Market Guide for Supply Chain Strategy, Planning and Operations Consulting
25 November 2024 - ID G00806330 - 34 min read By: Michael Dominy Initiatives:Supply Chain Transformation
The supply chain strategy, planning and operations consulting market is responding to market and technology forces. Providers have built assets that aid with analysis and roadmap implementation. Supply chain leaders responsible for strategy can use this research to find the right consulting firm.
Overview Key Findings
Acquisitions continue to reshape the supply chain market. Global providers are acquiring specialists, which removes potential candidates from consideration, limiting options to the market’s largest firms. The acquisitions are strengthening large providers’ expertise in specific areas. ■ Consulting firms continue to build robust digital platforms, analytics, tools and delivery models. These assets enable them to improve and streamline, reducing cost that more traditional approaches have entailed. ■ IT and business process outsourcing service providers with business consulting practices can be alternatives for specific projects and situations. For example, strategy projects with a narrower scope in functions and geographies are a more likely fit than those involving multiple supply chain functions and other functions, such as sales and marketing. ■ Service providers, including those that historically focused on strategy consulting, are increasingly contracting in “gain share” or fees at risk commercial arrangements. ■
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Recommendations
Market Definition Supply chain strategy and planning consulting is a subset of the corporate strategy market. Gartner defines corporate strategy as “strategic advisory services that analyze risks and opportunities for clients.” Supply chain operations consulting is a specialized form of business operations consulting, which Gartner defines as “transformation advisory services that improve quality and efficiency for business operations in an organization.” These services focus on improving operations in functions that have physical assets (i.e., manufacturing, warehousing and logistics). Supply chain strategy and planning consulting is a subset of corporate strategy consulting. Gartner defines the latter as “strategic advisory services that analyze risks and opportunities for clients, working with them to develop a detailed strategic roadmap.” Supply chain operations consulting is a specialized form of business operations consulting, which Gartner defines as “transformation advisory services that improve quality and efficiency for business operations in an organization.” These services focus on improving operations in functions that have physical assets, such as manufacturing, warehousing and logistics. Ensure that key experts and leaders, such as project managers and solution architects presented during the proposal process, will be on the project by specifying in the contract that you must interview and have approval authority. This is important for key roles and any backfills or replacements that might be needed if a consultant transitions off the project. ■ Modernize the service provider sourcing and procurement to explicitly include assets as part of the evaluation process. Rate-card-based, time-and-expenses-focused sourcing can lead to lower cost engagements but miss the goal of the initiative. ■ Broaden the range of possible providers and define a more competitively priced longlist by including, on the longlist, IT and business process outsourcing providers that your company uses. ■ Keep the fundamentals when selecting a consulting firm. General descriptions of what you want to do or, worse, simply calling a few firms too often results in spending more than is necessary or getting insufficient deliverables. Instead, use a structured process that includes weighted selection criteria, client references and an evaluation model. ■
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Supply chain leaders often need help from consulting firms across a spectrum of projects. These leaders include chief supply chain officers (CSCOs), supply chain strategists and functional supply chain leaders in planning, logistics, customer service, manufacturing, and sourcing and procurement. Projects can range from developing supply chain strategy and strategic planning to implementing new practices in specific functions.
Examples of supply chain strategy and planning projects include:
End-to-end supply chain strategy and roadmaps
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Supply chain and manufacturing network design
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Digital supply chain strategies and roadmaps
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Organizational design
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Postmerger/postacquisition supply chain and operational integration planning ■
Supply chain segmentation
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Product portfolio/SKU rationalization
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Cost-to-serve analysis
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Complexity reduction/optimization
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Sales and operations planning (S&OP)
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New product introduction and launch (NPI&L)
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Supply chain operations consulting is focused in industries that are highly dependent on the management of physical flows of material and inventory from suppliers through internal operations, such as manufacturing or distribution to end customers or patients. These industries include industrial manufacturing, consumer products, retail, life sciences, high tech, natural resources, and oil and gas.
