze demand, inventory and order data, among other things, from which clear recommendations for disposition rules are derived. The transparent presentation of planned and actual lead times as well as the necessary net processing time is another starting point for reducing WIP (Work-in-Progress).
Supply Chain Partners accompanies our customers after the analysis during the entire transformation up to the stabilization of the new logistics systems.
Methods & Assets
ABC – XYZ – RST Analysis
Transport benchmarking
Network Planning Tools
Lean Management Methods
Value stream analysis and design
Support during selection of IT systems (TMS/WMS)
Digital Ecosystem
Digitization is not only on everyone’s lips, in recent years it has become one of the most important levers for change in companies. Digitization begins in the company with the optimal use of existing systems (ERP, SRM, planning, …) and ends today with techniques of machine learning, artificial intelligence or cryptography. For all these elements, the market offers products, solutions, providers, experts and a flood of information sources. Our BI-solution SCIO® aggregates different sources of information and creates a valid basis for further decisions or extensions of your digital ecosystem.
With our know-how of the technical needs and digital ecosystem – a network of developers, vendors and opinion leaders of these technologies – we build the bridge between industry and technology that makes the cooperation successful for both sides: From the selection of the right products and providers to the proof of concept, successful implementation and measurable improvement.
Sustainability
Today, sustainability is a central component of successful corporate strategies – for ethical, economic and regulatory reasons. As procurement and supply chain consultants, we support companies in integrating sustainable practices into their supply chains in order to assume environmental and social responsibility, reduce costs and minimise risks.
We support companies in the actual decarbonisation (Scope 1,2 & 3) in purchasing and the supply chain. From strategic embedding and the development and implementation of specific measures to finding low-carbon alternatives. An important aspect here is the circular economy and resource efficiency, which includes reducing waste and promoting the reuse of materials to optimise the ecological footprint.
The transport sector also plays a key role. We help to reduce CO₂ emissions through more efficient and environmentally friendly solutions, such as route optimisation and the use of low-emission vehicles.
We also support companies in the preparation and implementation of regulatory requirements in supplier and risk management (CSDDD).