Independent consulting · Lean Six Sigma · DMAIC

Inventory and logistics
audits that trim overhead
and unlock revenue.

We audit warehousing, transportation, and SKU-level stock management for small-to-mid-market operators, then turn the findings into lower carrying cost, fewer stockouts, and dollars that actually hit the P&L. Fixed-scope audits or longer implementations — targets committed in writing, against a baseline we build in week two.

Request an auditSee the method

Engagements are confidential. Initial conversation is a 30-minute scoping call.

Inventory audit — live diagnostic

CONFIDENTIAL

Order accuracy

98.6%

↑ 1.4 pts vs. BL

Turnover

5.1×

target 7.0×

Carrying cost

28.4%

of GMV

Dock-to-stock

1h 42m

on-floor median

Pick-path · rows per wave

last 6 weeks

Top findings

  • Slotting integrity at DC-2 — est. $340k / yr
  • 3PL line-haul rate gap on lane TX→CA
  • Cycle-count cadence misses 4 of 9 classes

Typical client baseline

The numbers we move.

Order accuracy

99.4%

+1.8 pts

pick / pack / ship

Inventory turnover

7.2×

+2.1× YoY

annualized

Carrying cost

−21%

of GMV

vs. baseline

Dock-to-stock

38 min

−62%

receiving → bin

Who this is for

Four operator profiles.

Small-to-mid-market operators with real inventory dollars on the floor and no dedicated supply-chain team to chase them.

Manufacturers
Mid-market production runs · BOM-driven stocking
Distributors
Multi-DC SKU complexity · long-tail inventory
Importers
Landed-cost + lead-time crunch · customs & duty posture
Online sellers
FBA + DTC split · returns as a working capital line

What gets reviewed

Three layers. Every engagement touches all of them.

Inside the four walls, the warehouse and DC. Outside the four walls, the 3PLs, carriers, and ERP behind the inventory dollars. And underneath both, the SKU-level data that everything else is built on.

  1. ① Baseline

    Process audit & KPI baseline
    Map the current state of warehousing, transportation, and SKU-level stock management. Establish a defensible KPI baseline so every later recommendation is measured, not guessed.
    • Order accuracy
    • Inventory turnover
    • Carrying cost
    • Dock-to-stock time
    • Stockout frequency
    • Logistics spend / unit

  2. ② Surface weak points

    Warehousing & DC layout review
    Walk the floor — bin slotting, slotting integrity, pick-path, replenishment cadence, dock-door rotation, returns flow — and surface the cheapest fixes first.
    • Slotting + cube utilization
    • Pick-path + wave design
    • Replenishment cadence
    • Cycle-count program
    • Returns disposition

  3. ③ Beyond the four walls

    3PL / 4PL sourcing & ERP alignment
    Renegotiate the carriers and 3PLs you already have; source replacements when the math says to. Align your ERP / WMS / OMS so the data behind the audit is the same data the planners use.
    • 3PL RFP & contract review
    • Carrier rate benchmarking
    • ERP / WMS / OMS alignment
    • FBA & eCommerce readiness

The method

DMAIC, applied to inventory dollars.

Define the problem in dollars. Measure against a baseline you can defend. Analyze the handful of root causes worth fixing. Improve in the order the operator can absorb. Control the gains so they don't leak back out.

D

Define

Frame the problem in dollars. Which KPI moves, by how much, by when.

Stage 1 of 5

M

Measure

Build the baseline from real data, not anecdotes. Pareto the loss.

Stage 2 of 5

A

Analyze

Find the handful of root causes driving the bulk of the waste.

Stage 3 of 5

I

Improve

Implement the fixes in priority order, in the order the operator can absorb.

Stage 4 of 5

C

Control

Lock the gains with a cycle-count program, dashboards, and accountabilities.

Stage 5 of 5

Engagement shapes

Two ways to work together.

Pick the shape that matches how much execution help you want. Both end with a written diagnosis. One of them ends with the savings on the P&L.

4 – 6 weeks

Fixed-scope audit
Operators who want a written diagnosis, a prioritized finding list, and the savings case — but want to keep execution in-house.

Delivered

  • Current-state map & baseline KPIs
  • Quantified finding register, ranked by payback
  • Remediation roadmap with owners & milestones
  • Read-out deck for the leadership team
Scope a fixed-scope audit
Most chosen

12 – 24 weeks

Implementation project
Operators who want the savings on the P&L, not just on the deck. I sit with your team through the fixes.

Delivered

  • Everything in a fixed-scope audit
  • Cycle-count program designed + run-in
  • DC / warehouse layout re-slot, supervised
  • 3PL / carrier renegotiation play-by-play
  • Targets committed, in writing, against the baseline
Scope a implementation project

FAQ

Questions we hear most weeks.

If yours isn't below, the scoping call is the fastest way to get a straight answer.

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Get started

Start with a 30-minute scoping call.

Tell us your operation, the KPIs you care about, and the constraint that's blocking the savings. If engagement isn't the right move, we'll say so.

Book a scoping call

Replies within one business day.