Examples of supply chain operations consulting projects include:
Business process improvement
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Process and operational training
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Functional improvements in areas such as:
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Sourcing and procurement operations
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Distribution center design, layout and operations
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Transportation and fleet operations
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Factory layout and operations
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Postsale and aftermarket services
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Mandatory Features
Quantitative analysis of overall or function-specific performance. ■
Capability or maturity assessment for end-to-end supply chain or specific function(s). ■
Identification of capability gaps and process improvement opportunities across the supply chain or individual function. ■ Business case analysis that includes defining and assessing options and initiatives for closing gaps for the defined scope of the project, including cost-benefit analysis. ■
Implementation roadmap for capability and process improvements, including timeline and resources required. ■
Common Features
Peer-group benchmarking and leading practice definition. ■
Organization design to support target operating model. ■
Program management for capability and process improvements initiatives. ■
Change management and communications plan development and execution. ■
Supply chain network modeling and optimization.
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End-to-end or function-specific digital strategy and roadmap. ■
Product portfolio/SKU rationalization.
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Supply chain segmentation and cost-to-serve analysis. ■
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Software selection or service provider selection, such as systems integrator, third- party logistics (3PL) provider or external manufacturing service provider. ■
Sales and operations planning (S&OP).
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New product introduction and launch.
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Lean Six Sigma or other industry operational excellence program implementations. ■
Distribution or manufacturing facility layout, design and optimization. ■
Sourcing and procurement initiatives, such as strategic sourcing and category management. ■
Market Description Supply chain leaders often need help from consulting firms across a spectrum of projects. These leaders include chief supply chain officers (CSCOs), supply chain strategists and functional supply chain leaders in planning, logistics, customer service, manufacturing, and sourcing and procurement. Projects can range from developing supply chain strategy and strategic planning to implementing new practices in specific functions.
Examples of supply chain strategy and planning projects include:
End-to-end supply chain strategy and roadmaps
■
Supply chain and manufacturing network design
■
Digital supply chain strategies and roadmaps
■
Organizational design
■
Postmerger/postacquisition supply chain and operational integration planning ■
Supply chain segmentation
■
Product portfolio/SKU rationalization
■
Cost-to-serve analysis
■
Complexity reduction/optimization
■
Sales and operations planning (S&OP)
■
New product introduction and launch (NPI&L)
■
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Supply chain operations consulting is focused in industries that are highly dependent on the management of physical flows of material and inventory from suppliers through internal operations, such as manufacturing or distribution to end customers or patients. These industries include industrial manufacturing, consumer products, retail, life sciences, high tech, natural resources, and oil and gas.
Examples of supply chain operations consulting projects include:
Business process improvement
■
Process and operational training
■
Functional improvements in areas, such as:
■
Sourcing and procurement operations
■
Distribution center design, layout and operations
■
Transportation and fleet operations
■
Factory layout and operations
■
Postsale and aftermarket services
■
Supply chain strategy, planning and operations consulting excludes project work specifically tied to software implementation within the client’s business. However, it may precede, follow or run concurrently with software deployments or outsourcing. Use this Market Guide when assessing which supply chain consultants provide supply chain strategy consulting, supply chain operations consulting or some combination of the two. Market Direction The supply chain strategy, planning and operations consulting market is approximately $176 billion, is estimated to grow 8% annually through 2028 and continues to evolve. Notable developments include:
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Delivery Models Consulting firms are responding to buyers’ demands for faster time to improved operational capability by streamlining project activities and harnessing technologies. Established consulting firms use analytics tools to quickly capture and analyze data from multiple enterprise applications and external sources to diagnose problem areas within an enterprise’s supply chain. In addition to compressing traditional project delivery timelines, consulting firms leverage cloud computing infrastructure services, multitenant SaaS applications and digital tools to deliver improved supply chain capabilities to enterprises. Service providers are using two alternative delivery models to help reduce the cost and time required to deliver projects and accelerate the implementation of new or improved capabilities. These are asset-based consulting and supply chain business process services, also known as supply chain as a service (SCaaS). Service providers from the system integration, IT outsourcing (ITO) and business process outsourcing (BPO) markets, such as Cognizant, Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), which continue to expand into various aspects of supply chain strategy and operations consulting. ■ More agreements having a “fees at risk” component. The 2024 Gartner Digital Business Buying Drivers Survey showed that the percentage of services agreements, including a fees-at-risk component, is expected to increase from an average of 33% in 2024 to 40% by 2027. ■ Strategy- and roadmap-focused projects, which continue to be squeezed into smaller time frames and budgets. Enterprises are pressing consulting firms to diagnose the current state, define strategic alternatives and produce a recommended course of action with an accompanying implementation roadmap — in weeks instead of months. ■ Providers across the consulting market, which leverage technologies (i.e., SaaS, cloud computing, analytics, AI and open-source technologies) to enable the shift from slow and sequential performance improvements to faster and more agile delivery models. Example firms range from Deloitte Consulting to McKinsey & Company, and MorganFranklin Consulting. These technology- and asset-based consulting delivery models can dramatically compress or eliminate certain activities, accelerating the delivery and adoption of improved supply chain and operational capabilities. ■
Asset-Based Consulting
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Asset-based consulting is a hybrid delivery model leveraging assets alongside consulting resources. In this context, an asset refers to a technology-enabled tool, product, AI-trained model or platform that is client-facing, developed and used specifically to support the design or delivery of business consulting services for multiple clients. Asset-based consulting services create client value through a combination of the consultants’ expertise and the functionality of the assets, which augment the consultant’s capabilities (e.g., by using automation to increase speed or by using data and analytics to improve quality). Figure 1 provides an overview of the type and range of assets that some consulting firms leverage to deliver services.
