Supply Chain Excellence

Logistics Focused Improvement

For any cost optimized business, logistics must always be on the radar as a source of focused improvement.

EFESO brings its operational and strategic know-how in end-to-end logistics to drive optimizations and intelligent cost reduction. We use proven efficiency loss and waste reduction methods, as well as pragmatic analytical techniques to unlock the opportunities for logistics improvement, with a focus on levers for total cost reduction, agile implementation and results delivery.

EFESO also offers structured programs to drive improvement in warehousing, distribution centres and fulfilment operations. These programs are tailored based on client needs covering process, people and systems capabilities for the future, as well as automation/ mechanisation opportunities.

Logistics Transformation

Businesses are facing multiple headwinds in logistics such as shipping costs, driver shortages or environmental challenges. This can be the catalyst for driving a transformation in logistics. Do you need to challenge your current operating model for logistics? Do maturity levels and ways of working differ across multiple locations making it difficult to master capabilities, standardize systems and achieve economies of scale? Can you ensure the efficient use of logistics assets and management of E2E flows through improved data visibility and control, as well as driving sustainability goals and improving the customer service experience?

EFESO can help you to address these questions using our experience in supporting logistics transformations that span both Corporate and Business Unit specific programs leveraging best practices across multiple sectors. We start by understanding your business needs and assessing the required capabilities to support a future-proof logistics operating model.

Reverse Logistics Operations

Organizations serious about their Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) recognize that the reverse supply chain and returns logistics operation justifies and deserves specific focus. This focus is essential to ensure the efficient and responsible management of flows and materials handling around recycling, reusable equipment and/ or repair operations. Even more so as Direct to Consumer and Omni-Channel takes an increasing share of revenues albeit with higher levels of product returns.

EFESO brings the operational and sustainable supply chain know-how to help companies make the right choices. We can support in defining strategies and improving operations for reverse logistics operations, ensuring that reverse flows are managed in the same professional manner as your outbound supply chain, and by doing so deliver better solutions for the customer, the company and environment.

Logistics Outsourcing

As supply chains become more and more complex, businesses rely increasingly on logistics service providers (LSP). Globally, outsourced logistics account for a growing share of all logistics costs, estimated at 20% in Europe. However, macro logistics trends and market challenges mean that traditional outsourcing methods and commercial models may no longer be appropriate. On both sides, companies that outsource, and their Logistics Service Providers, are recognizing the need to be more innovative, efficient and effective in the way they work together.

EFESO will help you to review your current approaches and assess the opportunities for improvement. If your current outsourcing operation is under-performing, our teams will help you with a turnaround and drive lasting improvement. We can deploy advanced analytics and relevant benchmarks to determine “should-cost” and design-to-value solutions supporting sustainable strategies. We also bring innovative approaches for collaboration and Vested ways of working, helping you create outcome-based solutions with your LSP and incentives for “win-win” partnering agreements.

Next Generation Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP/ IBP)

Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) is widely acknowledged as a valuable business process. Where implemented successfully, the traditional monthly cycle has been effective in bringing the commercial and operational sides to the business together to review and reconcile demand and supply plans, and in theory taking “joined-up” decisions to achieve best possible outcomes for the business, even under constrained scenarios.

Expert practitioners, including those at EFESO, increasingly observe that S&OP processes developed around the traditional model are no longer fit for the future. In a fast-changing world where speed of decision making and operational agility dictates competitive advantage, we understand that if businesses are to stay at the forefront, they need Next Generation approaches for Integrated Business Planning (IBP), supported by a new wave of digital technologies that can enable more efficient and dynamic planning.

EFESO can help you to assess and benchmark your current processes to identify gaps against best practice and business needs, whilst raising levels of awareness across the organization on how effective IBP contributes to value creation and business results. We can help you to design and develop your future strategy and case for change that secures the commitment of the Leadership team and motivates the organization to adopt the new technologies and ways of working.

End-to-End Planning

Planning is the “brain” of the supply chain. Going forward, your planning organization needs to transition away from administrative and repetitive transactional type activity towards high-value cognitive capabilities providing intelligence and insights to inform agile “real-time” decision making and scenarios evaluation. Such a planning vision must be augmented by relevant and fit-for-purpose digital technologies.

