Is a good consultant enough for success?

What makes the design of a good supply chain? It’s certainly not just a matter of consulting services. Every single supplier is unique and must be handled differently. The foundation for this lies in experience in modeling, project management, and integrating various solution approaches from both the client’s and the supplier’s side. These diverse, differently organized experiences in utilizing proven tools and methods are crucial. ​

Experience in work preparation and quality assurance is advantageous in this context. But is that still a consultant? Or is it more like an employee with extensive experience in all these areas, who joins the company for a certain period of time? This describes the role of the catuuga Scouts.

A catuuga Scout is temporarily part of the existing supply chain network:

• Work preparation,

• Production planning,

• Supply chain management,

• Purchasing,

• Project management and finally

• Quality assurance.

This overarching function is rarely established in the resumes of the company's own employees and those of suppliers, making it difficult to recruit in the market.

The question arises as to whether this is even necessary, as ultimately a good supply chain model and the associated operation need to be established between the client's ERP and the systems of the individual suppliers. This allows participants in the supply chain network to receive their modeled web interfaces, and the operation can transition from pilot to regular operation, similar to an orchestra. This must be adjusted on a case-by-case basis, which requires an appropriate architecture for the supply chain model.

Since the previous processes and workflows in this model framework are well documented, the learning curve is relatively flat. Many processes have already been pre-modeled by catuuga and can be easily integrated into the supply chain model.

This distinguishes a scout from a consultant. The catuuga scouts are provided with specialized tools and methods for training purposes, made available online. The experiences from individual projects are accumulated in a knowledge and method repository, accessible to all scouts and participants in the supply chain network. Protectable ideas are not made publicly available.

While some believe that a good consultant is sufficient, others argue that only a scout with practical experience truly understands the depth and breadth of supply chain processes. 

Is a consultant really enough, or is more needed? Share your opinion and discuss with us in the forum HERE.