Supply Chain Brain - March/April 2012

Doing it Right: New Warehouse Shines with
‘Best Practice’ Build

Challenge: Our client was expanding to an additional 120,000 square foot facility and needed assistance with facility layout & design of the newly secured warehouse space.

Solution: 4SIGHT delivered a full supply chain strategy service that incorporated an evaluation of distribution center operations, facility engineering layouts, best practice recommendations, and identified opportunities for improvement. Our analysis included a review of operational processes, along with a detailed analysis for item slotting, storage media, and space utilization. Our engineer/consultants identified the best storage and material handling solutions for: Inventory, Raw Materials, Finished Goods, Supplies, Packaging Materials. Our engineers determined the best approach to shipping and also established improvements to the current picking process and recommended best practices.

Results: As a result of our work the client has experienced significant reductions in damaged inventory, improved customer service levels, improved productivity, improved throughput levels, improved employee safety, improved space utilization, and eliminated the need for outside storage.

4PL Gives Rail Transport Equipment Leader 100%
Reliability, 50% Savings

Challenge: A worldwide leader in rail transportation equipment hired us to manage the entire supply chain process. The client chose us, a 4th Party Logistics (4PL) provider over 3PL service providers because of our unique advantages—a single point of contact for the entire supply chain, more agile in responding to market changes, and being independent of assets to be able to select only the best service providers for the client.

Solution: We focused on optimising their existing logistics structures and procedures, followed by a logistics reengineering programme. Our activities included creating a dynamic logistics network that included all the stakeholders, warehouse management, IT management and transport management among others. Furthermore, we initiated a continuous improvement process with key performance indicators (KPI’s).

Results: As a result, we increased the client’s delivery reliability to close to 100% and saved the client direct logistics costs of approximately 50% per annum.

It Pays (Big!) to Have Spend Management
on Your Side

Challenge: This national educational materials company suspected they weren’t getting the best parcel shipping rates that they could and turned to Insource Spend Management Group to help recover revenue and cut costs. The company had negotiated their own parcel shipping contracts with a leading worldwide 3PL in the past, and after 30 years thought they were getting the best rates they could on their own.

Solution: Carrier pricing agreements are some of the most complex and tricky contracts to maneuver, and the client discovered that it pays to have a representative on your side with current market knowledge who also understands the supplier’s cost perspective. Insource conducted an in-depth analysis of existing agreements and shipping processes that uncovered areas for dramatic savings.

Results: Insource then negotiated more favorable rates with the parcel carriers for ongoing savings of several hundred thousand dollars per year.

About the Solution Provider: 4SIGHT Supply Chain Group is a full service supply chain CONSULTING and SYSTEMS INTEGRATION firm with professionals averaging 14+ years experience throughout a diverse range of industry channels. Businesses trust our knowledge of the supply chain industry at large as well as our proven track record of helping customers capitalize on improving efficiencies and increasing profits.

Web: www.go4sight.com Email: in4mation@go4sight.com Phone: 201-940-7311

About the Solution Provider: ISC Global Ltd. is a true 4th party logistics (4PL) service provider of end-to-end Supply Chain Management (SCM). We are a completely independent, non-asset based integrator that plans, steers and runs all aspects of the supply chain, using best-in-class resources to bring about the highest cost savings for the client.

Web: www.iscgloballtd.com/en/home.html
Email: info@iscgloballtd.com
Phone: + 41 61 280 50 10

About the Solution Provider: Insource Spend Management Group is a leading spend management provider that offers expertise in identifying savings opportunities in transportation, technology and telecom pricing agreements. The company has successfully renegotiated hundreds of carrier pricing agreements by identifying additional savings opportunities, advising on how to make the smartest spending decisions and renegotiating optimal pricing agreements.