Operational and supply chain consultancy Maine Pointe is offering a flexible onsite-offsite service model to help clients optimize their supply chains, most of which have been impacted by the pandemic.
Social distancing and shelter-in-place policies have caused many professional services firms to shift to remote work, and in many case, remote services delivery to clients. This has been an easier transition for larger companies with deeper technological infrastructure to underpin entirely digital work.
The jet-setting consultant and the on-site team have been interrupted to a large degree as borders have closed and air travel has been blocked or discouraged.
“Consultancy services are often relationship based, meaning person-to-person, with Maine Pointe working directly with company leaders,” said Steven Bowen, founder and CEO of Maine Pointe. “And as companies continue remote operations, shutdowns and restarts with company executives working remotely from their home offices or in offices with less than 20% of the people present, they need expert guidance now more than ever. Maine Pointe is proud to be able to continue offering tailored supply chain and operations services to address issues through our flexible onsite/offsite global delivery model.”
To deliver consulting, analytics, and implementation services, the firm uses cloud-based team collaboration and remote working tools. The firm’s remote digital supply chain services offer the same value and Ebitda improvements as on-site, with a consistent ROI of between 4:1 to 8:1 on engagements, according to Maine Pointe.
The company uses a three-step method (stabilize-recover-rebalance), which addresses the current challenge, plans for a recovery, and reassesses the supply chain for a long-term rebalancing.
In a recent engagement involving a private equity carve-out from a major chemicals firm, Maine Pointe used remote capabilities to develop and implement a sales and operations planning process that freed up 15% of inventory to release $3 million in much-needed cash during the pandemic. The consulting firm also remotely rolled out 50 contracts with suppliers, reshored a portion of the supply chain, enhanced real-time data capabilities, and delivered training on the procurement process. The project reduced supply chain costs by 6% and delivered an ROI of 6:1, according to Maine Pointe.
“Consulting firms will need to shift their delivery models to accommodate a growing need for remote and digital delivery,” said Simon Knowles, chief marketing officer. “Maine Pointe is on the leading edge of that trend with new methodologies, advanced data, visualization tools, and remote visibility to assist each client as they move through the stabilize-recover-rebalance roadmap.”