Distribution

Distribution networks.

Hub structure, depot placement, network consolidation, and cost vs. service trade-offs — designing networks that work at the scale and speed your business actually needs.

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The challenge

Networks that grew faster than they were designed.

Most distribution networks were built incrementally. A new depot here, a route added there, a hub inherited from an acquisition. The result is a network that works — but not well. Catchment areas overlap. Some depots are oversized, others strained.

The cost of a suboptimal network compounds every day. It's in the kilometres driven, the shifts worked, and the service failures that erode customer trust.

The question is not whether to change — it's what to change and in what order.

COMMON TRIGGERS

  • Network redesign or consolidation planned
  • Depot lease expiring — evaluate whether to renew
  • Service level inconsistencies across zones
  • Cost per delivery rising despite stable volumes
  • Entering a new geography or customer segment
Our approach

How we work through it.

01

Network audit

We analyse current flow volumes, depot utilization, catchment areas, and line-haul structure. We identify where the network is under or overstretched — and why.

02

Scenario modelling

We model alternative network configurations — different hub counts, depot locations, catchment boundaries — and quantify the cost and service impact of each. Decision supported by data, not assumption.

03

Implementation roadmap

Network changes can't happen overnight. We design a phased implementation plan that delivers quick wins while managing transition risk — so the network improves without disrupting current operations.

Outcomes

What changes.

A network designed for today's volumes and tomorrow's growth.

−10–20% network transport cost
Better service level consistency across all zones
Clear cost vs. service trade-off for every network decision
Example project
City logistics

City logistics — capacity management & zone optimization

A city delivery operator was seeing growing parcel volumes — but operating costs were rising even faster. Delivery zone boundaries had been set historically and no longer reflected actual delivery density. We redesigned the zone structure, rebalanced courier assignments, and introduced capacity management across delivery areas — operating costs dropped by 15% without changing the fleet or headcount.

−15%
operating cost reduction · structural change only · no fleet investment required

Are you getting the full potential out of your distribution network?

Start with a Quick Scan — a fixed-scope analysis delivered in 2–4 weeks.

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