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Services
We assist and advise organisations in identifying, evaluating and implementing improvement initiatives in strategic, organisational and operational areas. Furthermore we provide several in-house workshops.
Strategy
Every organisation has the ambition to have a good mix of product-market-combinations. This requires a good insight in the added value of each product and service for all existing and potential customers. Moreover a healthy management requires proper insight in the costs and performances of all activities carried out, by product (group), service and customer. This also applies to the purchased services from subcontractors and service providers, often representing the largest share in the total company costs.
In the strategic area we consult the management of a company, amongst others, with the following services:
Evaluating / reviewing the customer-and product portfolio |
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We show in detail all costs and values of the customers distinguished and assist the restructuring of the services and products. We help to create the optimum mix and provide an implementation plan, completely with investments and risks involved and a time path. |
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Evaluating costs and performances of services and products acquired |
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We show the costs and added value of the subcontractors and service providers. Improving the gross margin on the purchased services and products might be possible by further centralisation of the purchased services. We review activities that can be outsourced or have been outsourced already. We assist in the elimination of activities that are not adding value. |
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Calculating and evaluating Return on Investment (ROI) |
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Before important investments are made, every management wishes to have a proper impression of the expected revenues and risks involved.
We use professional software to calculate and analyse the impact rapidly. Various investment options can be evaluated and compared clearly.
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Composition and evaluation of Service Level Agreements |
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Companies that commit themselves or their suppliers to certain agreements regarding customer services (e.g. orders delivered on time or in-full) wish to agree such services in a Service Level Agreement (SLA). Such an agreement contains all service targets and operational & financial indicators to be realised and monitored.
We help to draw up tailor-made agreements and check on clarity and completeness. |
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Set up of a tariff structure |
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Each customer and service is unique and for this reason the cost structure for each product- market-combination is unique. In practice companies work -or are forced to work- with a strongly simplified tariff differentiation. It is very likely that this differentiation does not reflect the true cost structure of the services offered.
We help to create a clear tariff structure based on the true cost structure of the customers, taking into account your strategy and the requirements of your customers. |
Structure and Organization
The structure of a company must follow the strategy of the company. In other words: the structure must be coordinated to reach the objectives concerning service and profit defined. The most important processes in practice are: Purchasing & Production, Order Management & Sales, Warehousing & Stock Management, Distribution and Administration & Management. Each process consists of various activities.
We help the management, amongst others, with the following services:
Determining primary and supporting processes |
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Within each company many activities are carried out.
We assist companies – keeping their strategy in mind – to classify all activities carried out in clear processes and make structural improvements. The activities are also classified as ‘primary’, ‘supportive’ or ‘non value adding’. This results in a clear picture of the saving potentials.
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Evaluation order management process |
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In practice many avoidable activities take place in the route from order entry to final invoicing.
We help streamlining the order process, eliminating ‘double activities’ and providing clear task descriptions. Wherever possible we try to achieve automatic order-entry and processing. At the same time we analyse which data are used and stored in other systems (for example ERP, WMS or TMS) and how these can be connected. |
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Evaluation and optimisation physical Supply Chain network |
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To offer existing and potential customers the desired service levels, an appropriate Supply Chain network is vital. It consists of an optimal combination of depots, sufficient stock levels and transport services. Optimal means in practice: within the specified service levels, against minimum overall cost and at acceptable risk.
Our consultants are experienced in determining the location, number and size of the required depots and determining the required transport services and stock levels desired on each location. Here we are making use of professional Supply Chain Optimisation software. |
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Outsourcing |
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Increasing competition and higher demands concerning performance improvement and cost reduction force organisations to concentrate more and more on their core functions. This results in the fact that certain processes of the company are outsourced to other companies. Effective management of the subcontracting relation is a necessary condition for a successful cooperation.
Our consultants assist in the evaluation of processes which might be better outsourced. They also help finding a partner who could carry out the process more efficiently against at least the same service conditions. When desired, the subcontracting process can be supported by our consultants. With our insight in all processes of a company we have a good overview of all costs (fixed and variably) involved. |
Operations
In the field of the different operations we assist the management, amongst others, in the following areas:
Warehouse management and layout |
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To be able to optimise the processes within warehouses, it is necessary to have the right personnel and equipment, with clear instructions for the handling and picking processes.
Our experts help with the lay-out of the warehouse and the streamlining of the flow of products. They derive the number and type of employees and equipment needed, given the activities to be performed. A monitoring process can be set up to follow the activities carried out and to be able to adjust where and when needed. |
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Optimisation of stock level |
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A large part of the Supply Chain costs is consumed by the storage of raw materials, semi-finished products and end products. Especially for production and trading companies it is very important to avoid undesirable stocks. Both “too much” and “too little” stock is costly.
Our experienced consultants use professional software to analyse and calculate the optimum storage levels to meet the desired service levels. |
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Optimisation of trips and fleet composition |
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Delivering a wide variety of shipments within the time windows agreed and at the lowest possible costs requires a professional planning. A planning of shipments to continuous changing delivery locations might justify the purchase of automated trip scheduling software. We assist in the software selection process, taking into account your specific situation and requirements. We are well known with the suppliers of trip planning software on the market. We can also evaluate and improve fixed routes, using professional software. In combination with the cost data, the desired fleet composition of the own and outsourced fleet can be derived. |
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