Logistics Consulting for Small Enterprise

In fact we started Logistics Help to improve the logistics performance of businesses like yours. We share your desire to grow your small business into a big business. We see your problems everyday, they are the same as any business that has to manage and ship physical products:

• You have too much of the wrong inventory and too little of the right inventory
• You keep losing inventory you thought you had and finding inventory you didn’t know was there
• Your operational costs are hurting you and you are concerned about staying competitive
• Your warehouse is full and you need to relocate (very expensive) or make better use of space or reduce your inventory (much cheaper and essential anyway)
• You lose sales from customer complaints of poor service and slow order fulfillment
• Your return rate is too high due to picking and shipping errors
• You are concerned that your current operational capability will not support the growth you have planned for the business
• You’re not really sure how to fix any of this because the expertise is not in your business, may be you’re even wondering if you should just outsource it (expensive and doesn’t solve most of the problems).

OK, relax now because you’re here, there is no problem you have that we have not seen before and cannot sort out.  But our aim is not really to sort out your problems (although we do that), our aim is to help you thrive!  We help you create value through high performance logistics just like the big corporations.

The only reason you would hire Logistics Help or any other service provider is because they help you create value in your business.  If you know you need to improve your ability to service your customers through better fulfillment of your products to your customers, then this is for you. We have mapped out a comprehensive set of services and products designed to deliver you the most efficient and effective logistics operations that are as good as (or better than) the best of the large corporations. The focus areas listed below below come from our High Performance Logistics Model, which is a comprehensive, practice based vision of how to create the best possible logistics operation for your business.

We start with a free Performance Improvement Consultation, to work out a high level logistics improvement plan for your business. That’s right, you get an hour or so with one of our expert consultants who will map out a plan to improve your logistics and it costs you only your time. If we decide to work together, we then pick an improvement path: either the 10X Program or a project based approach.  Either way, we start with a review of your operations to customise a High Performance Logistics Plan that will bring your logistics into the 21st century. Join the 10X program and we become a key part of your business, helping you grow continuously towards the goal of high performance and technology that drives 21st century logistics. Choose a project based approach and address specific areas of your business as your needs demand; with each project moving you further along the path of performance and technology.

Each project covers one or more of the focus areas listed below. There is no project we do that does not add value, so you decide what you think is important and when, and work your way through the plan as fast as you need to. Implementing the whole plan will probably take 2-3 years depending on what you need and how much focus you apply to getting there.  The reality is that deep change requires time, money and resources and even though the returns are great, you can only go so fast. So obviously, we go after the low hanging fruit first and fix the major issues and get you on the way.  We’re always only a phone call away during this journey and between projects, you can call us for advice and guidance.

If you implement the plan then you will have arrived at high performance and avoided a lot of the pitfalls that many businesses fall into as they grow. Of course, your business, and the need to adapt and improve, never stops. But you will now be armed with the tools you need to meet any new opportunity or logistics challenge you come across.  The best in class at logistics operation typically has half the costs of the worst and with much higher service levels.  This not only impacts the bottom line through cost reduction, it improves competitiveness and enhances your market reputation for service which brings more customers. So now:

• You have the right inventory for your target service level for each product
• Your inventory is accurate and apart from the odd operational error that is picked up quickly your inventory is predictable
• Your know your operational costs are as low as they can be, any competitive pressure is not due to logistics problems
• Your manage your warehouse space and keep on top of slow moving and obsolete inventory. You have strategies in place to manage overflow stock during peaks and will only relocate to a bigger site when the business growth demands it.
• Your customers love your service and delivery and rave about it on social media
• Your returns are due to customer issues and not created by you
• You know you can scale up to service growth and successfully replicate your operational model to new sites in new markets
• You work on continuously improving your operations with Lean principles and get Logistics Help for more technical issues beyond normal operations.

