About Ci-Advisory - Here you can meet our Ci-Advisory Team Members and our Projects

Dr Andrew Downard

Andrew is an experienced senior executive and consultant with wide exposure to Leading Edge international companies within the Automotive Manufacturing, Logistics and Distribution industries. He has significant experience in the Procurement, Inventory Management, Supply Chain, Warehouse and Distribution functions. During Andrew’s career, he has worked across many regions including involvement in the leadership of a multinational Asia Pacific business, supporting clients in the Middle East as well as responsibilities for supply chains that spanned the globe.

Organisations Andrew has worked for during his corporate career include General Motors, Kenworth Trucks, Nissan and a Honeywell Joint venture. Roles ranged from Senior Buyer at General Motors, through various Purchasing and Materials Management positions to becoming the Asia Pacific Supply Chain Director for Honeywell’s Friction Materials Business. Since setting up his Supply Chain Consulting business Andrew has worked in a range of industries from automotive, logistics, health and agricultural production and helped businesses to find improvement opportunities in their supply chain, inventory and operations.

Andrew has wide experience in improving Supply Chain and Manufacturing operations both in his corporate roles and as a consultant. The time spent with Nissan in Japan learning about Kaizen and Continuous Improvement has been particularly useful in guiding later projects. He is able to pull together a diverse group of people into a Team who then go on to record high levels of performance.

In recent years Andrew has focused on the benefits that can accrue to organisations that adopt collaborative and relational approaches to doing business.  This has involved study at the University of Tennessee as well as undertaking projects with international organisations helping them achieve significant benefits.  These have ranged from a 24 million square foot Facilities Management outsourcing project for a Fortune 500 Technology company, to assisting a large Health Insurance business in South Africa to deliver a Vested agreement.

During his career Andrew has identified and implemented supply chain and inventory management best practice processes such as CPFR, advanced planning, supply chain assessment/risk management, SCOR, VMI and DIFOT, from both Management & Consulting perspectives. He has developed and applied several organisational assessment tools in the areas of Risk Management, Supply Chain Relationships and Lean Supply Chain.

A leading thinker in Business and Supply Chain Relationships, Andrew has developed tools for assessing relationships as well as writing several articles on the subject. 

Andrew has a PhD from Victoria University a Supply Chain Master’s degree from Monash University, and a Bachelors degree in Marketing and Economics from Swinburne University. He has also studied and is a Faculty Member at the University of Tennessee where he has been awarded certification as a Vested Deal Architect (CDA). He has also co-authored a number of Case Studies and whitepapers that have been published by the University of Tennessee.

Peter had an extensive career in supply chain management at senior levels in Australia and internationally before joining academia. His commercial experience includes managing a range of domestic and international logistics operations: procurement, transportation, import / export, logistics systems development. He has also managed a hi-tech distribution centre, servicing domestic and export customers, following his implementing advanced technology in a strong union environment.

As senior lecturer and coordinator, supply chain management programs, Monash University, he led and taught post-graduate courses in logistics and channel management, warehousing, and advanced supply chain management. He has developed and conducted executive and post-graduate programs in many areas including operations management, and international logistics strategy and operations. He has lectured and conducted management seminars in North America, Europe, United Arab Emirates and Asia. Peter has been a Visiting Scholar at the Eli Broad Graduate School of Management, Michigan State University, USA, and at Cranfield University, UK.

Peter’s main areas of expertise are product returns management, sustainable supply chain management, channel and supply chain design, logistics outsourcing, and logistics strategy. His research findings have been presented at international scholarly and practitioner conferences, and published in scholarly journals and professional publications. As Visiting Professor at the Bordeaux Business School, France, he investigated the application of supply chain principles in the management of the wine supply chain. He also has an in-depth knowledge of the automotive supply chain.

His consulting practice is evidence based. Unique client solutions are developed based on data gathering and analysis of the data using qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Assignment have included review and redesign of channel and supply chain structures, warehouse design and operations, logistics audits, and customer service policy development.

Peter’s academic background includes undergraduate and graduate degrees in chemistry, management, sociology, and Italian studies. He was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy by RMIT University for research in value creation in product returns management.

Paul is an experienced senior consultant and leader in the field of Supply Chain and Operations, with extensive and broadly based international commercial experience gained in international industry leading corporations, including Bunnings, Wesfarmers, Cellnet, Maersk, Cargo Services, and United Technologies Corporation. 

Well recognised as a leader in Operations and Logistics improvement, Paul is respected by peers and management for commercial and strategic acumen, and for excellent networking and communication skills. Extensive experience of the Asia Pacific region, with proven ability to develop and execute International Supply Chain strategies from origin to ultimate destination.

