Managing your supply chain, and specifically your distribution channel, is a delicate balancing act.  We encourage clients to consider the following questions:

• Is your organization struggling to achieve aggressive revenue goals and profitability expectations?
• ‹‹Do you have the right quality and service standards in place to balance efficiency, effectiveness, and costs
• ‹‹Have you developed a viable longterm strategy for your distribution operations?

Enhance the current state, consider the future

West Monroe Partners’ Supply Chain Management Framework is a holistic approach to managing the supply chain. One of the key processes within this framework is the “Distribute” process. We help clients optimize the existing logistics environment to maximize efficiency and customer service and think strategically about future-state logistics design and structure.

A holistic solution

West Monroe Partners has helped clients like you prioritize goals, implement actionable plans and measure postimplementation benefits to ensure your company is realizing its end goals around cost containment, increased revenue generation or increased speed to market. We provide expert advice surrounding:

Network strategy—You are faced with a myriad of decisions: where your facility should be located and how many should you have, whether to lease or buy, how to optimize route planning and whether to run your distribution centers internally or use a third party. Our consultants will help you evaluate your options, benchmark your organization against your peers and illustrate the financial impact of proposed changes.

Distribution Center (DC) design—Minor changes to your DC can reap substantial efficiencies. West Monroe Partners will review concepts in detail, evaluate your material handling equipment needs and determine whether your DC would benefit from system integration or improved processes.

Warehouse Management Systems (WMS)—If you have a WMS in place, we can help you evaluate its effectiveness. If you are looking to implement a system, our experts can assist with everything from system selection to implementation and ongoing evaluation.

Workforce optimization—Employees can be your greatest asset when you invest in training and incent them properly. We have the tools, systems and resources to help you implement or enhance labor standards and incentives, evaluate your staffing needs and conduct the appropriate training programs using a “train the trainer” approach.

Lean approaches—West Monroe Partners routinely helps clients analyze the flow of materials and information, design the most efficient value stream and implement new methodologies including 5S for your work space or Kaizen for your continuous process improvement.

Inventory planning—Maintaining the right balance of adequate inventory on hand can be challenging. Our consultants can conduct inventory level analyses that measure service levels versus statistical safety stock levels and provide you with an ABC velocity rating.

Program management—Depending on your internal resources, we can assist with everything from implementation project planning and management to full program oversight. In cases where you face financial constraints or hesitation from senior management, we can provide a detailed business case analysis and justification modeling that illustrates concrete quantitative return on investment.