Type	Focus Area	Outcomes
Review	​Logistics Review Site operations review Report of issues and improvement actions High Performance Logistics Model MAP to outline the path to full logistics competence including estimated costs, benefits and return on investment Draft process design Review workshop	The Massive Action Plan that outlines improvement opportunities, estimated costs and how to get to the results you need
​Strategy & Process Alignment	​Strategic alignment & detailed process design (1,2)	Redesigned business processes that build in efficiency and accuracy and deliver on your business strategy
Systems	​System alignment to process & strategy	​Plugs the functional gaps in your current system that hold you back from efficient process and effective delivery of your strategy
​Infrastructure & Process	​Purchasing & Receiving Flow (6)	Corrects the issues with the current purchasing and receiving processes. This is a pre-requisite to the Inventory planning system implementation or may be combined in the same project.
Systems & Process	​Inventory planning process & Autostock implementation Improved planning and purchasing process is faster and more accurate Statistical forecasting for predictable items automates the planning decisions for the majority of items Visual workbench helps you plan and monitor the inventory of less predictable items Visibility of inventory position: over-stocks and issues with future supply and warehouse capacity Plan replenishment of branch sites or stores from a central warehouse Fully integrated with your business system to eliminate data entry of purchase orders	Stock reductions of 30% – 50%, higher stock availability and service levels, less overstocks and write off due to obsolescence. Often less overall purchasing and receiving activity due to reduced stock outs and ad hoc ordering.
Process	​Inventory availability and stock reduction strategies	Refines the planning processes in the business to reduce inventory through better forecasting and purchasing patterns. Ensures a continuous focus on inventory performance. Follow up to the Autostock implementation.
​Top 3 Warehouse Accelerators	Bin location management (7) Stock management in a multi-bin warehouse Pareto analysis & product slotting (7) Advanced picking strategies (8)	Just as described in the report this will usually be the first issue we’ll address in the warehouse. It sets the baseline capability to build even greater efficiency in future. There is an easy 10% (probably more) gain in productivity just from this.
Infrastructure	Warehouse design for fast flow Storage systems (3) Materials handling equipment (4) Warehouse layout (5)	Good warehouse design can double your storage capacity and add 10%-20% to your productivity
Process, Infrastructure & System	​Dispatch Optimisation Order packing consigning process Freight management system implementation Carrier and freight service review, Customer experience surveys Market review of carrier options and cost savings	Faster packing & shipping, better flow in dock operations, cost reductions from new carriers, improved freight service, visibility of freight activity and costs from new system allows better management
Organisation	​Organisation structure and recruiting	The right organisation structure and staff selection has a huge impact on the outcomes achieved by the overall project work. We help you put the right people in the right roles
Organisation	Procedure writing	​Ensures compliance with new process and strategy, enhances productivity through consistent best practice and error reduction
Organisation	Training	Train the trainer approach ensures effective knowledge transfer to your staff
Organisation	Coaching warehouse managers for performance Supervision & management basics .Hiring .Staff performance coaching .Firing .OH&S basics 12 principles of high performance warehousing Warehouse KPI management Lean principles & continuous improvement	​Instills the vision and tools of high performance logistics in key operational management
System	Upimium Warehouse Management Suite Implementation.​ Process optimisation for fast flow receiving Advanced storage strategies for high storage density Process redesign for advanced put-away strategies Elimination of data entry and administrative tasks. Process redesign for advanced picking strategies System integration with business system, freight system, automated materials handling systems Simple voice directed operation (no voice recognition) Paper based option if required (but not recommended)	15% -25% productivity gains (depending on current circumstance), up to 99.9% stock accuracy, faster order fulfillment, better labour visibility and management. Adaptability tools future proof your system so it will keep working for you as your business changes
Other	Sharpen Up! Continuous Improvement Program Warehouse relocation Start-up advisory 3PL Outsourcing Request For Quote Optimisation of 3PL relationship and operations	– Open to all Logistics Help clients who have completed a project or program. – Seamless relocations that improve your operations and are invisible to your customers. – Start up with high performance logistics from the beginning. – We’ll help you outsource effectively (if you must)