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Management Consultancy
With market circumstances changing ever faster and clients becoming more demanding, logistics companies are forced to regularly scrutinize and analyze the market, the competition, and their own position and adjust their strategy and policy.
Entrepreneurs and managers are forced nowadays to tread carefully and make sure they are well-informed before taking far-reaching decisions. Furthermore, the pressure on turnover and margins in various markets requires ingenuity and innovative concepts.
In these circumstances, having an outside expert provide additional information or lead a part of the process can often be very helpful to the management. With over 25 specialists, ColdStoreDesign.com and ColdChainExperts.com possess the necessary expertise and international experience. The consultancy services cover areas like:
Want to know more? Interested in a concrete offer?
Give us a call at +31 38 452 4858 or send an email
Assessment of cold stores and refrigerated warehouses
At the request of a prospective client, investor or individual owner of a logistics company, ColdChainExperts.com will appoint a task force of 1-3 hands-on specialists that will perform a complete or partial assessment of the cold store / refrigerated warehouse in a few days, make an analysis, and give recommendations for improvement and/or investments, including the required budget. The assessment can focus on management issues wit regard to strategy and policy or be completely dedicated to operational aspects and logistic processes. Such an assessment by professional outsiders often provides the management with a refreshing view on their business.
Matchmaking, Strategic Partnerships & Joint Ventures
In the USA and Europe, executives want to get a foothold in China and India; Asian operators are often looking for a Western partner with financial power and expertise in 3PL for frozen and chilled foods. With our supporting offices in Asia and networks at executive levels in the USA, Europe, Middle East, China and India, the consultants of CCE can take you directly to some major parties, introduce you and assist you in the process until an agreement has been reached.
It is obvious that due to globalization and up-scaling of operations, logistics has become more and more international and that product flows are changing. Many entrepreneurs are looking for international connections, cooperation and joint ventures. ColdChainExperts.com can mediate in these processes.
Assisting your architects and engineers in designing your cold store
Sometimes clients have a well-experienced in-house team that can mainly do the design and engineering itself. However, designing this type of logistics operation means paying attention to a hundred and one details, which all have to be thought through in order to lay a sound base for maximum revenues and minimum costs. To feel more secure about this, check if the design complies with all regulations, and to evaluate latest technology options, the responsible management is able to use the international expertise of the experts of ColdStoreDesign.com.
They can support the company’s own team during all phases of the project. Modern means of communication offers the opportunity respond quickly and to limit the costs for the client.
Funding Project Proposals & Development
Cold chain development has become an innovative and profitable way to expand your business into new markets; identify new investment and partnership opportunities; and expose key staff to new challenges and experiences. However, cold chain development work in under-developed areas requires planning and funding. CCE is perfectly positioned to help draft proposals to capture grants, donations and awards in order to facilitate cold chain development in strategic countries where governmental and not-for-profit organizations are spending money on development projects. If you are aware of development activities in countries where cold chain growth is needed, CCE specialists may be able to help write a proposal and secure funding for project work that would enhance your company's presence and competitiveness in the market.
Strategic Reorientation
Within every organization there are these moments when it becomes obvious that a strategy review is required. Sometimes it is the result of a new technology that strongly influences the industry, sometimes developments with clients, a desired merger or expansion, major changes in the market or pressure on results.
Even when there is no direct cause, management should invest time every 3 to 5 years in analyzing the current market position, future developments, the long-term goals and ambitions and the best way to achieve those.
Management Support/Sparring Partner
The circumstances, under which companies have to achieve results, not only change at high speed, but are also becoming increasingly difficult. The need for correct decisions puts more and more pressure on the responsible manager or owner.
In such a situation, a person with a similar background and a number of years´ experience in a management position, can act as a sounding board and give advice. During strictly confidential meetings, all kinds of matters can be discussed: succession problems within the family, unsatisfactory performance by a senior manager, expansion or acquisition plans, strategic issues, policy, etc. The client determines the agenda and the frequency of the meetings.
