At Supply Chain Operations, we often start Supply Chain consulting journeys with a snapshot of the current operations. Throughout the assessment, all dimensions interacting and influencing the Supply Chain are discussed from product portfolio to last mile distribution. The entire Operations are explored under the prisme of the company's objective or current identified pain points. Focus is given during the journey on dimensions that are important for the business either because they were identified right from the beginning or because they simply pop out while exploring the current situation. Our expertise lies in the Life Sciences Industry. The approach described in this article has proven to be very efficient for assessing Pharma Supply Chain but can me slightly remodelled to fit any business.
At the end of the Supply Chain assessment, a report is usually shared with the different stakeholders:
This article is organized with four key questions to help you understand the process, feel free to click on the relevant question for you or scroll down to read the full article.
What are the benefits of performing such an assessment?
What are the dimensions covered through the Supply Chain assessment?
At the end, what are usually the delivrables?
With experience we have learnt that performing a Supply Chain As Is assessment is highly effective to identify gaps vs a strategy/business evolutions/target/ambitions/etc. Bringing an external eye is extremely valuable in order to move away from any politics and to allow the organisation to take a step back. As Supply Chain manager/directors we are often carried out by the daily business, an external view truly helps to understand the bigger picture and reposition the current organisation in its context. At the end of the assessment, recommendations are established both on short term "low hanging fruits" actions and longer term - deeper change evolutions.
A Supply Chain assessment usually takes between one to six weeks. This highly depends on the organization size but also on the availability of the teams, the documents available and the underlying objective of the exercise.
It is a great first step to understand where the company stands before starting to take concrete improvements actions.
Leveraging all the data and information collected, a picture of the current Supply Chain is compiled. A mapping of key processes and stakeholders is established as well as a SWOT analysis. In addition, we believe it is important to have a risk based approach highlighting key risks identified throughout the assessment.
At Supply Chain Operations, we usually classify the learning using the following matrix:
Related to the objectives set beforehand, the gaps are listed and prioritized between "low hanging fruits" actions to implement with quick results. A list of the long term efforts is established highlighting the path to close the gaps and/or meet the targets.
So, are you curious to explore the services of Supply Chain Operations and discover how we can help you? Don't hesitate to set up a meeting with our team and let's take the first step together!
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