Question 1

What is the Scope of the Assessment?

Accepted Answer

During an initial phone call with your lead executive coordinating the assessment, we will review the agenda items and agree on discussion points.  Some firms may have a very specific pain point, challenge, or issue they would like to cover, while others will have a much broader objective.  For the latter, we typically assess the current effectiveness of the end‐to‐end supply chain organization across functional areas and review contributions being made by any outside resources.  Included in our review are:
 • Supply chain strategies, vision, priorities
 • Alignment of supply chain strategies with annual operating and growth plans
 • Existing processes and supporting technologies and systems
 • Supply Chain contribution to profitability and margin expansion  
 • Customer trends and expectations
 • Supplier challenges and potential risks
 • Sales & Operations Planning overview  
 • Overall operational performance and metrics employed

Question 2

What Can I Expect to Get From the Assessment?

Accepted Answer

After our discussion, SCE will prepare and deliver a no‐obligation Findings and Recommendations Report, which will include:
 • Review of what we heard during our time on site with you 
 • Summary of the supply chain issues, challenges, opportunities, and risks as we see them
 • Discussion of solutions and strategies other firms with similar operating characteristics have deployed to achieve supply chain excellence and capitalize on opportunities
 • A range of potential improvements possible based on similar situations in SCE’s experience base.

Question 3

What Is My Investment?

Accepted Answer

First and foremost, the assessment comes at a minimal financial committment (includes reimbursement of SCE’s travel expenses to meet with you, which would be credited back to you if we agree on a follow‐ on project). Your main investment in the assessment is your organization’s time (the on‐site session typically lasts four to five hours) and active participation.  
 
It’s important to include the decision drivers and leaders of all the disciplines that either directly or indirectly affect or are affected by your supply chain strategy and its cost drivers.   That includes key members of your senior leadership team (CEO, CFO, and COO), as well as executives who are responsible for transportation, distribution, information technology, sales, and procurement.  In most cases, people will come and go throughout the session (or dial in via phone if they are off‐site), and we should need no more than 60 minutes to 90 minutes of any one individual’s time.

Question 4

What Kind of Information do you Need to do the Assessment?

Accepted Answer

Assessments by their nature require good data to be effective.  Ideally, we would have access to the key operating and financial metrics you use to gauge your supply chain’s performance, as well as other information on your organization that can help us understand your structure, operations, and competitive environment.  Such information could include the following:
 • Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) meeting notes
 • Customer needs and expectations  
 • Key competitive pressures
 • Organization chart
 • Planning, sourcing, distribution, and order management process maps
 • Supply chain strategy documents
 • 3PL and transportation service providers contracts  
 • Copy of annual operating plan
 
However, if the full scope of the preceding is not available, we can base our assessment on what you can provide.  And if you can send the requested information requested ahead of time, it will allow us to prepare a more focused approach and list of questions to cover when we are on site with you.

Question 5

Why is SCE Qualified to Assess our Operations?

Accepted Answer

SCE’s supply chain advisors bring deep operational experience to every assessment we do.  In their several‐decade careers, they have worked with companies across the manufacturing and distribution spectrum and have solved countless supply chain challenges.  These seasoned operators have, indeed, “been there and done that.”  They are experts in identifying and implementing best practices that can generate significant improvements in a company’s financial and operating performance and, ultimately, profitability.  This experience base uniquely qualifies them to find the sources of hidden value in a company’s operations waiting to be unlocked.

Question 6

How Do I Get Started?

Accepted Answer

That's simple.  To get started discussing an assessment for your organization, contact us!(javascript:void(0))

FIND YOUR

COMPETITIVE EDGE.

RAPID DISCOVERY ASSESSMENT - Q&A

An Evaluation of Opportunities to Improve Your Supply Chain’s Performance With Minimal Financial Commitment