Figure 1: Asset-Based Consulting Services
Supply Chain as a Service (SCaaS)
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Consulting firms provide ongoing supply-chain-managed or operational services by exploiting cloud technologies to perform analytical or operational activities cost- effectively for clients. Gartner defines these services as digital process services (DPS) (see Market Definitions and Methodology: Services). Three major segments within DPS aligned to SCaaS include:
Operations in product industries: operational processes specific to discrete and process manufacturing industries. ■
Supply management: logistics, procurement and warehousing. ■
Asset-intensive digital business process services: services delivered via platform- based solutions that are composed of services, assets, analytics and intellectual property specific to business processes and use cases. ■
Market Analysis The supply chain strategy, planning and operations consulting market can be segmented by service focus, function, geography and industry. Large service providers operate in multiple regions and industries, and offer a broad portfolio of services. Supply chain strategy, planning and operations consulting is one of these segments. By contrast, boutique or specialist consulting firms are smaller and typically offer only supply chain strategy or operations consulting, and often serve clients primarily in one region or industry. The consulting market is complex. Identifying the right longlist of providers requires applying factors that can eliminate certain providers from consideration (i.e., the size of the project, scope of services required, industry expertise and geographic presence). In this Market Guide, firms generally fall into two categories: global consulting or specialist service providers. Global Consulting Providers These providers may offer services in addition to supply chain strategy and operations consulting. For example, several offer tax, audit and IT services as well. Some firms in this market segment focus primarily on strategy and, to a lesser extent, operations. Firms with audit practices might not be able to contract with an enterprise for supply chain consulting projects if that firm is the enterprise’s auditor.
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Using a consulting firm that has strong operations consulting capabilities and supply chain strategy expertise can be advantageous. This is because the strategy, roadmap and recommendations developed during the strategy phase are more likely to be actionable and implementable by these firms. These service providers have supply chain strategy and operations consulting services that many clients have used across multiple industries and geographies. However, the number and types of projects these service providers deliver vary from provider to provider. For example, some have a long and strong heritage in strategy consulting but less extensive experience in supply chain operations (i.e., distribution or manufacturing). Other characteristics include: Breadth: Some providers have services that support client needs across virtually every type of supply chain strategy, planning and operations initiative. These initiatives range from strategic decisions based on the supply chain network analysis to operational excellence efforts within manufacturing plants and distribution centers. Others’ experience is more limited. For example, several service providers have delivered supply chain network design and helped clients implement S&OP, but have virtually no experience with operational improvement initiatives within a factory or distribution center. Other service providers primarily focus on IT or BPO services. Historically, however, outsourcing providers did not have business consulting. They do now because of acquisitions and inorganic expansion of their services portfolios or partnerships with traditional consulting firms, with limited or no technology implementation or BPO services. ■ Years of experience: Some providers have decades of experience in strategy or operations consulting projects. Others have recently added strategy and operations consulting to their established services portfolios. For example, some providers primarily focusing on IT services have added or expanded supply chain strategy and operations capabilities. ■ Industries: These providers have experience in multiple industries, but the distribution of projects is not uniform. For example, only a few providers have delivered corporate supply chain strategy projects and factory-level operational excellence in the industrial process industry. Some have large industry practices, but the majority of their work has been in one area in strategy, operations or some other supply chain service (i.e., application implementation or application management). ■
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Specialist Service Providers These providers may offer IT or business services in addition to supply chain strategy and operations consulting. They differ from the large, global, multiservice providers because they do not serve (to the same extent) industries, geographies and business functions. These service providers may focus on strategy, operations or blending both. Typically, they do not operate across all industries, functions and geographies. Thousands of consulting firms exist in this segment. They range from small firms, with less than 20 consultants focused on one industry to firms with hundreds of consultants working in multiple industries and geographies. In addition to supply chain strategy, planning and operations consulting, some providers offer other supply chain services, such as application implementation or managed services. Several of the firms in this Market Guide also offer