The supply chain for any business is not a simple, linear chain of activities; it is a dynamic network of integrated processes, technology, and people. Strategic design choices are critical to enhancing the flow of goods and relevant information for success.
We believe that:
Managing the supply chain effectively is critical to sustainability and growth
All businesses can be set up for supply chain success and develop the capabilities to achieve excellence
The secret to supply chain excellence is often hidden in plain sight… understanding and managing variability to enhance flow
Applying innovative analysis with practical insight can define the scope and scale of opportunity for any business
Creating an environment where supply chain excellence is inevitable is as much about people as it is about process and technology.
Supply chains are complex networks. The flow of relevant Information through the network determines and controls the physical flow of goods. Flow is directly impacted by the natural variability exhibited by any system network; if variability rises, flow is impeded. With inevitable forecasting errors, varying production cycle times and yields, transport disruptions being experienced daily, variability cannot be ignored. And yet, many processes and systems in place to manage supply chains inherently assume little or no variance despite reality.
Understanding, quantifying, and managing variability is fundamental to supply chain management. It is the secret to performance that is hidden in plain sight. Analysing the behaviour of demand, production, and supply yields insights to systemic variability that can guide the transformation of outcomes.
Only a perspective that emphasizes flow of materials and relevant information can form the foundation for success. A poorly designed supply chain, or one that has evolved by default, inherently limits potential. Design is destiny.
We apply Flow-First design principles to elevate supply chains for sustainable growth:
Think system-wide
Gear system flow to demand
Buffer by design not default
Align operational cadence
Develop flow metrics to predictably deliver ROI
Our unique Flow-First approach applies design thinking to supply chain management. We create performance breakthroughs by using innovative analytics to target the opportunities that supply chain excellence offers, allowing the business to manage variability, align activity cadence, identify opportunities and prioritise actions. Specific elements include:
Flow Diagnostic
To identify the necessary changes to process, organisation, technology, and infrastructure to reset capabilities.
Digital Twin
To allow businesses to envision a different supply chain than current, to rapidly generate quantitative results and support risk-free testing of new supply chain modes before implementation.
Transformation
Combines data-driven analytics with our extensive experience and knowhow to develop a targeted action plan to transform operational performance.
Flow-First diagnostics, modelling, and quantitative analyses determine what can be achieved and a Flow-First Transformation Programme makes it happen.
If you're under pressure to deliver efficiencies within your supply chain, our Flow-First 'health check' is designed to reveal new opportunities for improvement at a fixed investment cost to you.
"OP2MA played a crucial role in responding to the immediate challenges brought on by the Covid pandemic and the subsequent reshaping of our operations and depot network in order to deliver material cost savings for the long-term."
