Supply Chain Consultancy
Senior procurement and logistics expertise, without the overhead of a large firm. I work with manufacturers and distributors to reduce cost, manage risk, and build supply chains capable of sustaining growth.
About
My career at Caterpillar spanned global procurement, supplier development, and logistics network design across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. I have spent time on warehouse floors and in supplier boardrooms, and I believe effective supply chain strategy must be grounded in operational reality.
Recommendations that cannot be implemented are not recommendations — they are reports. I work with a small number of clients at any time to ensure each engagement receives the depth of attention it deserves.
Full backgroundServices
Category strategy development, supplier selection frameworks, contract structure, and negotiation support — built around your commercial priorities, not generic templates.
Financial health assessment, geographic and concentration risk mapping, contingency sourcing, and the frameworks to manage risk as an ongoing discipline rather than a reactive exercise.
Distribution network analysis, carrier management, transport management system selection, and route optimisation — translating network complexity into measurable cost and service improvements.
End-to-end operating model redesign, digital tools implementation, performance management architecture, and the organisational capability building to make change stick.
Work
Achieved a 31% reduction in freight costs and a two-day improvement in average delivery time for a regional MRO distributor through carrier consolidation, TMS implementation, and route network redesign.
Read case studyRationalised a fragmented 340-supplier base to 178 strategic partners, delivering a 23% reduction in procurement costs and a 25-point improvement in on-time delivery for a global heavy equipment manufacturer.
Read case studyGet in touch
I'm available for engagements across the UK, Europe, and North America. Initial consultations are complimentary — let's establish whether there's a fit.
james@hargreavesconsulting.com