industrial engineering services — a differentiating capability that drives efficiency and optimized layouts and processes within the four walls of manufacturing or distribution sites. Specialist providers’ organizations range from a few dozen to hundreds of employees, and annual revenue stretches from $10 million to more than $500 million. Other characteristics of specialist providers include: Geography: These providers have fewer resources across multiple geographies than the global consulting providers listed above. However, it is common for these specialists to have experience in multiple geographies. That experience is often the result of engagements with global clients based in the same region as the specialist. ■ Geography: These providers are global, but most have not delivered a full range of strategy and operations projects in every geography. Performing a network design analysis in a region is very different from reconfiguring the layout of a distribution center or factory shop floor. ■ Industry: Some providers have a larger focus in certain industries. The industry focus is typically a deliberate go-to-market strategy decision or the natural result of the provider’s other services. For example, a specialist that implements supply chain management (SCM) applications used primarily in industrial process industries focuses its strategy and operations consulting work in those industries. ■
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Representative Vendors The vendors listed in this Market Guide do not imply an exhaustive list. This section is intended to provide more understanding of the market and its offerings. Vendor Selection The supply chain consulting market has thousands of providers from the very large with thousands of supply chain consultants to the very small with a dozen consultants. There is no formal inclusion or exclusion criteria associated with being listed as a representative vendor or provider in a Market Guide. However, our Market Guide methodology restricts the number of representative vendors that can be included and profiled in our detailed Market Guides. As a result, analysts are forced to make choices as to which ones to list in each year’s Market Guide. In addition to the analyst’s judgment, we believe that rotating providers in and out so different providers — especially the smaller or specialized ones — can be profiled is important. See Note 1 for additional information about changes to the list of representative providers over the past several years. Strategy or operations: These providers tend to do more strategy, planning or operations projects. Similar to the industry focus, the other services in the provider’s portfolio influence whether the focus is more on strategy-oriented projects or operations-oriented projects. For example, a provider implementing supply chain planning applications is much more likely to offer supply chain strategy consulting services than operations consulting services. ■ Overall scope of services for supply chain strategy and digital supply chain strategy: For many specialists, the scope of services within supply chain strategy or digital supply chain strategy is narrower than that of the large global providers. In some cases, the scope only includes a specific function within supply chain (i.e., distribution). ■
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The 20 supply chain strategy, planning and operations consulting vendors named in this research were selected based on the trending of companies mentioned during inquiry calls and questions received about specific consulting firms. We included a mix of providers from large global players with multiple services to small specialists. An accompanying vendor identification tool will be published and will include a longer list of consulting firms of various sizes. This research includes summary information on the listed providers’ services, industry specialization or focus and primary geographic presence (see Table 1). Additional information about each provider’s services is included in the vendor profiles section below. Table 1: Representative Vendors in Supply Chain Strategy, Planning and Operations Consulting (Enlarged table in Appendix)
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Vendor Profiles 4flow
4flow, headquartered in Germany, was founded in 2000 and operates from 24 offices worldwide, spanning Europe, Asia, North America and South America. 4flow has a global team of more than 1,300 members. Approximately one-third of 4flow’s business is focused on supply chain strategy, planning and operations consulting. 4flow’s services include:
Supply chain strategy services, including supply chain organization, and digital supply chain strategy ■
Supply chain network design and analytics
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Supply chain planning, including S&OP design, optimization, and implementation ■
Sourcing and procurement strategy and improvement
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Manufacturing strategy and operations, including smart factory design ■
Transportation management and distribution optimization ■
Layout planning and traffic concepts and plant structure planning, including smart warehouse ■
Digital and AI-enabled supply chain transformation
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Accenture Accenture, headquartered in Ireland, is a leading global professional services company that provides a broad range of services in Strategy and Consulting, Technology, Operations, Industry X and Song. It has more than 774,000 employees in more than 120 countries, with services delivered from a global network of technology and intelligent operations centers, of which the largest concentration of staff is in India, the Philippines and the U.S.
