Consultancy
Your customer experience should reflect your business strategy and value proposition, for the cost that your business plan expects.
Your supply chain is how the customer experience is delivered.
If your customer’s aren’t getting what they want at the time they want it for the cost your business expects, then our Consultancy services can help.
Strategic Planning
Our clients have macro and micro supply chain solution needs. From strategic supply chain issues, such as how to align your supply chain to meet business strategy, through to tactical supply chain issues, such as supplier performance management or reducing in-house logistics spend, Slater Austin is your trusted expert.
Our supply chain graphic (below) helps our clients frame the issues that are most important to them. Pain points and improvement areas will exist somewhere on this framework.
Differentiation V Price
Insource V Outsource
Our Approach
At Slater Austin, we believe in building strong partnerships with our clients, often working directly with board members to develop a deep understanding of their business. Depending on the size and sector of your organisation, we act as either:
- The supply chain expert, within your company, or
- An extension of your operational team, particularly when implementing change programmes and projects.
Our approach means that we have an intimate knowledge of the businesses we work with, and add immediate value to the task in hand, whenever called upon. We are engaged as part of the client team on a retained or project basis. Our fees are based on time spent, on results delivered, or on a hybrid of both.
Examples of Our Expertise
Creating Effective Supply Chain Strategies
- Aligning Supply Chain Strategy to Business Strategy
- Network Strategy and Design
- Innovating in the Supply Chain
- Lean v Agile approaches and decisions
- Insource v Outsource evaluation
Optimising Supply Chain Operations
- Demand Planning and Forecasting
- MRP and Production Planning
- Lean Six-Sigma approaches
- Automation
- Warehouse Management
- Resource Planning: DILO and working patterns
- Route Planning and Telematics
- Final Mile Logistics
- Supplier (Partner) Management
- Fleet Management
Boosting Supply Chain Performance
- Efficiency Improvement
- Service Improvement
- Performance Optimisation
- Waste Reduction
- Inventory Reduction
Driving Procurement Excellence
- Ethical Sourcing
- Tendering
- Negotiation
- Contracting
- Supplier Relationship and Contract Management
- Lifecycle Management
Case Studies
At Slater Austin, our consultancy work speaks for itself. We have helped businesses across a range of industries transform their supply chains, achieve measurable efficiencies and realise their strategic goals.
- Sector-Specific Challenges: Insights into the unique issues faced by businesses in industries such as retail, healthcare, manufacturing, and logistics.
- Customised Solutions: How we tailored our approach to deliver impactful results for each client.
- Proven Outcomes: Quantifiable benefits, such as cost savings, efficiency gains, and sustainability improvements.
Improve Supply Chain Performance
Denmaur
With annual revenues exceeding £100 million, Denmaur is one of the largest independent paper merchants in the UK. The company distinguishes itself through its commitment to competitive pricing and reliable next-day delivery nationwide, with sustainability remaining a central component of Denmaur’s corporate philosophy.
With most inventory being imported from various paper mills worldwide, Slater Austin provided a full strategic and tactical review of Denmaur’s supply chain, focusing on improving working capital, enhancing product availability and reducing costs.
Slater Austin delivered in-depth reports benchmarking Denmaur’s supply chain strategy and network against major competitors. In addition, a series of tactical projects were implemented, achieving double-digit percentage reductions in both costs and inventory, while simultaneously improving availability. In the paper industry, that is a significant improvement directly to the bottom line.
Following its consultancy review, Denmaur tasked Slater Austin with recruiting a Head of Demand Planning, as suggested by Slater Austin.
The successful candidate for the role needed demonstrate relevant expertise and a track record of results. More importantly, however, was the need for personal gravitas and strong interpersonal skills. The individual needed to fit seamlessly into the organisation as the trusted expert on forecasting, planning and re-ordering.
Slater Austin performed a traditional advertisement strategy for the position, whilst also promoting the role to its network of over 12,500 supply chain professionals. The successful candidate came from a blue-chip background and added immediate value to Denmaur.
Retail Logistics Start-Up
Fowler Welch
Slater Austin has delivered a range of successful projects in partnership with Fowler Welch, a specialist in chilled logistics and now part of the Culina Group. Slater Austin supported Fowler Welch on an exciting initiative to supply ambient, chilled, and frozen products to Amazon during their trials of till-free Amazon Fresh stores in London.
By leading contract negotiations, partnership sourcing, strategic growth planning, inbound supplier logistics, and comprehensive project management, Slater Austin ensured that the project delivered on all key metrics.
This initiative was significant across all involved organisations, showcasing both progressive supply chain practices and advanced systems integration. It serves as a strong example of Slater Austin’s ability to collaborate effectively with senior leadership teams from multiple organisations simultaneously.
UK Fulfilment Centre Launch
Victor Stationery
Victor Stationery is a leading supplier of exercise books to schools across the United Kingdom and beyond. Producing over 50 million books and pads annually, from a 100% sustainable European forest supply, is not a simple feat.
For decades, Victor Stationery supplied its largest clients directly from its factory in Talin, whilst using distributors in individual countries to sell products to other trade customers. In addition, the distributors provided B2B and B2C internet sales for smaller volume orders.
Victor Stationery adopted a strategic approach aimed at establishing direct relationships with all its customers. To achieve this, they listed Slater Austin to develop a UK supply chain through reliable strategic partners, enabling Victor Stationery to build its own commercial connections with its customer base.
This transition required the selection of partners capable of delivering bulk orders to trade clients and providing e-fulfilment solutions directly to the customer. Slater Austin led the selection of appropriate supply chain partners, advised on the contractual arrangements and oversaw the change management process.
As a result, Victor Stationery now manages its commercial relationships directly and better respond to their needs, as well as enhance innovation and improve bottom-line performance.
Discover Our Free Supply Chain Reviews
At Slater Austin, we do not charge to get to know our customers’ supply chains. We believe in understanding your supply chain before proposing solutions. That’s why Slater Austin offers a series of free supply chain reviews based on our proven supply chain framework.
Our reviews help identify key areas for improvement, creating actionable insights and tangible change programmes.
Free Supply Chain Reviews
Our free, no obligation reviews are a great way to establish this relationship. You get to understand our capability and the value we add, and we get to meet the key people in your firm and understand the business priorities.
That way, when you need us, we’re ready to perform.
Supply Chain Review
- Report and analysis on the current supply chain set-up:
- alignment to business and supply chain strategy
- compared to industry standards
- compared to competition
- Programme of improvements with expected gains in cost and service
- Benchmark against similar sector companies
Procurement Review
- Report and analysis of current procurement operations and effectiveness:
- alignment to business strategy
- in all elements of the Procurement Cycle
- Programme of improvements with expected gains in cost, performance and resilience
- Benchmark against similar sector companies
Process and Systems Review
- Report on the appropriateness and efficiency of systems and processes, highlighting:
- Any of the 5 areas of waste from the lean supply chain model
- Areas that prevent the supply chain strategy from being realised
- Programme of improvements with expected gains in cost and performance, including highlighting the role of technology and automation
- Benchmark against similar sector companies
