Logistics network planning and design involves building transport, inventory and location strategies around customer service goals, ensuring the total package achieves the best service at the lowest cost. Our Logistics Expert Partners, regularly work with clients, to establish best logistics strategy.
Adapting to change is very important because of new markets, new products and new sourcing.Retaining procurement flexibility but also leveraging global spend.
In-house capability versus out-source. So we look at 3PL or 4PL solutions to improve performance and also reduce costs.We look at the role of IT in automating processes and improving administrative efficiency.
When the pressure is on, we’re here to support you in the solution design process.
Logistics Network Design and Expert Partners: The Client Benefits
Providing optimal logistics network designs.
Our logistics consultants have a wealth of expertise in both designing and implementing efficiency within logistics networks; from designing domestic transport operations through to outsourcing international freight, and from warehouse process improvements to the design of major distribution centres, our consultants know how to deliver.
We can use our expertise to identify, design and implement potential efficiency improvements throughout a clients logistics network. We are able, using our own proprietary modelling tools and operational experience, to model and scenario test every aspect of a logistics network.
Logistics networks are a connection of all the points in the supply chain where material moves to, and from. Logistics networks are the ‘life blood’ of a business. Over time these networks often become fragmented; as territories change, customer ordering patterns fluctuate and as companies invest and divest, so the network can lose its efficiency.
It’s critical to periodically review your network, effectively ‘defragmenting’ and ensuring maximum service at the most efficient cost. Delivering efficiency in a logistics network is probably the most major lever in reducing logistics costs. Correctly aligning and optimising infrastructure and resource to supply and demand points can have a significant return on investment.
Whether your business is seeking a total network review, or analysis of individual components of the network such as warehouse location or transport route modifications, we are here to help.
Logistics outsourcing is an increasingly common initiative in many industries. The requirement to outsource logistics has grown in line with globalisation and increasing time and cost constraints on logistics operations. Outsourcing logistics or supply chain operations is a major undertaking, and requires a full understanding of the business case, and full and detailed analysis of 3PL proposals from both a quantitative and qualitative perspective. To truly get the best solution from the 3PL market, companies need to engage providers in an open and collaborative way; they need to ensure that the logistics provider has a full and detailed understanding of how their operation works, and they need to approach the market with a clear and structured process.CGS is here to guide and manage you through every aspect of outsourcing.
Our Expert team have extensive experience of managing logistics tenders, and also of designing logistics solutions on behalf of 3PLs. Regardless of the type of logistics operations being outsourced, a clear and accountable process needs to be followed to ensure 3PL solutions offered are efficient and consistent with cost and service expectations. Logistics outsourcing is an increasingly common initiative in many industries. The requirement to outsource logistics has grown in line with globalisation and increasing time and cost constraints on logistics operations. We’re here to guide and manage you through every aspect of outsourcing.
Logistics operations can consume a large proportion of a company’s operating costs, and are very often customer facing. Consequently there are significant risks that must be managed to ensure that the process for tendering, supplier selection and implementation is diligent and effective.Our logistics consultants are extremely well-versed in logistics outsourcing and the 3PL market. We can guide you through the logistics outsourcing process and help you achieve maximum benefit.
The 3rd party logistics (3PL) market is in rapid growth and the need for 3PLs to develop increasingly innovative logistics solutions is critical to success in the 3PL market. Being competitive in this marketplace is not solely about pricing, but rather it is about demonstrating ingenuity and responsiveness in solution designs.3PL solutions need to have the agility to respond to the increasingly high service expectations of end customers, and that agility must also be coupled with resource and cost efficiency.
In order to be truly competitive and differentiate in the market, 3PL solution design must also now extend beyond the traditional provision and management of the physical assets in a logistics network. Solution design must also consider opportunities for improving service through the deployment of the latest IT platforms, and the 3PL providers need to consider how they can bring further value through supporting procurement, returns processing, inventory management and demand planning in multi-channel environments.
All of our logistics consultants have a career background in the 3PL sector – both in business development and operations. This, combined with our consulting experience of tendering logistics opportunities, gives our team an unparalleled perspective in how to design agile, efficient and innovative solutions. Furthermore, due to our experience on ‘both sides of the fence’, we can provide real insight on how to best approach logistics contract opportunities and how to maximise conversion.
Our consultants can undertake specific pieces of analysis and modelling – from transport fleet profiling through to warehouse design – or can undertake full solution modelling along with completion of all tender documentation.
Our logistics consultants are extremely well-versed in logistics outsourcing and the 3PL market. Some of the key areas where we can support you include:-
Let us manage your logistics tender and get the best solution for your business
Tendering logistics operations is the first step in developing a potentially long-term relationship with a 3rd party logistics provider. The logistics tender management process is the foundation of that relationship and as such, needs to be conducted very carefully.
It is critical that the tender truly reflects the operational requirements and volumes for the requirement, and clearly states the service levels and performance required. One of the main reasons 3rd party logistics contracts fail is that operational and volume information is not accurately provided in the tender process, leading to the suppliers inaccurately modelling the requirement. This can then lead to resourcing, capacity and cost issues for the 3PL, which can ultimately lead to service failure.
As well as ensuring the operational requirements and volumes are accurately reflected in the tender, it is also critical that all responses are assessed against a background of the suppliers existing capabilities. A supplier’s business development team may make proposals within the process that aren’t consistent with their operational team’s views and priorities; consequently, it is important to engage with the potential supplier’s operations team, visit their existing contracts, as well as speak with their existing customers.
From start to finish, our consultants will manage every step of the tender process for you.To identify the right logistics partner, and the right solution, it is critical to approach the logistics market with a fully considered and detailed tender. Our logistics consultants can manage the full tender process for you; from identifying the right suppliers, through to data collection, writing all required documentation and managing the tender process from start to finish.
Typically there are a series of fixed steps when approaching the 3rd party logistics market with a tender, although these can vary according to the type of operation and the exact clients requirements.We can guide you through the logistics outsourcing process and help you achieve maximum benefit:-
When considering all of the different levels of service requirement and operational criteria in most logistics operations, transport routing can become highly complex. Time windows, varying vehicle capacities, access restrictions and driving hours are just some of the constraints that make modelling the most efficient vehicle routes highly challenging.We’ll get your fleet and transport routes planned to maximise efficiency and service.
Transport routing is a mathematical optimisation problem with a large number of constraints including vehicle capacity, access restrictions, load configuration and delivery windows. We are experts at the modelling required to optimise fleet profiles and transport routing.
Transportation is a major cost factor within any logistics operation. Often transport accounts for up to 70% of logistics spend and rarely is it less than 30%. Consequently, maximising the utilisation of transport assets is a main area of focus for transport routing.
The ultimate goal of transport routing is to minimise route time or distance, whilst maximising vehicle fill and reducing assets. Of course, this also needs to be balanced against service level agreements and operational constraints. This is where our consulting team excel; we can plan your transport operation at a granular level, whilst factoring in all constraints and service level requirements.