Supply chains and optimized supply chain operating models are strategic differentiators, and business process transformations are a major value lever for businesses.

BearingPoint supports customers in the development of superior supply chain strategies.

Operational strategy

Operational strategies help companies identify the optimal positions of working capital, costs, and service levels. Based on these positions, actions are defined and applied to business rules, processes, people, assets and information systems to improve the cost-effectiveness and services in a company's markets. BearingPoint helps companies in defining and optimizing their operational strategy.

Operational and process Excellence

Harmonized and optimized organizational structures and business processes are an enabler and accelerator for digital supply chains Together with our clients we leverage and implement proven methods, leading practices, as well as digital technologies to drive effectiveness, efficiency and excellence across the entire value chain processes. This contributes to our clients’ success, more flexibility and agility as well as profitable growth. Our methodology leverages all aspects, from strategy and processes to leadership and systems, calculates business benefits and helps companies develop an improvement roadmap.

Outsourcing

Focusing on core competencies minimizes efforts for non-core activities and drives efficiency. BearingPoint supports businesses in identifying outsourcing potentials and ultimately explores, designs, and implements outsourcing where appropriate (make-or-buy).

Labor and force optimization

Operational locations use performance metrics to plan activities, benchmark internal performance versus other locations, manage staff, and decide on individual compensation. Reviewing how this information is utilized enables companies to identify ineffective or inaccurate performance metrics, which may result in reduced productivity, ineffective planning and scheduling activities, as well as misleading comparisons being drawn between locations.

Inventory performance management

BearingPoint supports companies in controlling inventory levels and analyzing the root causes of poor inventory performance. Our diagnostic methodology combines data analytics with deep process expertise. We identify, define, and scale opportunities for improvement and support our customers in realizing the potentials by leveraging our unique tools such as the BearingPoint Inventory Navigator.

Network strategy and design

The goal of strategic design and optimization of supply chain networks is to find an optimally balanced and robust structural solution for the tradeoffs of low cost, excellent service, and minimal inventory. Together with its clients, BearingPoint's experts analyze and design logistics networks: from potentials for business development and expansion into new markets, cost reduction, and capacity planning to ecology and green supply chain. Our experts not only use a range of tools customized to the specific task but also integrate network optimization systems with control tower solutions and transport management systems. As a result, the performance of a logistics network is also under constant observation to obtain timely information for necessary restructuring.

Risk management

BearingPoint provides its customers with unique risk management solutions, identifying strategies, systems, and processes that carry significant risks. We help reduce risk exposures through:

  • Solid management rules, which create a standardized and sustainable approach
  • A vertical solution built around areas of risk compliance and security bolstered by addressing specific risks, such as inventory risks due to the same supplier
  • Analysis of operative risks related to sourced materials. The BearingPoint Inventory Navigator provides detailed insights into customer demands which are at risk due to delayed supply.

Supply chain reporting and visibility

We deploy our analytics capabilities throughout the entire supply chain, measure supply chain activities using well-proven KPIs and support our customers' performance management. The most frequently assessed areas include:

  • Procurement control
  • Demand, forecasting, and planning
  • Supplier selection and assessment
  • Inventory and product flows
  • Product, category, and range (end-to-end lifecycle including returns)
  • Network and transport
  • Service provider measurement (delivery, logistics, etc.)
  • Warranty and aftersales

Predictive supply chain analytics and diagnostics

We support our customers in implementing predictive analytics solutions leveraging the BearingPoint HyerCube platform. We discover hidden insights and relationships to derive relevant implications as early as possible. For instance, automotive manufacturers incur high repair costs during the warranty period due to long detection-to-correction cycles and wrong parts replacements. Analyzing telematics, production quality, and after-sales data to predict when intervention is required, together with automated diagnostics, can significantly reduce warranty expenses. We have applied this approach to logistics processes by creating digital process twins. This way, our customers are warned early on about potential disruptions in their material flow.

Product configuration analytics

Despite the rising importance of product configurations for businesses, product configuration data often lacks data analytics, leading to missed potentials. BearingPoint maximizes the full potential of product configuration data by providing new tools to innovate, especially a client's product sales processes and product management. While making in-depth analyses of products and customers, perfect product offerings, product bundles and upselling opportunities are fitted individually to each customer – even beyond their requirements. Solution elements such as live recommendations and AI-based recommendations lead to increased hit rates and improved margins.

As an example, based on data extracted from SAP SD and analyzed within a powerful analytics model, we provided both live and AI-based recommendations in terms of configuration and pricing improvements directly during the offer process. All of that increased the hit-rate by 5% while boosting the margin 2% for a higher EBIT.

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