Supply Chain Network Optimization Consulting
Where your freight lands, how it moves inland and where it sits decide most of what it costs.
Sherpa helps importers and distributors check whether their ports, inland routing and warehouse footprint still fit the business they have today, not the one they had when the network was set up.
Most network studies start at the warehouse. For an importer, the network starts at the port, and that's where Sherpa starts.
The Rate Is the Small Number
Companies spend months negotiating money off a container rate, then land that container on the wrong side of the country from the warehouse it's going to.
​
The bigger costs sit in the shape of the network: which port you land at, how far the box travels inland, how long it sits, how many times it gets handled, and how far the last mile is from your customers.
​
Sherpa looks at all of it together: transport, warehousing, labor, inventory, detention and service. A change that saves on freight but adds a week of inventory isn't a saving.
Â
If the problem is the rate rather than the network, start with Freight Procurement Consulting.
What Sherpa Works On
Four pieces of work. Most projects use two or three.
Port and Routing Review
Center of Gravity & Demand Modeling
Where your containers land and how they move inland: port of entry, rail versus truck, transit and dwell. You get the lanes where routing is costing you money.
Where your demand actually is, by volume and by customer, and where your buildings should be to serve it. It's a starting point, then tested against real constraints.
DC, CFS and Transload Strategy
Cost Model and Business Case
Whether to add, move or close a site, and whether to transload near the port. Each option is compared on total cost, labor, lease and service.
Current state against future state, in numbers leadership can check and challenge, including the cost and timing of getting from one to the other.
Questions This Work Answers
Are we landing freight at the right ports?
Port choice is often set once and never revisited. Carrier services, inland rail options and where your customers are have all moved since. Sherpa compares your current ports against the alternatives on landed cost to the DC, transit time and reliability.
Are our warehouses in the right places?
Demand shifts faster than real estate. If outbound freight per order is climbing or expedites are up, the footprint may be the cause. A center of gravity model shows where the network should be. Total-cost modeling shows whether moving is worth it.
Should we transload, use a CFS or go direct?
Transloading near the port can cut inland cost and detention for the right volume. It also adds a handling step and some complexity. The answer depends on your lanes and your inventory, so Sherpa models it with your data.
What will it actually save, and what will it cost to get there?
A network change has a transition cost: new leases, double running, inventory moves, carrier changes. Leadership needs both sides. Every recommendation comes with the business case and the plan to execute it.
Network work from the inside: Gareth led a 33,000 TEU global sportswear program running through five distribution centers, helped design Maersk's global inland services integration across 36 business units, and helped build an asset-based trucking capacity product for retail shippers
Network Optimization FAQ
What does supply chain network optimization consulting cover?
What is a center of gravity analysis?
Where freight enters the country, how it moves inland, where it is stored and how it reaches customers. Sherpa models total cost—transport, warehousing, labor, inventory and service—to build the business case.
A model using demand volume and customer location to find warehouse spots that minimize distance and cost. We then test this against real-world port, labor, and lease constraints.
How do I know if my warehouse is in the wrong place?
Should importers use a CFS or transload facility?
Rising outbound freight cost per order, more expedited shipments, and long transit times to core customers are signs. If demand has shifted since your site was chosen, it's worth a review.
It depends on volume and speed. Transloading near the port can cut inland cost and container detention for high-volume importers, but adds handling. Modeling your lanes provides the answer.