Supply chain management

The supply chain strategy is based primarily on decisions that stabilize supply chains and ensure they are strongly positioned in the long term. The following elements are of central importance:

• Defining and consistently implementing the supply chain strategy and target picture, geared toward the corporate strategy, and designing the supply chain vision
• Evaluating the supply chain network for optimization potential – including greenfield and/or brownfield approaches
• Establishing supply chain risk management and efficient processes to avoid risks – including legislative initiatives such as the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG) and holistic sustainability principles
   

Supply chain optimization is tied to an extensive range of tasks aimed at establishing efficient supply chain processes and their management, as well as improving their level of maturity: 

• Establishing holistic supply chain performance management in the form of a supply chain control tower, including full KPI logics, driver trees and a consistent steering model 
• Ensuring holistic planning based on Sales & Operations Planning or further increasing planning quality through integration of financial and operational planning (business-driven planning)
• Targeted reduction of supply chain costs, anchoring of efficiency-enhancing programs in the areas of transport, warehousing, infrastructure, and maintenance, and establishing transparency of the bottom-line effect for overall optimization management

The supply chain organization comprises structural and process organization within the area of SCM. We look at the following topics:

• Establishing and strengthening future-oriented supply chain structures within the company organization and providing the SCM division with the necessary presence internally 
• Defining roles and responsibilities within standard processes to facilitate optimal supply chain performance with respect to internal and external customers at competitive costs 
• Enabling employees within the supply chain functions – including technology and specialist expertise – to build up or secure competences in supply chain management in the long term

In order to deploy supply chain management capabilities efficiently, companies need to invest in digitalization and automation solutions. There are three core areas in which technology can enable you to realize huge potential in processes along the value chain: 

• Creating a digital representation of the supply chain for scenario analysis and simulation (for example through permanent network optimization)
• Connecting and leveraging innovative IT solutions to increase supply chain performance and resilience
• Data-based optimization of supply chain structures and processes – from platforms to holistic supply chain ecosystems