If you search for SCM consultants on the internet, you are likely to end up with firms offering either ERP solutions or out sourcing of SCM activities like procurement, warehousing etc. While this is a growing requirement, it only caters to some categories of clients. Just installing a good ERP system doesn't resolve issues, if the system is not utilized effectively. Data analysis, for instance, is an ignored area especially in SCM. There is a large chunk of industry that even doesn't recognize the need for studying their existing policies, processes & controls in SCM. It is often left to the statutory auditors to point out short comings or deviations. While these auditors are experts in accounting and finances, they might not have the requisite expertise or even basic knowledge of the nuances of SCM. SCM Policy, Vendor management, contracts, process controls and competency development could be some such areas, where good SCM consultants can play a defining role in upgrading the performance of the team, function and the company as a whole. Acknowled ging this scenario, TrustedSCM is an organi zation that aims to be a change agent in the Indian SCM consultancy space.And with their commitment to never compromise on the quality of their offerings, the company has been able to create a niche for themselves in the industry.

The Journey to Achieve SCM excellence
Ravi Valluri & Srinivasan S are the brains behind TrustedSCM and when asked about the inception story of the company, Ravi says, "With the several years of corporate experience in SCM, we thought of passing on the learning to supplychain professionals across industry. So, Competency development was surely one of our main goals. While procurement has been the focus of several organizations over the decades, SCM in totality with unified policy and inter linked processes seemed to be lacking. This was the second area of consultancy we thought of offering. The third and a newer concept, where we wanted to contribute, was that of sustainable supply chains in line with the UN Sustainable development goals and the UN Global Compact, with thrust on environment, ethics and compliances. Being inside a corporate set up, the role of Managers at the middle and even senior level, gets directed towards routine and fire fighting activities. Any major change or improvement would need humungous efforts due to the inherent constraints in a running setup. A consultant's role thus would be all the more necessary in taking a bird's eye view of the functioning of a team or function and providing practical recommendations for bettering the performance. These were the ideas behind our decision to start Trusted SCM".

The company also believes that in the corporate sector, consulting business opportunities for start up companies need to be encouraged more. Their experience has helped Trusted SCM to deliver significantly better results at lesser costs as compared to top consulting companies. The betterment would be in terms of costs, controls, performance metrics, data analytics, system effectiveness, cross functional coordination and people competencies. Therefore, corporate companies need to re think and evaluate consulting work objectively(cost benefit analysis) instead of just going by the brand name.