Accenture’s services include:
Supply chain strategy and roadmap
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Supply chain talent transformation
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Industry-specific supply chain solutions (e.g., assortment planning in retail, drug discovery and design in life sciences, etc.) ■
Product design and packaging
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Resilient supply chain (supply chain management, supply chain network resilience quick assessment, supply chain resilience stress test) ■
Supply chain planning and S&OP
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Sourcing and procurement for indirect and direct cost categories ■
Manufacturing strategy and operations, including smart manufacturing ■
Distribution strategy and operations
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Transportation strategy and operations
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Service management including after-sales and servitization ■
Boston Consulting Group Boston Consulting Group, headquartered in the U.S., is a global consulting firm founded in 1963 with approximately 32,000 employees and offices in over 50 countries. Although well-known as a business consulting firm, Boston Consulting Group has added capabilities in several areas, including digital expertise and services, such as BCG X. Boston Consulting Groups supports clients across the entire supply chain life cycle, providing end-to-end expertise for customized implementations, advanced remediation and AI-driven “Build with AI” solutions to scale innovation. Boston Consulting Group’s services include:
Supply chain strategy and organization (includes manufacturing and procurement strategy) ■
Supply chain network design (advanced network optimization) ■
Supply chain segmentation, product portfolio/SKU rationalization, cost-to-serve analysis and complexity reduction/optimization ■
Customized supply chain solutions for supply chain transformation ■
End-to-end supply chain optimization and planning
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Supply chain visibility and resilience
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Compass Performance Benchmarking
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Logistics and transportation strategy and execution
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Warehouse optimization
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Organization design
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Digital and AI-enabled supply-chain-specific offerings, such as supply chain digital twin (simulation and scenarios) and supply chain resilience (includes procurement risk and resilience) ■
Bluecrux Bluecrux, headquartered in Belgium, was founded in 2011 and has more than 250 associates in seven countries providing SC consulting and system integration services to clients in more than 25 countries. It provides a range of supply chain services to six specific industries: pharmaceutical, medical technology, biotech, chemicals, consumer packaged goods and industrial manufacturing. Bluecrux also has a software business with two primary offerings: digital SC twin (Axon) and lab planning and scheduling (Binocs). Bluecrux’s supply chain consulting services include:
E2E SC strategy and roadmaps
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Digital SC strategy and roadmap
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SC network and operations
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SC planning includes S&OP
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Distribution optimization
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Lab planning and scheduling
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Change management
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Bristlecone Bristlecone, headquartered in the U.S., is a specialist service provider offering consulting, system integration and managed services across supply chain planning, procurement and fulfillment in countries around the world. They serve multiple industries with manufacturing, consumer goods, life sciences and technology being of primary focus.
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Bristlecone leverages a consulting-led approach for its SCM-focused advisory and implementation services that incorporates process and functional expertise, adoption focused organizational change management, AI-first data and analytics, and deep partnerships with enterprise and specialist SCM application providers. The majority of its services are focused in system integration and managed services. Bristlecone’s supply chain consulting services include:
Supply chain strategy and roadmaps
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End-to-end digital and AI supply chain strategy and roadmaps ■
Supply chain planning and S&OP
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Sourcing and procurement strategy and roadmaps
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Transportation and distribution strategy and roadmaps ■
Aftermarket supply chain services
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Manufacturing strategy and roadmaps
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Supply chain adoption and change management services ■
Clarkston Consulting Clarkston Consulting, headquartered in the U.S., is a specialist service provider. Since 1991, Clarkston Consulting has provided various services, including consulting and system integration. Clarkston Consulting specifically focuses on several industries: life sciences, consumer products and retail. Clarkston Consulting’s services include:
Supply chain strategy and roadmap
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Network design and inventory optimization
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Supply chain planning and S&OP
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Traceability consulting
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Operational excellence
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Quality management
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Organizational change management
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Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (DTT) Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (DTT), commonly known as Deloitte Consulting, provides audit, consulting, financial advisory, risk management, tax and related services. Deloitte Consulting is a privately held global services organization composed of independent, geographically based member firms of DTT, a U.K. private company limited by guarantee. With approximately 457,000 employees across all practices, Deloitte Consulting is one of the largest professional services firms globally. Deloitte Consulting’s services include:
Digital supply chain strategy
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Supply chain network design
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Supply chain analytics, AI and data
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Supply chain planning
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Distribution and logistics
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Smart factory
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Sourcing and procurement
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Product engineering and development
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enVista enVista, headquartered in the U.S., is a supply chain and enterprise technology consulting firm. Founded in 2002, it offers supply chain optimization services, automation and robotics, Microsoft solutions, and IT-managed services. enVista’s services include:
Supply chain strategy and roadmap
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Supply chain network design and optimization, plus inventory plus product flow strategy ■
Organizational change management
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Omnichannel strategy
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Supply chain planning and S&OP, including retail forecasting, and forecasting and planning as a service ■
Product development and sourcing strategy
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Transportation and distribution strategy and operation ■
