Distribution consulting

Among our clients, we can distinguish large-scale distribution and distribution companies of all sizes, which may be large corporations or ETIs or even SMEs - including start-ups.

Our clients include general management, financial management, information systems management, logistics management, distribution management and organizational management.

Our team is led by two dedicated partners.

In addition, the strength of our experience and know-how allows us to be very adaptable to our clients and to systematically offer tailor-made solutions.

Missions of a strategic nature are naturally more in demand by mid-sized companies. For example, Akeance Consulting has contributed to the elaboration of a strategic plan for the development of net players in various fields. Another solicitation can be the challenge of a business plan for all or part of an activity. This financial modeling can also concern the development of new offers or new distribution channels to generate additional revenues, while ensuring that a level of profitability is maintained.

Organizational missions are available for any size company. Retailers have asked Akeance Consulting to help them relocate a help desk, reorganize a customer service department, reorganize the financial structure of various departments, and review account exit processes to reduce delays. In addition, press groups have called on Akeance Consulting for various types of expertise that concern both support and operational functions (management of titles - magazines, newspapers, etc.).

Our missions can be more specific (and therefore often shorter). Akeance Consulting is called upon to reduce a bottleneck in a particular department, which implies an analysis of the processes involved, an analysis of the associated challenges and recommendations.

In addition, many distribution groups own real estate associated with their distribution activities. Our "real estate" offer obviously complements our service offer to the distribution sector.

These missions aim to improve the financial efficiency of a distribution player, either in terms of margin improvement or in terms of greater reliability of the "figure".

The elaboration of a "reverse factoring" for a player in the retail sector probably responds to the preoccupation of improving its financing and its margin, just like the financial follow-up of back margins and commercial cooperation. Optimizing logistics and distribution costs is probably a major challenge for a retailer, as it addresses the dual concerns of margin and reliability of figures. Akeance Consulting is called upon to diagnose the efficiency of logistics in terms of analyzing the respect of orders from points of sale (analysis of supplier shortages, delays in replenishment, non-serving, etc.). Also in the area of logistics, Akeance Consulting offers its services to optimize the processes (and therefore the staff and their organization) of replenishment of points of sale; an offer that concerns a lot the retail sector.

In addition, our firm has developed a unique method called LORD for optimizing distribution networks, which sheds new light on team sizing. In a similar way to other sectors, the missions of masterplans for reporting or dashboards are also one of our service offers. Similarly, the implementation of cash flow forecasts or the revision of cost accounting. The "fresh products" dimension obviously gives these missions a particular challenge.

The choice of associated tools is an Akeance Consulting offer. Their implementation is part of the transformation management.

Managing transformation itself consists in monitoring organizational projects (resulting from an internal desire or following an integration or outsourcing of activities) or information system projects. We have a recognized know-how in project management in both areas, based on proven methods and tools.

Management transformation of the organization is directly related to the target organization.

In terms of ERP, software packages or information systems tools (dematerialization solution, electronic document management, BI solution, master data management solution), our missions cover the analysis, the choice and the implementation of real estate information systems and transversal solutions. Our knowledge of the business and the associated IT solutions facilitates dialogue with the teams to meet their needs. Our offer is completed with a change management part.

Retail in general and distribution in particular need particularly frequent and detailed reporting. Given the very significant volume of references and the regular need for daily information, the quality and reliability of the information is essential. However, this is not necessarily the case, in particular because the mix of reporting between "physical volumes" and "financial - sales and margins" is not always precise and clearly defined.

It is a banality to say that the efficiency of logistics is a major issue for a player in (large) distribution. But the evolution of a better producer-retailer relationship on the one hand, and a multiplication of supply sources on the other, leads to risks of stock-outs or excessive stocks resulting in too many "slow movers". These risks must be controlled by an excellent knowledge of consumption flows in order to match them with "restocking" flows.

Originally created to determine the time allocation of advisors in a bank branch, the LORD method applies to all distribution networks, and makes it possible to rethink the sizing of activities and teams within a network.