Whether you are seeking to improve existing planning foundations and processes, or totally transform your organization to the new levels of capability, EFESO can help. Our distinctive “P-H-D” approach is holistic and considers all the critical elements for successful progression;

1. Strategy and Process,
2. People and Human Dynamics
3. Digital Tools and Technologies.

Our expertise covers the spectrum of strategic, tactical, operational and execution planning levels, with a full scope of planning know-how across the key domains including demand, production/ supply, logistics as well as innovation and product development.

Smart Inventory Optimization

Smart Inventory Management is the first line of defense for building resilience into your supply chain. Do you know the risks, weak links and failure modes in your extended supply chain? EFESO can help you engineer supply chain resilience through intelligent integrated inventory management solutions.

Is your Working Capital really working? Changing customer expectations and new planning technologies means now is a good time to review and challenge your traditional inventory holding strategies.

Across many Industries and benchmark companies, inventory turns haven’t really improved over the last 10 years despite advances in supply chain management processes and technology. Do you know why your business is holding the levels inventory it does?

At EFESO, we believe in Inventory by Design where each component of inventory has a purpose with the potential to be an improvement lever for overall efficiency. EFESO can help you to implement synchronized and properly calibrated stock holding policies can get your inventories working smarter.

End-to-End Order-to-Cash (O2C)

End-to-end order-to-cash (that involve multiple functions where individual contributions and hand-offs are not always 100% clear-cut) can often be a major source for improvement potential.

Order-to-cash (O2C) is often overlooked as a vehicle to improve the Cx and levels of customer satisfaction. A smooth, efficient O2C first and foremost gets your products into the hands of the customer as quickly and cheaply as possible. Besides, a thorough review of your O2C process will also uncover opportunities to increase overall efficiency, reduce time delays and levels of re-work and administrative waste.

EFESO can help you to assess and measure your current order-to-cash performance, identifying disconnects and gaps in your current processes and capabilities. We can support you in building a progression plan to boost performance through enhancements in data, process maturity, technology, and people, as well as exploring transformation opportunities to digitalize and automate.

World Class Distribution Centre

The Distribution Centre (DC) is the heartbeat for the supply chain. Company fortunes can be made or lost on whether the DC is running smoothly and performing as intended. EFESO defines a World Class Distribution Centre as an Operation that combines "fit-for-purpose" technology and equipment integrated with effective processes and a skilled and engaged workforce to achieve a superior performance in servicing customers and channels to market.

EFESO can assemble specific expertise and proven methods to support from strategic design to implementation including start-up, expansion, and stable operations. Whether you are seeking to assess and boost performance in your existing Distribution Centre Operations, or totally transform your Logistics Network through new state of the art facilities, EFESO can help you maximize your return on investment.

World Class Logistics and Transportation

Only now are Industries and companies waking up to the reality that Logistics and Transportation is a precious asset that must be carefully consumed and optimized. According to the research institute ATRI, US logistics companies spent over USD $5.6 billion driving empty miles in 2019. In the EU, empty running accounts for up to 30% of vehicle-kms driven. Waiting times and delays are also excessive, with 53% of drivers waiting 3+ hours per week. Freight movements also account for 20-30% of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from transport.

At EFESO, we help companies eliminate waste and inefficiencies within their existing networks and logistics processes. Our logistics analysts’ expert will help you to evaluate alternative transport modes and develop new logistics strategies using digital twins and sophisticated modelling techniques. We also act as “neutral trustee” working across multiple organizations to enable collaboration and create optimized networks.

Asset Performance Management - Capacity Optimization

EFESO recognizes that effective asset performance management requires real-time connectivity across equipment/ assets, workplace environment and workforce. We offer tailored analytics solutions that helps companies to optimize capacity and resilience of supply chain assets using dynamic and time phased modelling solutions.

Supply Chain Maturity Assessment

The EFESO assessment framework provides the perfect reference to set out your company’s strategy for the full supply chain as well as providing a useful tool and tracker to manage the progression roadmap and capability gaps to close.

