Supply chain organization and process.
A supply chain team that runs to a standard. We set the structure and roles, write the procedures, put the ERP and the shop floor on the same data, and set up the audits that keep it in place as you grow.
- 12, 15, 18person supply chain teams built and led
- 72h to 24hinternal quoting lead time with standard tools
- 40%year-over-year growth supported while executing a 30,000 sq ft expansion
From our founder’s operating roles. Not client results.
Where supply chain organization design falls short.
Growing supply chain teams strain when roles follow habit, spans stop fitting, procedures live in people’s heads, and the ERP gets worked around.
Roles by habit
Buying, planning, expediting, and receiving are split by who has always done them, so work falls between people and no one owns the result.
Spans that do not fit
One manager with too many direct reports, or layers added without new scope, slows decisions and hides problems.
Procedures in people’s heads
How the work gets done lives with a few people, so training is slow and quality drops when they are out.
ERP workarounds
Spreadsheets and side files replace ERP transactions, so on-hand, open orders, and lead times stop matching what is on the floor.
What supply chain organization design covers.
Structure, roles, procedures, and measures defined together, so the organization chart and the daily work describe the same team.
- Structure
- Functions and reporting lines for purchasing, planning, inventory, logistics, and warehousing
- Spans and layers
- Direct reports per lead and management layers sized to the work and the growth plan
- Role charters
- Purpose, decisions owned, and measures for each role, with job descriptions
- RACI
- Responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed for each core process, from requisition to receipt
- SOPs
- Standard operating procedures for each supply chain function, with forms and ERP steps
- Audits
- Recurring process audits against the SOPs, with findings, owners, and dates
- Workplace
- 6S standards for stockrooms, receiving, and shipping areas
- ERP discipline
- Transactions entered in the system at the point of work, with shop-floor workstations and tablets where they help
- KPIs
- A short set: supplier OTD, DIO, purchase price variance, past-due orders, and cycle count accuracy
How it works.
Map
Interview the team, walk the process from requisition to receipt, and compare the organization chart to the work people actually do.
You receive: Current-state process map and role gaps
Design
Set the structure, spans, and layers, write role charters and job descriptions, and assign the RACI for each core process.
You receive: Organization design, role charters, and RACI
Standardize
Write SOPs with ERP steps, set 6S standards, and build training plans for each role, including make/buy and quoting tools where Estimating depends on supply chain inputs.
You receive: SOP set and training plans
Audit
Schedule recurring process audits, set the KPI review, and run continuous improvement projects on the findings, with S&OP as the monthly planning link.
You receive: Audit schedule and KPI review
From operating experience.
- Supply chain teams of 12, 15, and 18 people built and led.
- Organizational structure defined for growth, with new roles, job descriptions, and training plans for purchasing, assembly specialists, and warehouse staff.
- Supply chain infrastructure scaled to support 40% year-over-year growth while executing a 30,000 sq ft facility expansion.
- SOPs standardized across all supply chain functions with recurring process audits, 6S lean standards, and continuous improvement projects.
- Internal quoting lead time cut from 72 to 24 hours with make/buy, quoting, and estimating tools.
- Supply chain operations directed across three organizations, including estimating, purchasing, inventory, and warehousing.
Our founder delivered these results while running supply chain organizations between 2017 and 2026. They are operator results, not client results. See all results
What you receive.
- Supply chain organization chart with spans and layers
- Role charters and job descriptions for each position
- RACI for core supply chain processes
- Standard operating procedures with ERP steps
- Training plans for purchasing, warehouse, and support staff
- Process audit schedule and checklist
- KPI set with definitions and owners
Standards, contracts, and systems our founder has worked within
- SOPs
- Process audits
- 6S
- Continuous improvement
- RACI
- S&OP
- Infor LN
- Shoptech E2
- Fishbowl
Supply chain organization design questions.
Can you help us hire?
We define the roles and job descriptions and build the training plans. Hiring decisions stay with you.
How many direct reports should a supply chain manager have?
It depends on how routine the work is. Leads over transactional roles, such as receiving or catalog buying, can carry more reports than leads over strategic sourcing or planning. We size spans to the work, not to a fixed ratio.
Should purchasing and planning sit in one team?
Often, in a mid-sized manufacturer. A buyer-planner role cuts handoffs between the plan and the purchase order. Larger or more complex operations may split them, with clear ownership of lead times and order release.
What goes into a supply chain SOP?
The purpose, scope, and owner, the steps with the ERP transactions for each, the forms and records produced, and how the process is measured and audited.
Which ERP systems do you know?
Infor LN, Shoptech E2, and Fishbowl directly. The organization and process work applies to any ERP.
How do procedures stay in place after the project ends?
Recurring process audits. Each SOP is checked on a schedule, findings go to an owner with a date, and the procedure is updated when the process changes.
Start with a 30‑minute conversation.
Describe what you buy and where the problem is. We reply to every message directly.