Top firms dominate UK operations and supply chain services

The UK’s management consulting industry is worth £9 billion. Within this market, operations and supply chain consulting is the second-largest segment after digital and technology, with an estimated market size of about £1 billion. Large consulting firms dominate the sector, offering a range of services and resources to boost and improve operations and supply chains.

How supply chain consultants help organisations

Supply chain consultants work with their clients to help them in several procurement and supply chain areas. These include the execution of supply chain, manufacturing and production, and inbound and outbound logistics. The consultants also help organisations to optimise the oversupply chain network while assisting with supply chain operation planning, sustainability, and risk management.

In the UK, the demand for supply chain consulting is rising for several reasons, including globalisation, Brexit, and cross-border collaboration. But, supply chains are under pressure from uncertainty, ambiguity, volatility, and complexity. As a result, the chains and networks need to be fine-tuned to take account of the changing demands of customers, and geopolitical upheavals.

Why supply chain network matter

Whether working as a full-time procurement professional or as a procurement interim, it must be realised that supply chain management has transformed, thanks to organisations’ adopting digital models. These models keep the middleman out of the supply chain, with the focus more on omnichannels and physical chains.

With Brexit on the horizon, supply chains can have a significant impact on financial flows, which, in turn, has a major tax implication on organisations. Procurement interims and professionals should use this as an opportunity to collaborate with financial advisors to build more cost-efficient supply chains. This is where many supply chain consultants are helping organisations enjoy a competitive advantage.

With technology becoming an integral part of the procurement and supply chain, consultants are helping organisations navigate through robotics, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and automation, to embrace new and more efficient operating models. Procurement professionals can learn much from consultants, who work to boost value across the supply chain, helping organisations to save money and resources.

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