Our Supply Chain maturity assessment allows you to:

• Identify potential – setting targets for future business needs and supply chain requirements using a structured framework with the stimulation of internal and external benchmarks
• Validate self-assessments – facilitate and steer the development of the internal capabilities and greater appreciation for the opportunities for accelerating progression
• Build the progression roadmap – shaping and launching improvement cycles to boost, build and transform supply chain performance
• Drive key actions - selecting the right things to do, gain inspirations on how to do it and secure the necessary dynamics for progression and results impact

Our assessment is flexible and scalable from “quick-scan” in a few days through to immersive and quantitative global diagnostics taking a few months. We can cover the full scope of the end-to-end supply chain as needed with deep-dives possible into key domains of expertise resulting in a holistic mapping of your capability needs and gaps covering people, process, systems/ digital and sustainability goals.

High Performance Organization Design

How well integrated is your supply chain organization? How effectively does it interact with the rest of the business? Are business strategies being fully deployed into the supply chain and then properly synchronized between functions?

The answers can provide a good indicator of how well your supply chain organization is performing and to what extent it is successful at delivering the required business outcomes.

EFESO brings an independent and expert “outside-in” perspective to help senior leaders review their supply chain organization ensuring that it is “fit for purpose” and set up correctly to address future business needs and challenges. Our approach is business needs led and considers the critical high performance design elements including structure, process, people, decision making, information/ systems and rewardmetrics. Whether you are seeking to right-size the supply chain organization for a digital future or develop a new organization model for growth, we can help you shape and build the required capabilities.

Education and Blended Learning Academy

Companies are having to re-think approaches to Learning and Development as part of their employee value proposition. The pandemic together with the introduction of flexible working models have accelerated the need for change.

EFESO’s education delivery model has successfully pivoted during Covid-19 from mostly attended/ physical events to now, a hybrid model encompassing remote self-learning, virtual instructor-led sessions as well as high-impact moments for On-Site shared learning.

Based on a 30+ year track record working internationally to deliver education and training across the supply chain with 10,000+ participants to date, EFESO specializes in the delivery of Blended Learning (70/20/10) with tailored education and learning academy solutions.

We have developed competency models, skills matrices and learning packages covering the full scope of supply chain (for example: plan, source, make, deliver, digital). EFESO content is provided at Foundation, Practitioner and Expert Levels. We are able to certify colleagues where necessary on completion of the prescribed learning path. To do this, knowledge is tested and directly applied through an in-company project where results are measured.

Our content and know-how are capitalized and structured within EFESO’s digital tool-kit solution which supports the delivery of the Blended Learning Journey and allows easy integration with the Client’s own Learning Management (LMS) platform if required. Our expert trainers are high energy, high impact and interactive and we are proud of our outstanding reviews and high referral rate.

Managing Change and Disruption

We know from experience that most companies need extra “hands on deck” from time to time to successfully manage and cope with periods of significant change and disruption. EFESO’s supply chain program managers and change experts are there for those moments. EFESO can bring extra bandwidth when multiple projects need to be run in parallel. We can assess your projects portfolio to ensure they tie in fully with the business’s strategic priorities, as well as assess your organisations capacity, readiness and capabilities for change.

Leading Digital Transformation

According to a recent Gartner survey, two-thirds of Boards of Directors believe that Digital Technologies will lead to substantial or complete Industry transformation with the next 5 years. Technology related change is mentioned within the CEO’s top 3 strategic business priorities in 35% of companies. The supply chain is at the core of the change and the supply chain lead team is expected to be shaping and driving this transformation agenda.

Through our Industry 4.0 experts and Digital Data Science specialists, EFESO can help you to assess your digital transformation priorities for supply chain. Using our Future Supply Chain blueprint containing more than 200+ use cases, we can help you create a coherent roadmap and business case for scalable solutions that can support business goals around productivity, performance and growth.

Program and Progression Management

EFESO brings structured and systemic approaches for program and project management that provides better visibility on the implementation status and what is being delivered. We can help you to maintain or accelerate the pace of change and track progress, ensuring that the human dynamics, not just the technical aspects of the program are being addressed.

Finally, we will help you learn from the change process with a clear evaluation and review of implementation results.