Operational Assessment & Support
The heart of every logistics company is Operations. That is where it is all happening, where the company’s added value is determined, and where bad performances and poor efficiency can negatively influence the operational result. Nevertheless, Operations does not always get the attention it deserves; sometimes due to lack of time by management, sometimes due to organisation blindness. Since this area is constantly facing new developments and technologies, stagnation definitely means decline. Experienced external consultants can screen your company and make suggestions for improvement. This type of assessment will include aspects like equipment, personnel, structures, procedures, IT and warehouse management systems (WMS), layout, material handling, processes of intake, consolidation, order picking and shipping, etc.
Cold Supply Chain Analysis/Development
The days are gone that every individual link in the cold chain could exclusively focus on (productivity) within the own organization. Today, company policy is primarily determined by the demands placed by the next link in the chain. Driven by customer satisfaction, the food retail and food service companies have become very dominant and very demanding. All links within the cold supply chain are forced to perform well in order to, jointly, (better) satisfy the end consumer at a lower cost.
Experts can assess the quality and effectiveness of the cold chain for a specific product or commodity and make recommendations.
Lean Logistics & Performance Improvement
Logistics is receiving more attention from the general management; whether it is outsourced logistics to a Third Party Logistic Service Provider, or the logistics process within the own manufacturing or processing plant. Clients are very demanding nowadays and require 100% quality performance at the lowest possible price. This contradiction draws heavily on the entire logistic organization. Sometimes specialist assistance is required in order to quickly assess where there is room for improvement.
Lean logistics tackles several forms of waste in the areas of logistics and stock management, like overproduction, delays, unnecessary transports or movements, too much or unbalanced stock, errors, inadequate or bad service, shortening of lead times, number of workers, etc.
Marketing & Business Development
Eventually, in business it is all about the results; whether it concerns a not-for-profit organization, a food manufacturer or a logistic service provider. It is essential to formulate clear, quantifiable, short and long term goals, to outline a practical and realistic policy and the action plan to implement that policy in the daily practice.
The structured approach of an experienced marketing specialist provides an efficient and effective process, which limits the invested time to the absolute necessary and increases the chances for success. The CCE specialists guide you and/or staff to increasing revenues and results.
Energy Cost Saving Quick Scan
In temperature-controlled logistics operations like cold stores, refrigerated warehouses, distribution centres, processing plants, etc, energy and labour are the main operational costs. Particularly in today’s energy market, the purchasing price will go in one direction only: UP.
It is our experience that often 25-55% of the total electricity costs can be reduced with certain operational measures and some investments. The Energy Saving & Energy Efficiency Quick Scan means a one-day facility visit of two specialists who will cover:
- Most relevant saving and efficiency aspects and all parts of the refrigeration system
- Investigation of possibilities of peak shaving and load shifting
- Checks on control equipment and the settings
- The operational procedures that influence energy consumption
- Assessment of the design and construction regarding energy waste and losses
Within 5 working days, the client receives a report with a clear (illustrated) overview of the findings and concrete and feasible recommendations.
Upon request, the report can be discussed afterwards and the experts can assist in the implementation phase with tendering, Return-on-Investment study (investment versus savings) or supervision of the actual installation/implementation.
Labor Productivity Quick Scan
Together with energy, labour costs are an important part of the operational expenses of logistics companies. Due to the relative shortage of labour in various regions, wages are rising and subsequently so are the annual social costs and premiums. Moreover, particularly in cold stores and refrigerated warehouses it is difficult to find and maintain qualified staff. This is all the more reason to give due attention to the factor labour, especially with regard to labour-intensive processes like order picking, packing, manual unloading of containers, or a high throughput of products and pallets.
The quick scan means a one-day visit of two specialists who will focus on analyzing, benchmarking, and improving all operational processes in the refrigerated warehouse, cold store, logistic company or logistic department.
Within 5 working days, the client receives an extensive report with a clear (illustrated) assessment of the possible bottlenecks by discussing the:
- Total number of staff in the logistics operation
- Number of persons in different positions
- Productivity per position/person
- Observed qualitative shortcomings
- Wages and benefits per position
- Circumstances under which staff members have to perform
- Assessment of the design and construction regarding labor issues
- Possibilities for mechanization or automation of certain processes
- Other concrete recommendations
Upon request, the report can be discussed afterwards and the experts can assist with the implementation.
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