Distribution is an integral part of marketing your finished product and making it available for use by the end consumer. Properly managed distribution process also provides a significant opportunity to drive time and cost out of every element of the supply network. Success in your distribution process lies in moving from solely customer service orientation to the operational excellence of your organization. The objective of our consulting team is to help you develop a strategic vision for your company focusing on increased growth and margins by improving your distribution process. Here are some of the many areas we focus on:

Distribution Channels. It is important to know what your distribution channels are: you can own your distribution channel; you can sell directly to end-user; or you might employ services of a professional distributor who moves your product from manufacturer to market. Alternatively, you can utilize services of wholesale distribution firm, which sells your products, for example, furniture or kitchen cabinets, to another commercial organization/retailer or another wholesaler, and not directly to the end consumer. Whatever channel you use, our consulting team can help you clarify and identify the best possible ways to distribute your product, and come up with additional channels you might not have employed previously.

Advertising & Marketing. Often considered as yet another form of a distribution channel, advertising and marketing need to be properly established and regularly evaluated. Effective advertising generates increased consumption of your products. Advertising does not need to be prohibitively expensive. Any medium can be used for advertising: posters, billboards, e-mail distribution lists, web banners, magazine newspapers, magazines, print advertising, online advertising, etc. We will work with you to identify the proper and cost-effective advertising channels for your distribution needs.

Order Driven Network. We will help you define what kind of network you currently have or should have to move your order in the most efficient manner from production to distribution: order driven network, consumption driven network or manufacture-to-order network. Effective distribution requires a very flexible and highly responsive supply chain.

Inventory Control. Distribution and inventory management are tightly interconnected. Communication between the two is of paramount importance to reduce inventory waste and inefficiencies in responding to customers. Whether you do your own distribution or outsource it, turning your inventory (whether it is materials, labor resources or a finished product) over quickly and managing your storage needs are prerequisites to making money. With improved demand forecasting and manufacturing flexibility, you will be able to decrease the amount of inventory (of materials or finished product) and eliminate the non-value added variables that come with utilizing certain distribution channels.

Overall Managing. It is important to monitor and control your distribution channels, including advertising, whether you sell directly to end consumer or employ a middle man. You also need to monitor “behind the scene” procedures, such as warehouse setup and organization, shipping and receiving, labeling, bar-coding, specialized packaging, minimum order quantity to obtain full truckloads, and so on.

Our consulting team approaches any project by 1) defining your existing problem, 2) doing the analysis in each of the distribution networks, 3) analyzing manufacturing processes and customer replenishment processes. Then, our team defines precise and meaningful measures that drive customer (distribution) and manufacturer and provides you with the recommended implementation plan tailored to your specific company. Creating an efficient and responsive distribution system will in the end pave the way for waste elimination and value creation.