Inventory optimisation through ABC-XYZ adjustment
This quick win falls within the scope of inventory management and is directly linked to the mathematical basis of your demand planning. The measure is made possible by an automated analysis of consumption trends, enabling safety stock levels to be precisely aligned with actual demand fluctuations (XYZ component) and value contribution (ABC component). Outdated standard parameters in the ERP system often lead to unnecessarily high capital tied up, which can be significantly reduced by simply updating the master data. During implementation, strict care must be taken to ensure that service levels for critical A-parts are not reduced across the board, so as not to jeopardise delivery capability to the end customer.
Automated freight invoice verification
In the area of transport logistics, immediate liquidity can be recovered by systematically comparing freight invoices with the rates stored in the system. As freight invoices in international transport often contain incorrect surcharges for diesel, tolls or waiting times, this quick win enables direct claims against service providers. Implementation requires the contracts to be digitised accurately in an analysis tool so that discrepancies can be identified automatically. The quality of the shipment data must be taken into account here: only if weight, postcode zones and loading units are recorded correctly can a valid check be carried out without a high level of manual clarification.
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Route optimisation in the warehouse (fast-mover-relocation)
This operational lever is used in intralogistics and aims to reduce unproductive travel times. By analysing picking frequencies, fast-moving items (A-parts) are physically relocated to zones with short travel distances near the packing stations, which immediately increases picking throughput. This is made possible by targeted ‘reallocation’ within the warehouse layout, based on a current heat map of pick-ups. It is important to take seasonality into account during implementation, as an item that is currently a fast-moving stock item can become a slow-moving stock item after a short time and then block access routes for other high-volume items.
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Master data synchronisation of lead times
In purchasing and procurement management, a key lever lies in adjusting replenishment lead times within the ERP system. Often, planned delivery times are stored there that no longer reflect reality, leading either to critical shortages or to premature stock that ties up capital. This quick win is made possible by systematically comparing the actual goods receipt data from recent months with the stored master data. During implementation, it is essential to liaise with suppliers to ensure that the corrected values provide a reliable basis for automated planning in future market phases as well.
Further areas of application for quick wins in SCM
The areas of application for quick wins span the entire value chain, from strategic freight procurement to operational warehouse management. Particularly in network optimisation, we often achieve a reduction in lead times through targeted ad hoc measures. In the area of production supply, we significantly reduce travel times through ‘brownfield’ engineering and layout adjustments, thereby increasing throughput without increasing staff numbers. ebp-consulting identifies these levers through standardised ‘Logistics Health Checks’, which quickly provide well-founded decision-making templates. Ultimately, these successes provide a noticeable reduction in the workload on staff and increase acceptance for subsequent, complex IT transformations.