Distribution Center locations
Opening, closing, relocating or consolidating, with the cost and service impact of each priced separately.
Where we go deep for you
We model a budget that mirrors your current operation, your practices and requirements, then change one variable at a time. Our internal software Xact Network Modeler captures every key component of your existing program and calculates the impact of a change.
Modeling tools are good at estimating locations and costs from inputs. They are not good at factoring actual carrier service and the real dollar impact.
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Averages and aggregates
What makes most network studies directionally right and financially wrong.
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Expedited freight
The cost that appears after consolidation, and the one that theoretical models leave out.
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Center of gravity
Against your inbound supplier lanes and your outbound customer footprint, not just the map.
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Fill rate and time in transit
Modeled, not assumed to hold.
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Inventory holding cost
Often decided by people outside the supply chain team.
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3PL fit
Where a provider's competitive advantage actually sits, before you hand over the keys.
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Whether the study you were handed is real
Many modelers have never run a warehouse or managed freight, so they cannot tell when the numbers stop making sense.
What the service has produced for our clients"
A $24M model disproved — Multi-billion-dollar medical device manufacturer
A consultant recommended closing four DCs and consolidating into one. Built on real shipment data, the savings were not there once expedited freight was priced in.
Read the full case study
$2.2M saved per year, fill rate up 15 points — Manufacturer of recorded music and DVDs
Two distribution centers with overlapping coverage consolidated into one, with service modeled alongside cost rather than after it.
Read the full case study
Costs down 15%, service restored — Multi-billion-dollar semiconductor equipment manufacturer
The European spares network was the right structure. The partner running it was not. All depots relocated over two months.
Read the full case studyDefined scope of work, priced up front
Network design is analysis, so it runs on a project fee. After input from you we define a clear scope of work and timeline, along with our costs to complete it.
A practical analysis costs a fraction of a comprehensive strategic study, which is why it is our niche.
Example savings. Actual range can be 10–35%
Is this the service for you?
- You spend $1M or more a year on transportation
- You are opening, closing or consolidating a facility
- You have grown by acquisition and the network overlaps
- A model you were handed recommends a large investment and you want it checked
- You need a number precise enough to build a budget on, not a direction
Who does the work
Paul Brinkman, the President, participates in every engagement himself. He reviews every analysis, sits in the negotiations, and stays through implementation.
No junior consultant individually inherits your account after the sale.
Behind Paul is a bench of analysts and engineers who build the data and the models, plus founder Giles Taylor, who started the firm in 1997 and still weighs in.
How much are you leaving on the table?
Get an instant calculation of your savings potential. Based on the database of carrier contracts we have audited and negotiated for 600+ clients since 1997, and on current benchmark data showing what companies with your profile pay today.