Paul has a proven ability to deliver strategic change, and to build capability and capacity in high performing teams. Has initiated and re-engineered international supply chains, restructured distribution networks, and logistics IT systems. Highly regarded for ability to coach and develop talent, for driving outstanding results in cost reductions and service level improvements, and for providing a positive and passionate influence at Executive level.

At Bunnings, Australia’s largest home improvement retailer, Paul led the import supply chain team, responsible for over 30,000 TEU of imports across Australia and New Zealand. Focused on building capacity for growth, designed and developed systems and facilities that led to a threefold growth in internationally sourced products for the enterprise.

Paul has also led the supply chain in Australia for various other Australian and international business including Carrier Air Conditioning, a global $6 Billion business where he was responsible for the Asia Pacific region for all stock flow of approximately $500M of sales. Earlier, Paul led the supply chains at Landmark - an Australian distributor of agricultural products and services to farmers across the country, and Rinnai, a Japanese manufacturer and distributor of heaters and hot water products.

More recently, Paul has been a Supply Chain leader focused as an interim change agent in contract roles as embedded supply chain leader. In this capacity, Paul led the supply chain transformation at Cellnet, an Australian ASX listed distributor of accessories and equipment supporting the mobile phone and tablet market, and assisted the company in a major strategic change, which resulted in them becoming profitable and growing substantially year on year. He also led a similar transformation at Weir Minerals, a UK based global supplier of manufactured industrial equipment to mining suppliers around the world, and Beach Energy, in transition of the offshore oil and gas assets from Origin Energy.

Facilities Management Vested Deal - India

Coached a Vested deal between a large Fortune 500 Technology Company in India for 24 Million Square Feet of office space.  

Business and Administrative Services Vested Deal - South Africa

Supported a leading South African Health Insurance business and their Service Provider to develop a Vested agreement over several years.

Conducted University of Tennessee Courses in the Middle East

As a Vested Faculty member undertook on site UT courses including Vested Outsourcing and Collaborative Contracting

Supply Chain Network Redesign
Carried  out a detailed review of a major  manufacturer and importers business and made  recommendations that moved  them from an initial view to go to a 3rd party  Logistics solution at a  cost of +$3.0 million to a solution that used existing  infrastructure  more intensively and saved them approximately $800k over  existing cost  levels (a potential $4.0 million turnaround in cost to the  business). A  similar project in the Health field should likewise deliver  savings in  the order of $1.0 million on completion. 

Supply Chain Diagnostic  Snapshot
Many  projects commence with a short diagnostic  review to identify issues and  opportunities in clients Supply Chains.  In most cases these have ranged from  final Customer to raw material  inputs. A number of diagnostic tools and survey  instruments are used in  conducting these reviews. 

Warehouse Layout & Picking  Methodologies

Assisted an Importer/Distributor with a very wide  SKU  profile to layout its greenfield warehouse including arranging the  slotting of  individual SKU's to aid in picking productivity. Made  recommendations on shelf  and carton life storage so that a "quick pick"  zone could be set up. 

 S&OP Implementations
AD Supply  Chain Group has assisted several clients to  implement the Sales and Operations  Planning methodology in their  businesses. This has included recommendations on  software, development  of forecasting methodologies, internal education and  training and  mentoring/monitoring the process once underway. Industries have   included a complex manufacturing business, Import/Distribution of  electrical  components and Building Products. 

Supply Chain Footprint Review
We have  assisted an Import Distributor to identify the  most optimal supply chain  footprint to keep the customer service  promise they have made. This has  resulted in a recommendation to shift  from 5 State based warehouses to 3 with  no deterioration in service  levels. The gains in inventory will also contribute  to the savings that  the business will make. 

 Lean Supply Chain
We have  also assisted several organisations with training  and project support to  implement Lean Supply Chain improvements.  Activities have included Lean  Assessments, Value Stream Mapping and  decision making tools. Innovative  solutions such as tracking forklifts  using GPS devices have allowed clients to  optimise their operations. 

 Strategic Review
Undertook  a Strategic Review of a Logistics Services  company and made recommendations on  how improvements could be made to  its operations and sales acquisition  processes. 

Supply Chain Waste Reduction  Projects
Project  managed a series of 5 waste reduction projects  across Regional Victoria and  personally led 2 of these projects. Supply  Chains involved ranged from  Automotive, Food Production to Building  Products.

Supply Chain Simulations &  Workshops
Have  assisted several organisations by running Supply  Chain Simulations and  Workshops to assist them in understanding how  Supply Chains work and the impact  of certain changes on these  operations. Have also run several public workshops  on subjects such as  Lean Supply Chain and Supply Chain Risk. 

Supply Function Review
Worked  with a major health industry client to  assess their Supply function and make  recommendations on the strategy  for sourcing and procurement, structure and  systems requirements.  Following this worked with the client to implement the  recommendations.