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Tamarack is a new name in Supply Chain Consulting – So
what?
There are lots of small supply chain focussed consulting companies
out there, so why should I be interested in yet another one?
Good question.
Back in the ’90’s, when the larger retail and manufacturing
companies needed external support in answering crucial questions
about their Supply Chain, they went to the big boys; firms such
as Coopers and Lybrand, Arthur Anderson and Ernst & Young.
By doing so they got good quality thinking from typically excellent
and experienced people and everyone was happy. However, over
the last few years, the big firms have begun to shift their
focus towards systems oriented consulting: which system to use,
how to implement it and the biggest prize, implementation itself.
Arguably, and not everyone will agree, this meant less focus
on the (poorly named) “process” side of supply chain
consulting – answering the age old but ever important
questions such as: What stock to hold? Should I hold stock?
Where should I hold it? How many DC’s do I need?, right
through to more the more topical challenges such as; How do
I best manage a supply chain that no longer starts in the UK
but from factories in the Guangdong Province of China? How does
my supply chain need to change to cater for the proliferation
of small format stores – should I pick singles or cases?
Many of the highly rated people that are skilled at answering
precisely these kinds of questions left the big firms at the
end of the nineties. Many of them now work successfully either
independently or within very small firms tapping into their
old client and colleague networks. But where does a Supply Chain
Director go with a difficult question – a systems focussed
big consultancy, or a ‘random’ niche player that
may or may not have the right skills and experience? Another
good question.
Tamarack has been formed to address just this need.
Its five founders are all highly respected ex-Coopers and Lybrand
supply chain “process” consultants who’ve
been happily working together for “blue chip” (apologies,
another hackneyed term) clients for a number of years - effectively
as independents under a single brand name. The founders include
James Warner, the Head of Coopers & Lybrand and then PwC’s
global supply chain practice until 2002 - so they’re hardly
new to this game.
Tamarack Partners, beyond its founders, are a hand picked group
of exceptional individuals who are not only highly respected
supply chain consultants from major firms but who have also
delivered in line roles. Some continue to work as independents
as well. Tamarack Partners brings together the best supply chain
consulting talent under one roof thus taking the risk and effort
away from the Supply Chain Director looking for external help.
Tamarack also has attitude – and it’s a challenging
one. Ask John Sewell, another founding member and ex-Senior
Vice President of Reckitt Benckiser what he thinks about supply
chain decision making. “Too much [of it] is based on poorly
founded gut feel, based on rules of thumb and custom & practice.
What Tamarack individuals do is bring a greater rigour and objectivity
of analysis combined with an ‘attitude’ about how
supply chains can and do operate elsewhere. We therefore promise
what I call numerically supported decision making - we have
to get into the nitty griity analysis of the numbers because
that’s the only place where you the right answer lies.
Once found, you’ve then got to pull yourself out of the
detail and make the results transparent for the Board”
Tamarack are always looking for the brightest Supply Chain thinkers
to join their group, so for those readers who may be interested
in doing so, or for those looking to talk further about their
services can contact the here
Download this press release as a Word document >>
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