Manufacturing and Logistics

Our extensive understanding of Manufacturing and Logistics means we know ‘What Fit for Purpose Services Look Like’ and who the leading Strategic Suppliers are that can deliver utmost value to you, on a sustainable basis.

We know the Strategic Suppliers in the Manufacturing and Logistics marketplace, really well:

  • Their strengths. The key attributes of each Strategic Supplier and what internal client disciplines you will need to have in place so they can achieve your outcomes and objectives, quickly.

  • Their challengesComplex service delivery does not always go to plan. We can advise you what diligence your team can put into place to assure these Strategic Suppliers deliver to your expectations.

  • Their contractual constraints. We know what most Strategic Suppliers will accept contractually, what they will not, and why. Our ‘Optimise’ process assures you can overcome these constraints and be fully contractually protected for fit for purpose services.

Your key expectation you should have from Strategic and Complex Supplier Relationships:

  • Optimum value in service and solutions deliveryThese specialist suppliers represent themselves as ‘experts’ in their disciplines. Recent case law determines you can often rely on the supplier’s represented expertise to drive maximum value for money in your service delivery, even if your contract terms are ambiguous in terms of their responsibilities.

Benefits of using BPG to facilitate your Strategic Supplier Relationships

  • We know what practices work really well. Having optimised over 500 complex supplier relationships, we have deep expertise of trust building in relationships. We also have proven template documentation, including procurement structures, service requirements, agile fit for purpose contracts, implementation and operating governance, along with expertise in what actions you need to avoid to make sure your strategic supplier relationships achieve your outcomes, quickly.

Key Considerations when Manufacturing/Logistics Companies enter into Complex Supplier Relationships

How the BPG 'Optimise' Process delivers great Strategic Supplier Relationships

The BPG ‘Optimise’ Method is evidenced from over 500 complex supplier relationships. It shows there are 8 characteristics present in every successful complex relationship. We can help you successfully implement these quickly to improve service innovation, supplier relationships and drive down BAU costs.

Click here to see how the ‘Optimise’ process can help you drive maximum value in your Strategic Supplier Relationships.

Some of the Strategic Suppliers we have detailed knowledge of

  • Adaptive Resources
  • Advanced Integration Group Inc.
  • Andritz Automation
  • Applied Control Engineering Inc.
  • Automated Control Technologies LLC
  • Automation and Control Concepts
  • Automation NTH
  • Automation Plus LLC
  • Autopro Automation Consultants
  • Avanceon
  • Avid Solutions
  • Barry-Wehmiller Design Group
  • Brave Control Solutions
  • Browns Hill Engineering and Controls
  • Burrow Global LLC
  • Callisto Integration
  • Casco Systems LLC
  • Champion Technology Services Inc.
  • Cogent Industrial Technologies
  • Concept Systems Inc.
  • Control and Power Systems Inc.
  • Control Associates Inc.
  • Cotmac Electronics Pvt. Ltd
  • Custom Controls Technology Inc.
  • Cybertrol Engineering
  • Dennis Group
  • Dynamysk Automation Ltd
  • ECN Automation
  • ECS Solutions
  • Electronic Drives and Controls Inc.
  • EN Engineering
  • Engineering Specialists Inc.
  • EPIC Systems Group, LLC
  • ESCO Automation
  • ESE Inc.
  • E-Technologies Group Inc.
  • E-Volve Systems
  • Fori Automation Inc.
  • George T. Hall Co
  • Ges Automation Technology
  • Glenmount Global Solutions
  • Godlan
  • Grantek Systems Integration Inc.
  • Hallam-ICS
  • Hargrove Controls + Automation
  • Huffman Engineering Inc.
  • IASTECH Automação de Sistemas
  • INDEFF group
  • Industrial Automated Systems
  • Industrial Automation Group
  • Industrial Control and Design (ICAD)
  • Insist Avtomatika LLC
  • INTECH Process Automation
  • Integrity Integration Resources (I2R)
  • Integro Technologies Corp-Machine Vision Integrators
  • Interstates Control Systems Inc.
  • JMP Solutions
  • Jordan Engineering Inc.
  • Jordan Industrial Controls Inc.
  • JTI Electrical and Instrumentation LLC
  • Kontrolmatik Enerji ve Mühendislik A.S.
  • Leidos
  • Logical Systems Inc.
  • Malisko Engineering Inc.
  • Mangan Inc.
  • Matrix Technologies Inc.
  • McEnery Automation
  • Mertek Solutions Inc.
  • MIKRO KONTROL
  • NCC Automated Systems
  • Optimation Technology Inc.
  • Outbound Technologies Inc.
  • PACIV-USA
  • Patti Engineering Inc.
  • Pendant Automation
  • Premier Automation
  • PREMIER System Integrators Inc.
  • Primary Systems Inc.
  • Prime Controls LP
  • Prism Systems Inc.
  • ProAutomated
  • Quantum Design Inc.
  • Quantum Solutions Inc.
  • R and L Engineering Inc.
  • RedViking
  • Revere Control Systems Inc.
  • RoviSys
  • SAGE Automation
  • Stone Technologies Inc.
  • Superior Controls Inc.
  • TAI Engineering
  • Tamaki Control Ltd.
  • Technical Systems Inc.
  • Tesco Controls Inc.
  • The JDI Group
  • Thermo Systems
  • Wes-Tech Automation Solutions
  • W-Industries
  • Wood
  • Wunderlich-Malec Engineering