Site analytics and selection for warehousing/manufacturing ■
Warehouse design, automation, slotting and labor management ■
Fleet management
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Lean process improvement and operations improvement ■
Manufacturing and operations strategy and improvement ■
EY EY, headquartered in England, has more than 7,190 supply chain and operations employees globally leveraging a broad ecosystem of partners and more than 150 developed and activated tools and products embedded in their offerings. EY utilizes advanced technologies, including AI and data analytics to enable real-time tracking and reporting across the entire supply chain. EY’s services include:
Supply chain strategy and roadmaps (tax effective and sustainable) ■
Network optimization, including global trade and tax (tax effective jurisdictions, network footprint, trade flows, sustainability, resiliency and visibility) ■
Supply chain and operations cost reduction and working capital optimization ■
Planning and product life cycle management (integrated business planning, including S&OP/IBP and Product Life Cycle Management) ■
Procurement (category management and sourcing, contract and supplier management, purchasing and payment, procurement automation) ■
Advanced manufacturing (digital manufacturing technology, Industrie 4.0 and automation, operational excellence) ■ Enterprise asset management (business and system Integration, supply chain cybersecurity risk) ■
Logistics and fulfillment (warehousing, transportation and digital fulfillment) ■
Intelligent operations (process excellence and operational transformation) including the infusion of AI/life cycle and decision intelligence capabilities across the end-to- end supply chain ■
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Genpact Genpact, headquartered in the U.S., is a global professional services firm with more than 115,000 employees delivering a portfolio of business process and IT services to companies across industries and geographies. Genpact began in 1997 as a business unit within General Electric. Then, in January 2005, it became an independent company. Genpact’s services include:
Supply chain strategy and roadmap
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Supply chain network design
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Supply chain planning (including production) and S&OP ■
Supply chain planning-as-a-service
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Sourcing and procurement, and third-party risk management ■
Manufacturing strategy and operational excellence
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Connected assets and dealer as-a-service
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Service parts strategy, pricing and planning
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Parts management-as-a-service
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Logistics and distribution including order management and global trade ■
Transportation planning-as-a-service
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Supply chain data service and analytics
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Implement Consulting Group Implement Consulting Group, headquartered in Denmark, is a consulting firm offering a range of services with a focus on supply chain. Implement started in 1996, and has approximately 1,800 employees. Implement has five key service lines: strategy and transformation, operations and efficiency, leadership and change, growth and innovation, and digitalization and IT. The firm provides services to clients across industries, but nearly all are with clients in Europe. Implement’s services include:
End-to-end supply chain and operations strategy, roadmap development, network design and segmentation ■
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Digital supply chain strategy
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Supply chain planning and S&OP
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Sourcing and procurement strategy and roadmap
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Manufacturing operations strategy and roadmap
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Factory operations layout and workflow redesign
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Warehousing and distribution strategy and roadmap
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Warehouse operations layout and workflow redesign
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Transportation strategy and roadmap
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KPMG International KPMG International, headquarted in England, is a global service provider with services in audit, assurance, tax, legal, advisory, private enterprise, technology, tax, regulatory and environmental, social and governance (ESG). KPMG International operates in 143 countries and territories and in FY24, employed more than 273,000 employees serving clients in multiple industries. KPMG International has digital assets and enablers, such as KPMG Origins and KPMG Supply Chain Predictor, which support its supply chain consulting services. KPMG International’s services include:
Strategy chain and logistics strategy and roadmap
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Supply chain network design
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Supply chain planning, S&OP and IBP
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Procurement and strategic sourcing and advisory
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Manufacturing operations strategy and roadmap
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Distribution operations
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Transportation operations
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Supply chain resilience and risk management
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Supply chain/network cost analysis and optimization
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Supply chain technology selection and implementation services ■
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Operational improvements and implementation — delivery and execution of operational improvement initiatives across the business ■
McKinsey & Company McKinsey & Company, headquartered in the U.S., is a global management consulting firm founded in 1926. It has more than 45,000 employees. McKinsey’s Operations Practice, which includes supply chain, is the largest functional practice within McKinsey, and serves clients in all industries and geographies. The practice has more than 7,500 operations consultants and 900 partners globally. Its McKinsey Digital practice helps clients utilize data and artificial intelligence and modernize core technology. It also helps them capitalize on new technology, optimize and automate operations, fuel digital growth, create digital experiences and build digital talent and culture. McKinsey’s services include:
Supply chain strategy and roadmap
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Supply chain network design
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Supply chain planning and S&OP including Advanced Planning Systems implementation ■
Procurement operations
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Manufacturing strategy, operations and digitization
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Proprietary digitally enabled assets and solutions including Digital Production System to enable operational excellence; OptiSite, which provides address-level site selection balancing dozens of factors; and Logistics Analytic Engine to analyze logistics performance and opportunities ■
Distribution operations strategy
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Transportation operations strategy
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Service strategy and operations
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Miebach Consulting Miebach Consulting, a Germany-headquartered specialist supply chain service provider, has employees in Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia/Pacific. It offers services to multiple industries with the exception of healthcare providers. Miebach Consulting provides multiple supply chain services but has a greater focus in network design, warehousing, distribution and transportation.
