Challenge
The client, initially a consumer electronics retail chain, expanded its marketplace offerings to include categories like home decor, garden, and kitchen, and its label of fitness equipment, including bicycles and treadmills. While sourcing fitness equipment from manufacturers in China, category managers had to manage contracts, inventory, and logistics. These tasks consumed significant time, diverting their focus from core activities like category management and digital marketing. The client sought to outsource logistics and administrative supply chain functions to free up internal resources.
Our Approach
1. Comprehensive Onboarding
- Gained access to the client’s systems and detailed commercial terms, ensuring seamless integration into their supply chain processes.
- Studied the robust purchase requisition system, which automatically triggered reorders when stock levels reached the reorder point.
2. End-to-End Management
- Took charge of posting purchase orders and recording goods receipts in the client’s system.
- Coordinated door-to-door logistics, including transportation from China, customs clearance, and final delivery to the client’s fulfillment center.
3. Vendor Communication
Maintained regular contact with Chinese manufacturers to ensure production timelines and shipment schedules were met.
4. Optimized Processes
Streamlined administrative tasks to align with the client’s supply chain systems and improve turnaround times.
Results
- Operational Efficiency: Relieved category managers of administrative burdens, enabling them to focus on category expansion and digital marketing strategies.
- Cost-Effective Solutions: Reduced internal workload without compromising supply chain reliability.
- Scalability: Positioned the client to expand their product offerings without overwhelming internal resources.
