One of the UK’s leading Warehouse and Logistics Consultants Gideon Hillman Consulting Ltd maintain that a key factor for minimising costs and maximising operational effectiveness in the supply chain is an effective Logistics, Warehouse and Inventory Management strategy.
Whilst outsourcing has always been prevalent in the logistics and supply chain sectors, there has been a marked increase in the requirements for Warehouse design and operational consultants over the last 12 months. This is the result of a number of factors all contributing to this rise in demand for specialist and practical expertise. The recession forced many businesses to reduce their logistics infrastructure and cost base whilst a slowdown in product demand put additional constraints on warehousing with slow moving and obsolete stock taking up valuable space and resource.
Many companies, regardless of industry sector, have survived the recession to date through drastic cost cutting exercises frequently having reduced the workforce and either closing or “mothballing” production and warehousing facilities. This strategy is often borne out of necessity and has the immediate short term benefit in terms of cost reduction however this raises two further questions; “What else can you do to improve your cost base?” and with evidence in some sectors that the worst is behind us, “How should you be planning not only to recover but also to grow and become stronger than you were before the economic downturn?”.
There has been a noticeable increase in warehouse and picking facilities within the internet retailer and e-fulfilment sector as well as a number of business mergers and acquisitions now seeking to benefit from warehouse consolidation and economies of scale.
Planning how to react to economic recovery and capitalise on every opportunity as and when it arises is crucial. Where measures have been taken to rationalise and contract to combat recession, businesses need to be sure that they can react to the inevitable recovery and upturn in trade as and when needed and not be found wanting or lacking in resource and strategy when the time comes.
Long term security will be highly dependent on a robust and sustainable Logistics and Warehouse strategy within your business and within that of your customers and suppliers throughout the supply chain. In order to survive, companies must endeavour to undertake the widest review possible to ensure that all elements of their warehouse processes, systems and facilities are not ‘sub-optimised’ and that inventory levels are minimised yet remain effective.
In the last 12 months Gideon Hillman Consulting has undertaken a range of Warehouse projects for many companies and organisations including, ABB ltd, Cameron Process Engineering, Diet Chef, Weird Fish, Technology Supplies, Premier Foods, Kite Packaging, Fenner Drives, Birkdale Sales, Ironmongery Direct, Enveco, Presteigne Charter, Computers Unlimited and The Royal British Legion.
The recently expanded Warehouse team with considerable operational and practical Warehouse management experience; are highly expert in Logistics Network design and reviewing current warehouse process and operations. They successfully develop and implement solutions for all areas of Materials Handling, Procurement, Stores and Inventory Management including Regional, National and Global Distribution Strategy Development and implementation, Tactical Stock locations, Handling and Picking processes, Demand Forecasting, Integrated Inventory Control, Vendor Management, Vendor Support Operations, inbound and outbound Logistics Management and Performance and Cost Measurement.
All of the analysis and solutions specific to the client requirements are presented with clear and concise rationale, having been costed and tested.
The team (and client) also benefit from the company’s in-house CAD facilities for Warehouse Layouts, Racking Configuration, Automation and MHE & Logistics Resource planning where appropriate.
Most importantly the costs of current warehouse and inventory operations (per item or unit load despatched), must be clearly identified and the on-going cost reduction strategy must define requirements for flexibility in the business over the next 3 to 5 years.
The strategy must be tested to ensure Interface / interaction between Warehousing and despatch and other operations / departments within the business as well as integration with existing ERP / MRP systems and WMS modules.
Gideon Hillman Consulting Ltd (an ISO 9001:2008 accredited company for the Supply of Specialist Supply Chain Consultancy and a corporate member of UKWA) has an established and proven methodology for Warehouse and Inventory optimisation strategy development and implementation regardless of the size of the operation, demonstrated by the variety of clients which include major PLCs and SMEs across all major industry sectors.
‘What businesses don’t need is a lengthy and unnecessarily costly outsourced consultancy project which delivers little or no practical benefit with no consultant / client interaction’ says Managing Director Gideon Hillman FCILT ‘what our clients rightly demand and subsequently receive are implementable solutions specific to their requirements, costed, tested and presented with clear and concise rationale, including a detailed implementation path. We achieve this through a fixed cost and logical approach which is effective and adds value to our clients businesses with no additional or variable costs over and above those agreed for the scope of the work”.
For further details Contact:
Gideon Hillman Consulting Ltd
Tel: +44 (0) 1926 430 883
Email: info@hillman-consulting.co.uk
Website: www.hillman-consulting.co.uk
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