Organizations today must rely on efficient supply chains in order to succeed in a competitive global economy. Effective supply chains result in enhanced operational flexibility and increased productivity, which leads to improved bottom line results.
The days when corporations looked at occupancy costs alone are long gone. In a rapidly evolving and competitive business environment, companies are looking at real estate in a whole new way.
Put simply, supply chain management is the process of planning, executing, and managing the operations of a company's supply network so that it functions seamlessly. This matrix begins with suppliers and manufacturers, then to transportation and warehousing, and finally the delivery of a product to its end-user. Efficient supply chains can enhance speed to market, provide cost and risk reduction, and maximize location and labor requirements.
Supply chain issues touch all companies that are involved in any form of manufacturing, importing or exporting. Global manufacturing and distribution success depends on the execution of an optimized supply chain real estate platform. Real estate strategy and execution should align with the operational and financial drivers that have the greatest impact on supply chain efficiency and business performance.
Historically, the supply chain has given little consideration to facility design or location. However, today supply chain effectiveness is tied to location optimization, an important part of real estate portfolio decisions. By integrating supply chain and real estate competencies, it's important that real estate providers determine whether a company's supply chain performance is favorable or operating at a less than efficient pace.
Cushman & Wakefield's Global Supply Chain Solutions (GSCS), a new practice developed in response to client feedback, works with corporations, institutional owners, developers, REITs, logistics providers, transportation companies, and other entities to attain peak effectiveness. This includes focusing on non-core business issues, such as transportation, labor and network rationalization in order to provide strategic and comprehensive solutions - the supply-chain matrix.
Supply chain management strategies include assisting in design of new manufacturing plants, plant expansions, consolidations, core competency analysis, strategic outsourcing initiatives, and lean six sigma applications. The wide-ranging services that a true global supply chain solutions provider can offer include:
* Strategic consulting
* Network rationalization
* Inventory modeling and optimization
* Location selection
* Foreign trade zone consulting & strategies
* Supply chain security
* Facility design
* Simulation modeling
* Logistics execution systems
* Operations planning and management
* Third party logistics (3PL) selection services
* Acquisitions
* Build-to-suit planning and project management
* Dispositions
* Property marketing
* Leasing and sales
* Cost and capital management
* Incentives megotiation
Due to the sheer magnitude of our firm's global industrial practice, Cushman & Wakefield GSCS is uniquely positioned to service this growing business requirement. Because we represent owners and users of industrial real estate, we work with a host of companies that manufacture, design, package, store and distribute goods in a wide variety of industries.
Cushman & Wakefield's worldwide reach gives clients access to the top industrial markets in the world. This allows us to work together to implement multiple market site selection strategies in which we compare costs, economic incentives, labor profiling, and economies of scale. Our clients gain the added benefit of working with a single solutions provider.
The optimum global supply chain solutions provider understands the broad array of supply issues faced by a company and also possesses the real estate knowledge that can result in quality solutions to global business issues. By integrating these vital components and providing a strategic plan that will address, resolve, and maximize supply chain requirements, the end result is a company that achieves its operational and financial goals.

Frank Frizalone is vice president of the downstate chapter of SIOR and executive director, national industrial services, at Cushman & Wakefield, Melville, N.Y. Tags: