Warehouse & Procurement Transformation: From Firefighting to Strategic Supply Chain Performance

A leading natural resources company partnered with As One Consulting to eliminate costly inefficiencies across its warehouse and tactical procurement functions. By overhauling fragmented systems and implementing best-in-class supply chain standards, the organization reduced emergency purchases, restored trust in inventory, and transformed reactive operations into a strategic, data-driven function aligned with maintenance and operations.

• 70%+ of materials now managed through inventory controls instead of uncontrolled direct charges
• Significant reduction in emergency buys and shortages
• Improved integration of ERP systems (Maximo + Oracle) for automated procurement and reporting
• Embedded KPI tracking and leadership routines for sustainable performance
• Improved collaboration and trust between warehouse, procurement, and operations

Before the engagement, the company faced critical pain points that disrupted operational reliability and inflated supply chain costs:

Common Supply Chain Pain Points Identified:

• Excessive Emergency Purchases: High volume of direct charge buys created poor visibility and uncontrolled spend
• Low Inventory Confidence: Maintenance teams bypassed inventory due to inaccuracies, leading to duplicates and urgent orders
• Wasted Leadership Time: Managers focused on expediting shortages rather than driving improvement
• No Standard Processes: Roles, workflows, and systems varied site to site, with no cohesive playbook
• Disjointed Systems: Poor ERP integration limited reporting, forecasting, and vendor tracking
• Obsolete & Untracked Materials: Materials laydown areas overflowed with unused, undocumented stock
• Inconsistent Procurement Practices: Staging, kitting, receiving, and reverse logistics lacked structure

Phase 1: Current State Assessment

• Evaluated end-to-end warehouse and procurement workflows
• Assessed ERP data quality and integration
• Identified key gaps in inventory control, materials management, and process discipline

Phase 2: Transformation Roadmap

• Built a multi-phase plan focused on eliminating direct charges, increasing inventory accuracy, and enabling procurement strategy

Phase 3: Execution & Capability Building

• Installed standard operating procedures (SOP) for ordering, receiving, inventory handling, kitting, and reverse logistics
• Connected ERP Data sets to improve reporting and stock visibility
• Delivered role-based training and embedded a Management Operating System (MOS) with KPI scorecards

Phase 4: Sustainment & Optimization

• Introduced Leader Standard Work (LSW) to institutionalize daily oversight
• Consolidated all processes, RACIs, training guides, and KPIs into a single, enterprise-wide Warehouse & Procurement Playbook

Strategic Shift from Reactive to Proactive

• Supply chain teams moved from “chasing parts” to proactively managing inventory and vendor performance, gaining credibility as strategic enablers of operational reliability.

Direct Charge Reduction

• Over 70% of materials now flow through managed inventory, drastically cutting uncontrolled spend and improving traceability.

Enhanced Inventory Accuracy

• Cycle counting, reverse logistics, and system integration restored trust in warehouse data, eliminating unnecessary duplicate orders.

Streamlined Resource Use

• Receiving, staging, and fulfillment activities were redesigned for efficiency, freeing up time for value-added work.

Data-Driven Decision Making

• ERP integration enabled automated KPI scorecards, allowing leadership to track procurement lead times, vendor performance, and stock availability in real time.

Strengthened Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Daily warehouse huddles and procurement reviews improved alignment with maintenance and operations, resulting in fewer delays and higher satisfaction.

Sustained Performance Through a Playbook

• All improvements were locked into a custom Warehouse & Procurement Playbook, ensuring repeatability, training consistency, and audit readiness.

If your warehouse and tactical procurement functions are stuck in a reactive loop, constantly firefighting shortages, expediting parts, or struggling with poor system data — it doesn’t have to stay that way. This transformation proves that with the right playbook, systems, and leadership discipline, supply chain can become a value-creating partner, not just a transactional function.