What are Supply Chain Consulting Firms
13/04/2011
Supply Chain Consulting is a management discipline which consists of providing informed impartial advice to business enterprises in relation to improving the performance of the supply chains. Typical areas where supply chain consultants might therefore become involved in a companies business include sales and operations planning, freight, inventory, and warehousing.
Typically, supply chain consulting firms are now called fourth-party logistics providers, or 4PL.
Where do Supply Chain Consultants fit in?
A Fourth-party logistics provider (abbreviated 4PL), lead logistics provider, or 4th Party Logistics provider, is a consulting firm specialized in logistics, transportation, and supply chain management and employs specialised supply chain consultants.
Supply Chain Consultants and Companies Logistical Needs
Because unique pressures are making global supply chains more complex than ever, many companies today feel have no choice but to turn to multiple providers in order to meet all their logistical needs. This is where the expertise of a supply chain consultant comes in. Using more than one provider often costs additional time, money and creates unnecessary headaches, often having a detrimental effect on the efficiency and effectiveness of an organization. Therefore users of supply chain consulting firms tend to source the firm they use through the relationship that supply chain consultants leverage to maximum effectiveness. Supply chain consultancy firms aim to act as a neutral, single source logistics provider bringing together providers that can offer best in class service, cost and competency managed under their branded umbrella. They aim to offer the single point of contact through their supply chain consultants and streamlined, efficient supply chain management services.