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In addition to traditional strategy and operations consulting in transportation and distribution, Miebach Consulting has engineering services, which enables it to provide “inside the four-walls” services in distribution and manufacturing environments. Miebach Consulting’s supply chain consulting services include:
Supply chain strategy and roadmaps
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Digital supply chain strategy and roadmap
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Supply chain planning
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Distribution and transportation operations
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Manufacturing operations strategy and roadmap
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MorganFranklin Consulting MorganFranklin Consulting, headquartered in the U.S., is a provider with six major services lines: accounting and risk advisory, technology enablement, cybersecurity, transaction advisory services, strategic transformation and program execution, and supply chain and retail planning. Most of MorganFranklin’s supply chain services reside within its Plantensive business unit. Plantensive provides a range of supply chain services to multiple industries. Supply chain planning is a foundational part of its supply chain services portfolio. MorganFranklin’s supply chain services include:
Supply chain strategy and advisory services
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Supply chain planning and S&OP
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Manufacturing planning and scheduling
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Retail planning, merchandising and assortment
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Store space planning and optimization
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Newton Newton is an England-headquartered consulting firm founded in 2001 with more than 600 employees. Its primary markets are defense, infrastructure, retail, consumer goods and the public sector. One of Newton’s founding principles is guaranteeing its fees against delivering real, measurable outcomes. As a result, Newton always engages clients in a “100% of fees at risk” commercial model. The firm is not a systems integrator with approximately 90% of its engagement focus in business consulting. The supply chain consulting services offered by Newton include:
End-to-end supply chain strategy and roadmaps
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Digital SC strategy and roadmap
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Supply chain planning and S&OP
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Sourcing and procurement
■
Transportation, distribution and warehousing strategy, and roadmaps ■
Distribution operations flow optimization
■
Manufacturing strategy and roadmap
■
Manufacturing operations layout and flow improvements ■
North Highland North Highland is a consulting and managed services provider headquartered in the U.S. While North America accounts for three-quarters of its customers, the remainder is derived from Europe and the Middle East. North Highland serves a range of industries, but its revenue is concentrated in government, retail, healthcare and life sciences, as well as banking and investment services. Most of its supply chain projects and experience is focused in retail and wholesale distribution and in the logistics and aspects of supply chain strategy. The supply chain practice within North Highland is small, relative to the overall firm consisting of approximately 100 employees in North America and Europe. The supply chain consulting service North Highland offers includes:
End-to-end supply chain strategy and roadmaps
■
Digital SC strategy and roadmap
■
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Network modeling, design and optimization
■
Supply chain planning and S&OP
■
Transportation and distribution strategy
■
Distribution center layout and design
■
Aftermarket/postdelivery services strategy
■
NTT DATA NTT DATA, headquartered in Japan, is a $30 billion company focused on IT and business services. It helps clients transform through business, technology, supply chain consulting, industry and digital solutions, application development and management, managed edge- to-cloud infrastructure services, BPO, system integration and global data centers. The company offers services in over 80 countries. NTT DATA’s supply chain consulting services include:
End-to-end supply chain strategy and digital roadmap
■
Supply chain network design and analytics
■
Supply chain planning
■
Sourcing and procurement
■
Manufacturing and distribution center operations
■
Transportation strategy and performance improvement ■
Packaging design and optimization
■
PwC PwC, headquartered in England, is a global service provider with more than 364,000 employees serving clients in more than 151 countries. PwC teams have expertise and experience across all sectors globally and offer a wide range of services. PwC’s supply chain consulting services reside primarily within its operations transformation practice. PwC’s services include, but are not limited to:
Supply chain strategy and roadmap, including supply chain risk and scenario modeling ■
