International Supply Chain Support
What are International Supply Chains?
International supply chains are network solutions between a company and its overseas suppliers to get products or services to customers globally. This involves the management or control of both physical and information flows relating to a wide assortment of products, tracking them from the point of their origin until they reach the end customer destination.
Global Supply Chain Challenges
In an increasingly globalised economy, supply chains have grown more complex and challenging in nature. The product flow from the overseas supplier to a global end customer can be beset by numerous possibilities for operational issues due to oversights, delays, unnecessary costs, inefficiency, poor communication, and missed opportunities. Many companies lack the necessary skills, best practices, and regulatory knowledge, which results in underperforming international supply chains and potential gross margins not being realised. In addition, customs regulations and best practices are regularly exposed to change, and many companies are not aware of these changes until their products are seized by the customs authorities. Disruption can happen anywhere in a global supplier network; therefore, ensuring your international supply chain is protected, dependable, and flexible is critical.
My International Supply Chain Support
I provide expert end-to-end international supply chain services via my company, ICS Global Services Limited. My comprehensive knowledge of the supply chain industry allows me to implement effective processes to reduce international supply chain disruption, maintain correct inventory levels, and reduce operating costs while improving communications and end-customer delivery times. I help clients obtain supply chain visibility to facilitate products getting to the right place, at the right time, and in the right quantity. My overall objective is to provide independent advice and services to enable clients to align their international supply chain operations with their business strategies and objectives, therefore enabling their company to grow within the global marketplace.
Whether you want to undertake a strategic transformation of your international supply chains or fix certain parts of your operations, I am happy to collaborate with you to deliver these changes within your business.
Supply Chain Solutions
I help clients strengthen their supply chain solutions while providing a process-driven approach to building resilient, flexible, and sustainable supply chains for the future. My solutions have enabled clients to gain efficiencies across their global supply chains and achieve margin enhancements.
International Supply Chain Management
International supply chain management is the process of delivering products from overseas suppliers to global customers. It includes supply management, product planning, demand planning, logistics, operations planning, and supply planning. International supply chain management contributes to customer satisfaction through the effective delivery of products and services. Effective management of your international supply chain is critical for reducing costs, maximising customer value, and achieving a competitive advantage.
International Supply Chain Visibility
International supply chain visibility is a wide-ranging concept and will identify which areas of your supply chain require increased visibility. This requirement will vary by country, industry, and company. When looking to achieve greater supply chain transparency, companies should consider the Incoterms 2020 rules within the contract, customer requirements, trade compliance, competitiveness, cargo location, rates, documentation, and supply chain activities.
Cargo Consolidation
Cargo consolidation is mainly used in international supply chains and involves packaging, or bundling, multiple small shipments into one large shipment for distribution to the same end location. Cargo consolidation relies on multiple suppliers delivering multiple orders to a consolidation warehouse in the country of dispatch for export. Cargo consolidation is a good decision for clients who regularly move products internationally to the same receiving warehouse. This process avoids having to buy full container loads from each overseas supplier, which results in unnecessary peaks in inventories. Using cargo consolidation also gives clients more control over their due dates and production schedules.
I help clients identify the ideal and cost-effective consolidation process to ensure benefits for their business. Choosing the perfect way for this purpose is a challenging task. Cargo consolidation provides a lot of benefits for your business. These benefits include reduced inventories, lower shipping costs, faster transportation, fewer customs clearance delays, and fewer shipment risks.
International Shipping
When it comes to international shipping, I help my clients explore all their options. International shipping is a method of importing and exporting products between different countries via ocean, air, road, or multimodal solutions. Utilising multimodal solutions combines sea and air services to obtain the advantages of both.
Learn more about multimodal solutions >>
International shipping can be a challenging process when it comes to moving your products across international borders due to supply chain complexities and many customs regulations. If companies are to successfully import or export their products, they must know and follow policies relating to international shipping and provide compliant documentation to ensure their products are customs-cleared correctly.
