TWO former CBH senior staffers have combined forces in a bid to fix supply chain inefficiencies around the world.
Global Supply Chain Consultancy (GSCC) is the brainchild of Max Johnson and Colin Tutt and has the pair already consulting in Canada and the US.
Mr Johnson, who is currently on a business trip in North America, said the initiative had been a long time in the making for himself and Mr Tutt.
"We've got a simple view that it's not just here in Australia but in India, Ukraine, Brazil and Argentina, everyone's growing a lot more grain but they can't get it to the market," he said.
"The supply chain is basically the logistics to get from the paddock through to the port and there's no investment in the supply chains.
"It seems as though there is now talk of agriculture and supply chains but there's not many people investing in trains, up-country storage and ports in an integrated approach.
"That's where we're thinking and we see an opportunity to try and help to get better performance out of some of these supply chains."
Mr Johnson hails from Morawa and previously held positions of operations manager and continuous improvement and safety manager with CBH.
Mr Tutt stepped his way up the CBH ladder from working on a grain bin some 40 years ago, to holding the position of general manager of operations for some time.
He retired from CBH in December.
Mr Johnson said it was early days for the venture and there were goals to expand talks into Argentina and Brazil in the short term, but recognised these were hard markets to break into.
"Colin has a very good brand here in Australia and my brand is ok, but Colin has got a brand in other parts of the world as well," he said.
"You can only build from there but we've got to get a couple of runs on the board.
"It'll be fun.
"We won't know for a month or three how we're going."
GSCC exists to assist supply chain owners in the delivery of the functionality of sales and receival execution of grain from farm to plate.
The company's website highlights "grain supply chain advisers with unparalleled skills" which "can provide an unique approach to quickly generate solutions that will optimise and enhance the functionality of supply chains from farm right through to the end customer".
"If you want to buy some bread you don't go to a butcher you go to the baker, that's where we're saying talk to us first and help yourself get bang for your buck," Mr Johnson said.
"If you invest in the capital and realise you only have 80 per cent efficiency in your supply chain, you're getting a return but you're not maximising your return.
"If you sit down and think about exactly where you can maximise your supply chain you can get 95pc or 98pc efficiency.
"You've got traders setting up supply chains in Australia and they simply mess it up
"We're saying to them before you spend the dollars we will give you advice to get the efficiency out of the dollars spent."