How can a consulting firm help you transform your supply chain?

Adopt an strategy when it comes to managing your supply chain can be a somewhat complex task. The supply chain - " supply chain a company's supply chain is the sum of all the links in its supply supply of goods or services.

Each step in this chain requires responsible, informed choices. The ultimate goal is to competitiveness, brand image and and customer satisfaction, and to economies of scale.

If you are planning to transform your supply chainit may be a good idea to surround yourself with experts. Read our article to find out how a consulting firm can help you evolve and optimize your supply chain.

What new management methods can help you transform your supply chain? 

Environmental awareness: anchor your supply chain in time 

Adopting a sustainable and responsible strategy in the process of transforming its supply chain has become essential. Reducing our carbon footprint must not be limited to efforts in production techniques, but must also extend to sourcing strategies. 

So there are several points to consider when defining a sustainable sourcing strategy with a consulting firm. Consider the following points: 

• Sort out your sourcing of raw materials, ensuring that they meet the latest environmental and social criteria. Opt, for example, for short-circuit and fairtrade sourcing, as a growing number of companies are doing today. 
• Choose recyclable materials. When selecting a good supplier, it's important to consider not only the economic argument, but also the origin and content of the materials. Opting for recycled solutions is one of the best ways of meeting current government commitments. 
• Set an example as aninnovative company. You can set up economic incentives to encourage your supply chain partners and suppliers to adopt a sustainable approach. This can take the form of discounts, partnerships, etc. 
• Create a sustainable corporate culture to raise employee awareness of the challenges of a greener supply chain. Organize workshops, awareness campaigns and forums to shape sustainable purchasing behavior. 

Opting for recyclable materials for a sustainable supply chain

Tailor your supply chain to your company's specific needs through internal assessment 

Once the environmental questions have been answered, it's time to assess the needs and available resources of your supply chain strategy. To begin with, your supply chain consultancy will ask you the following questions: 

• Can youeffectively anticipate demand and adapt your offer to it? Are you sensitive to fluctuations in consumer and investor demand? 
• Are you managing your stock correctly? Do you use an effective inventory management approach to avoid both unsold stock and shortages? 
• What is your approach to production strategy ? What are your global production planning and management objectives? 
• How does your purchasing management division operate? Do you have some power to negotiate prices and monitor product quality? 
• What logistics approach do you adopt? Are you autonomous in your management of transport, distribution, freight and storage? 

Once you've answered these questions, you're ready to decide on areas for improvement in consultation with your supply chain consultant. Analyze your weaknesses and difficulties to better understand your future supply chain strategy.

The key to an efficient supply chain: collaboration 

Collaboration between players in your supply chain is the key to fostering business synergies. Ultimately, this collaboration enables you to adopt a smoother procurement strategy. In conjunction with your supply chain consultant, consider the following points: 

• Encourage the use of collaborative platforms, which are particularly useful for exchanging information with your partners and suppliers. These digital platforms are particularly relevant at a time of supply chain 4.0 digitalization, and enable you to track your difficulties, obstacles, solutions and best practices in real time. 
• Beyond online platforms, it's important to opt for a multi-company collaborative approach, with the aim of fostering partnerships and collaborations between the links in your supply chain. Pool your skills, risks, production costs and management solutions to optimize your supply chain. 
• Opt for a multisourcing approach, by analyzing and reducing the risks associated with your supply chain management. This predictive collaboration strategy enables you to anticipate market trends and prepare effectively for future supply chain challenges.
• Take the plunge into collaborative artificial intelligence tools such as the supply chain collaboration platform. These innovative, algorithmic tools enable authors to share information in real time, and find appropriate solutions via intelligent databases. 
• Don't neglect the supply process. Indeed, companies sometimes tend to focus exclusively on supply chain partners, whereas a process approach can sometimes bring a more global and relevant vision! 

Supply chain 4.0 in the age of digitalization: adopt new technological tools 

More than ever, companies need to adapt to market changes, pushing global supply chains into a new era of digitalization. Three main tools are available to you:

• Artificial intelligence (AI) Artificial Intelligence ( AI ): these intelligent tools draw on exhaustive and constantly refined databases to predict variations in supply and demand, material flows, freight routes, etc. These tools are very powerful, so integrate them into your supply chain with your consultant. These tools are very powerful, so integrate them into your supply chain with your consultant.
• The Internet of Things (IoT) The Internet of Things (IoT): these tools are often connected sensors that enable real-time tracking of products as they move through the supply chain. Track their location, temperature, humidity, etc. all live.
• Blockchain blockchain: this information storage and transmission technology enables companies to track their production and inventory in a traceable and transparent way. It's up to you to take the plunge! 

Use artificial intelligence to optimize your databases

A consulting firm to help you keep pace with current supply chain trends

Supply chain management strategies are constantly being reconsidered. Consulting firms specializing in this field will guide you through these changes. There are three main ways of developing your supply chain.

Whatever the method, the aim is toincrease your competitiveness.

First method: collaboration 

We've already mentioned it, but we can't do without repeating it. The first thing your consultant will advise you to do is to adopt a supply chain management strategy focused on collaboration between partners and suppliers. This will reduce delivery times and facilitate communication between stakeholders. 

Second method: process automation 

Automating your processes is a new method of supply chain transformation adapted to the digital challenges of this century. Reduce your overall production costs while eliminating human error as far as possible at every stage of the supply chain (from warehousing to delivery). Accelerate your global supply chain! 

Third method: adopt a sustainable approach 

We've already mentioned it, but how can you forget it in the transformation methods to be implemented with your consultant? Choose a consulting firm that will enable you toanchor your supply chain in a sustainable approach.

Adopting such an approach means protecting the planet while improving your brand image. In this way, you can develop your business in a market increasingly marked by ecological and environmental awareness. 

Conclusion 

Transforming your supply chain is not always an easy task. That's why it can be a good idea to to call on a consulting firm to help you in this process.

To do this, analyze your current supply chain and learn from it. Use this knowledge to anchor your procurement strategy in a sustainable and eco-responsible approachapproach, while arming yourself with the best digital tools to anchor your company in theera of digitalization.

Last but not least, remember to emphasize collaboration to perfect your supply chain and save resources at every stage of the value chain.

You want to transform your supply chainwhile saving on production costs and anchoring your company in a sustainable development approach? Call on our consultants Procemo consultants advisors today!