International Supply Chain Optimisation
International supply chain optimisation makes the best use of track and trace technology and resources like cargo consolidation to improve efficiency and performance within the supply network. This may include the optimal placement of inventory within the international supply chain, reducing operating costs, transportation costs, and distribution costs. Optimisation allows companies to adjust their international supply chain operations to ensure peak efficiency. This optimisation is normally structured around Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), which should include overall operating expenses and returns on the company’s inventory.
Bonded Warehousing
Bonded warehousing is used by importers and exporters to suspend duties and taxes on their goods, therefore resulting in a significant positive impact on cash flow. Bonded warehouses are secure places for imported or exported products where clients can store them prior to customs clearance and onward delivery. Products stored within a bonded warehouse are often referred to as bonded goods. A bonded warehouse is basically a dedicated space where merchandise can be placed for further processing, such as storage, manipulation, destruction, loading, unloading, packaging, and repackaging. While the merchandise is stored within the bonded facility, it is still subject to full customs controls and regulations, but the day-to-day operation of the Bonded Warehouse is managed by its proprietors.
Customs Clearance
Customs clearance is a mandatory process that all imported or exported goods must go through when entering and leaving a country. The process involves the submission of export and import documents that have been completed correctly so that correct payments of duties, taxes, and other costs can be made. In addition to the payment of duties and taxes, customs will often make an inspection of the cargo to ensure compliance with import or export regulations.
Learn about classifying your goods for customs clearance >>
All products shipped internationally across borders must pass through customs clearance before they are allowed to enter or exit a country. Once the products are cleared by customs, the importer or exporter is provided with documentation that confirms that all customs formalities have been completed and the shipment is able to proceed.
I help my clients handle the customs clearance process for both imports and exports.
Supply Chain Blogs and Case Studies
My supply chain blogs and case studies cover industry news, important trends, and best practices that will give you new insights concerning international supply chain management.
Supply Chain Case Studies
Telecommunications
The client was experiencing difficulties supplying telecommunication equipment internationally and required a global business solution to meet future requirements.
Importer of Wines
The Client required end-to-end international supply chain solutions from the wine producers in Argentina to their end customers in the UK and Europe.
Brexit Readiness
The client identified that they needed an Interim Supply Chain Director to pull the requirements together and implement workable solutions for each international supply chain.
Supply Chain Blogs
The New Plastic Packaging Tax
The new UK Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT) came into force on 1 April 2022 and will be charged at a rate of £200 per tonne. The legislation is structured to incentivise the use of recycled material in the production of plastic packaging.
This measure will impact UK plastic packaging manufactures and importers of plastic packaging.
Claiming Relief from Import Duties and Taxes
An important commercial consideration for businesses importing goods is their supply chain costs, which include duties and taxes. Importers do not always take full advantage of import procedures that can reduce or eliminate duties and taxes altogether on imported goods.
Transfer Pricing and Related Companies
Transfer Pricing is used by multinational enterprises to establish the pricing for goods and services transferred between their related companies situated in different countries. Multinational enterprises often use Transfer Pricing as a method to allocate profits into territories where tax rates are more favourable.
Client Recommendations
"I contacted Ian to reference a project for a key client of mine. It was a full analysis, report, and recommendation on their global supply chain. From the moment I spoke to Ian, he spoke the right language, had relevant experience, and presented his approach brilliantly. The client was equally impressed, and he delivered exactly what was required and at a higher level than they had originally expected. I couldn’t recommend Ian highly enough and will be putting him in front of other clients in the future. "
Managing Director
"During Ian’s assignment as Interim Supply Chain Director, he was responsible for implementing international supply chain solutions to support the business with Brexit readiness. He managed the overall supply chain operations, including the purchasing and inventory of raw materials, the selection of vendors, and the distribution of finished products. Ian provided and delivered a business strategy to ensure business continuity after Brexit. Ian has a friendly, passionate, and professional approach to business and has been a pleasure to work with."
Operations Director
"I worked with Ian for 3 years and relied on his knowledge and professionalism to help navigate difficult supply chain situations across the world. He makes good companies great."
Director of Sourcing
Contact me to discuss your supply chain requirements
Whatever your requirements are, I will provide tailored international supply chain solutions to support your business. I will help you to develop an integrated approach for managing your end-to-end international supply chains. Please complete the form below and I will get back to you.
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