The Behaviours you should expect from a 'Good' Strategic Supplier Relationship

  • Objectives being met
  • Critical friend supplier
  • Inherent commercial trust
  • Sustained collaboration and innovation
  • Reduced service cost
  • High reputation with your peers
  • Internal team aligned
  • Services always aligned to outcomes
  • Flexible/agile contract structure
  • Evidenced based results

Typical Supplier Relationship hurdles faced by Manufacturing/Logistics Companies

We’ve dealt with optimising over 500 complex supplier relationships. More than 50% of complex supplier relationships experience misunderstandings between client and supplier over your requirements and expectations.

If the right foundations are not in place to drive maximum value, you may experience:

  • Additional charges and costs for ‘misunderstood expectations’
  • A lack of understanding of contractual roles and responsibilities
  • Governance and performance escalation not clearly delineated
  • Senior client executives not being clear on their expectations and dynamics of the relationship
  • Not enough investment by senior executives in the resourcing or skills of the client supplier management team
  • Loss of key in-house expertise to the supplier (inadvertent staff poaching)
  • Employee resistance to new working methods from the supplier
  • Clashes of culture between client and supplier staff and so forth.

Operational challenges faced by Manufacturing Companies

The manufacturing sector accounts for almost 1 in 4 of the world’s employees, according to research by The World Bank.

Having optimised over 500 complex and strategic supplier partnerships, we have direct experience of how manufacturing and logistics companies need ‘Intelligent Suppliers’ to help them innovate to increase product sales, improve production effectiveness and reduce BAU costs. Some of the biggest challenges facing the manufacturing sector in our experience are:

  • Regulation and Compliance. The sector is always facing increasing regulation and compliance measures. From health and safety to waste management, it’s a significant burden, as is the tracking of raw materials used during the manufacturing process and a lack of transparency through the supply chain.
  • Staff Shortages. Recent studies have indicated that up to 50% of jobs in the sector will remain unfulfilled due to a lack of younger individuals coming into the industry. Significant investment in automation may reduce this deficit, but indications are that the level of investment is not sustainable for many organisations. 
  • Global Competition. The internet enables competitors to offer their products in a country without the need for any set-up costs or logistics aside from a delivery mechanism. Research indicates that the global competitiveness of manufacturing companies in much of Europe is expected to fall next year.
  • Automation. The potential automation of workforce tasks is highlighted as a positive opportunity, believing it empowers workers and allows them to focus on ‘higher-value’ activities. In turn, this leads to an increase in the sales margin of products and helps to drive down BAU costs.

The investment in much more holistic IT systems and production process technologies is seen to help enable organisations, by providing significant increases in both production effectiveness and much greater traction with partner customers and ‘Intelligent Suppliers’.

What stage are you at in your Strategic Supplier Relationship?

New Relationship

You’re procuring or contracting and you need it to work really well.

Existing Relationship

You’re in a partnership that could be working better.

Broken Relationship

It’s gone wrong. You need help to exit a relationship early and safely transition to another.