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Supply chain network design including tax-efficient network design ■
Supply chain planning and S&OP
■
Procurement operations including supplier relationship management, category management commodities management contracting, spend management and optimization ■
Manufacturing operations, lean manufacturing designs and smart manufacturing ■
Distribution strategy and operations (efficient warehouse management configurations) ■
Logistics and global trade optimization
■
Operations strategy consulting
■
Product development, R&D, innovation, connected products and connected solutions, portfolio optimization ■
Quality management optimization
■
Service support and field operations
■
Reverse logistics, returns, repairs
■
St. Onge St. Onge, headquartered in the U.S., is a specialist consulting firm offering supply chain, operations and engineering services to companies across industries. The firm was founded in 1983 and has more than 160 employees. St. Onge’s services include:
Supply chain strategy, end-to-end assessments and roadmaps ■
S&OP audits/assessments, designs and implementations ■
Inventory modeling and optimization
■
Supply chain systems planning and roadmaps
■
Supply network modeling and optimization
■
Supply chain and distribution planning
■
Transportation strategy and roadmap
■
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Facilities planning, design and management
■
Healthcare operations strategy and analytics
■
Supply chain execution systems requirements definition, vendor identification and selection support ■
Market Recommendations As a supply chain leader responsible for strategy considering using a consulting firm or other service provider to help with supply chain strategy, planning or operations, you should: Harmonize processes and then outsource the routine and standardized activities to service providers. When executed correctly, this approach can improve performance and better use your internal talent. For example, supply-chain-managed services (i.e., demand planning or inventory optimization as a service) enable you to implement improved capabilities faster. They also may free up your existing planning staff to focus on high-value activities, such as more robust S&OP governance or supply chain segmentation. ■ Investigate options from service providers and software vendors when selecting a solution to improve your supply chain capabilities. Service providers are pursuing technology innovation and new strategies, thus giving you more options. Supply chain business process as a service (BPaaS) is an example of service providers offering an alternative to traditional packaged software selection and implementation. ■ Determine the business and scope of the project or service and involve stakeholders to document the project objectives and desired outcomes. Use standard down- selection criteria to create a longlist of consultants to include in the RFP process. ■ Weigh the pros and cons of using one type of consulting partner. Sometimes, a global firm with a portfolio of services is the best choice for supply chain strategy and operations projects. At other times, a specialist might be a better option from a speed and cost perspective — especially if you need help with one function in one geography. ■ Ask for sample deliverables in your RFP. You need to know how detailed a supply chain roadmap or business case will be when deciding which service provider’s proposal is right for you. ■
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When contracting with a large consulting firm that recently acquired a specialist, insist that individuals from the acquired firm comprise most of the project team. The acquired firm, not the large global provider, has the specialized expertise. ■
Evidence 2024 Gartner Digital Business Buying Drivers Survey. This survey sought to understand the behavior of services buyers to support their digital business. This includes what they are buying, the use cases for technology, delivery model preferences, how far they have progressed on their digital transformation journey and what lies ahead. The survey was conducted online from February through April 2024. In total, 880 respondents from organizations with annual revenue of at least $50 million or equivalent from Asia/Pacific (31%), North America (30%), Western Europe (27%), and Southern Europe (12%) participated. Industries represented included banking and securities, manufacturing, natural resources, communications, media and services, government, retail, wholesale trade, insurance, utilities, transportation, healthcare providers and education. Qualified respondents were decision makers or decision influencers at the director-level or higher involved in the selection or evaluation of at least one of the following consulting or outsourcing services within the past two years:
Business consulting
■
Technology consulting
■
Application implementation
■
Application managed services
■
Infrastructure implementation
■
Infrastructure managed services
■
Infrastructure as a service
■
Business process services
■
Digital product engineering
■
Marketing, experience, content and image services
■
Disclaimer: Results of this survey do not represent global findings or the market as a whole, but reflect the sentiments of the respondents and companies surveyed.
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