CCi recently launched Lean Supply Chain Fundamentals (LSCF), a new best practice TRACC for supply chain teams in planning, logistics, and other office-based functions outside the four walls of the factory. In this Q&A, Rosie Simpson, CCi’s Global Head of Consulting, talks about why the LSCF TRACC exists and how it fits into the wider TRACC portfolio.
Q: Why this TRACC, and why now?
Rosie Simpson: The world of supply chain is shifting, and we wanted to create a TRACC that reflected the new reality. Virtual and hybrid working has become normal, and people expect shorter, sharper learning. They want just-in-time modules, video content, and e-learning they can complete in their own time. This TRACC was built for supply chain teams who work that way.
At the same time, we wanted it to be relevant to the volatile supply chain environment that has been escalating since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Q: How does this TRACC fit in with the rest of our supply chain TRACCs?
Rosie Simpson: If you step back and look at the bigger picture, Lean Supply Chain Fundamentals is the foundation layer for our supply chain portfolio. It is designed to establish the lean fundamentals, meaning the structures, the problem-solving tools, and the leadership skills that everything else builds on. Once a team has completed LSCF, they are equipped to go deeper into more specialist areas, whether that is logistics service provider management, the planning TRACCs, or the logistics TRACCs.
It is worth saying that the TRACC doesn’t have to exist in isolation. It is designed to connect to MAKE. When a manufacturing business wants to extend its lean principles into its supply chain and office functions, Lean Supply Chain Fundamentals is the natural bridge. It speaks the same language, the structures are there, and the assessment model aligns.
Q: Can you give us a live example of what the customer journey looks like moving from MAKE into Lean Supply Chain Fundamentals?
Rosie Simpson: Take a business that is already several stages into its MAKE journey. Its operations team has strong visual management, established problem-solving routines, and clear ownership of its KPIs. When that team looks outwards to the wider supply chain, the planning teams, and the logistics partners, there is a gap, because those functions have not been on the same journey. That is where this TRACC comes in. We start with awareness sessions and baseline assessments for the supply chain team, then we build an implementation plan that is realistic for that environment. That means bite-sized e-learning, a just-in-time approach to workshops, and strong coaching support. As with MAKE, the team starts at stage two, getting the structures in place, and then progresses at a pace that fits around their day jobs. Within six to twelve months, you start to see alignment between what is happening on the shop floor and what is driving decisions in the supply chain.
Q: What makes this distinctly a CCi product, rather than a generic lean consulting offering?
Rosie Simpson: Generic lean consulting might give you a toolkit and perhaps a consultant in the room. LSCF gives you a system, and the difference is sustainability. Our model is built around creating coaching capability in the organization, so when the consultant leaves, the improvement does not stop.
What makes it unmistakably CCi is the TRACC Platform itself. We have the assessment model, the reader, the implementation actions, and the e-learning, and they are all connected. A client is not just attending workshops. They are building evidence, tracking their progression stage by stage, benchmarking against peers, and using data to make decisions. That is a fundamentally different proposition from someone coming in to run a lean training course. Because Lean Supply Chain Fundamentals was co-developed with real clients, including FrieslandCampina as a key partner, the content reflects what actually happens in supply chain teams rather than a textbook version.
Q: Are there any particular themes that excite you most about this TRACC?
Rosie Simpson: One of the great new themes for me is evidence-based decision making. We have moved away from data management as a theme, because it can feel a bit passive, toward something much more active. It is about ensuring that every decision in the supply chain is grounded in data. We have seen many businesses where the data exists but is not used to drive action. This theme builds the habit and the discipline to change that.
The other thing I am excited about is the design, run, and improve framework. It gives supply chain teams a clear structure for running the business and improving it at the same time, without one crowding out the other. That has been a real gap. Supply chain teams often fall into firefighting and lose sight of improvement. This framework gives them the permission and the structure to do both.
Q: We have some early implementations already underway. What results are we seeing so far, and what can clients typically expect from this TRACC?
Rosie Simpson: The early feedback has been really encouraging. What is standing out first is the level of engagement. We are working with supply chain teams who perhaps have not been part of a structured improvement journey before, and they are finding the content relevant and accessible. The bite-sized e-learning format in particular is landing well, because people can fit it around their work. That means completion rates are higher than we would typically see with a classroom-only model.
We are also seeing real traction in the coaching conversations. When you combine the TRACC structure with great coaching, teams move quickly from awareness to action. At a headline level, the results are supply chain teams that are better aligned, more proactive, and improving continuously rather than reacting to crises.
More specifically, clients should expect better-structured team meetings with clear ownership, faster problem resolution using structured tools, stronger alignment between supply chain KPIs and business strategy, and improved relationships with logistics partners. The assessment model gives clients a clear baseline and tracks progression over time, so the results are visible rather than anecdotal.
The bigger picture
Lean Supply Chain Fundamentals brings lean thinking to the parts of the business that have often been left out of the improvement journey. It gives planning and logistics teams the structures, problem-solving tools, and leadership skills to align with the shop floor, make data-driven decisions, and run and improve their operations simultaneously. As the foundation layer of the supply chain portfolio, it is the natural bridge from MAKE into the wider end-to-end supply chain, and it is delivered in a format that fits how teams work today.
Find out how Lean Supply Chain Fundamentals can support your supply chain teams.
About Rosie Simpson
Rosie Simpson is Global Head of Consulting at CCi. She is an experienced supply chain leader with 20 years in the industry. Her expertise spans logistics and warehousing, 3PL management, supply and demand planning, customer services, customer relationship management, and systems implementations. She has held senior roles including Head of Supply Chain at Mizkan Europe Ltd, National Logistics and Customer Operations Manager at Dairy Crest, and Global Supply Chain Director at CCi. Connect with Rosie on LinkedIn.