ASL Consultants are helping Silicon Valley companies improve their profitability through improved business practice. ASL consultants specialize in helping growing companies keep up with the ever increasing demand for lower costs, improved manufacturing predictability and flexibility.

Material Cost Reduction/Supplier Quality solutions
Cost reduction is always a top priority for materials and outside services. ASL specializes in identifying the opportunities, leverage and negotiating new terms for your company. There are often internal "obstacles" that cause cost reduction efforts to fail. Price is never the only issue; service, quality and suppliers strategic positioning are of equal importance in achieveing the lowest "total" component cost. World Class supplier quality is the result of carefully considered supplier choices, integrating supplier "know how" into thorough rev controlled specifications, diligent measurement of component quality and closed loop corrective action.

Supplier Selection
ASL Consultants can assist in supplier selection and in reducing the number of active suppliers to manageable levels. Contract Manufacturer (CM) selection is a critical decision that should consider supplier manufacturing and process control expertise, location and total cost. You should know the inventory dollar exposure at your CM at all times.

Inventory Record Accuracy
Inventory record accuracy improvement program implementation. No matter how you plan your material requirements, record accuracy is critical to continuous material flow and uninterrupted manufacturing. ASL will evaluate current Material control procedures, identify current record accuracy and implement a Cycle count program, material control procedures and result reporting. Accurate inventory records reduce the frequency of material shortages and the scope of annual physical inventories.

Materials Policies And Procedures
Purchasing, Planning, Material Control and Document control department process and procedures. Many clients have a minimum of documented policies and procedures. Measuring department performance is not practical without defined procedures. ISO certification requires that each department document procedures and follow documented procedures or cause them to be officially changed.

MRP Implementation
Many clients are intimidated by this process and believe it will be inflexible in environments of rapid change or that the supporting systems they have in place are not robust enough to support MRP. This function depends on accurate inventory records, accurate BOM's and methodical Master scheduling. ASL can evaluate your needs, current capabilities and deliver an implementation plan with measures for gauging results.

Kan Ban And "Pull" Systems
ASL consultants have hands on experience implementing inventory pull systems in high volume manufacturing sites. This technique can reduce inventory value, storage space requirements and significantly reduce risk/cost of defective WIP inventory.

ERP Selection And Implementation
ASL consultants have experience defining system requirements and assisting with selection of an ERP and assuring that promised functionality is achieved. ASL can provide procedures for correct system use for all materials functions with appropriate consideration for other functional departments and their needs.

Materials Dept. Staffing And Training
Assist in staffing and improving staff performance. Writing Job descriptions, defining rolls and key measures and for your Materials staff. Establish minimum requirements for new hires, participate in interview process, "rank" resumes and recommend hires. ASL consultants can train your materials staff.

Transportation
ASL consultants can evaluate your transportation costs and suggest changes to improve timeliness and cost. Our clients enjoy the lower cost resulting from combining client shipment volumes and negotiating costs on a consolidated level. We have the industry experience that in house traffic organizations often lack. ASL consultants work directly with the carriers to eliminate wasteful middlemen and delays.

Logistics
ASL has contacts all over the world and can help you arrange physical distribution agreements that make sense and provide a minimum of cost while decreasing delivery time ARO. It isn't always a matter of locating finished goods closer to the customer, sometimes an improvement is realized through new transportation alternatives or revamping existing distribution processes to yield an acceptable result.

ASL consultants will perform an audit and propose lease activity based on your priorities. ASL fees are often based on percentage of savings or reduced "cash burn rate" and may be payable as the savings are actually realized.

Arrange New Equipment Financing
ASL leasing consultants can "shop" your new lease line requirements with dozens of lenders and negotiate the best rates. Internal resources often aren't current on debt rates, lenders and their current disposition and do not know how to get a prompt response to an inquiry. Our expertise works for you when you need it most.

Arrange Sale And Lease Back
ASL consultants can help free up cash by "selling" your assets to lenders who lease the asset back to you at a competitive rate and you can use your cash to expand your business or purchase goods that are not desirable for a leasing arrangement.

Establish Proactive And Competitive Finance Process
Knowing your leases and monitoring market and company conditions means a proactive process can be implemented to minimize the potential interest expense and assure that lease terms are aligned with the useful life of your assets. Disposing of excess and obsolete assets in timely manner maximizes the fair market value your company will receive through sale. Companies often let assets "age" because "they might need them someday" and loose the window to sell while the assets are in still in demand.

Consolidate And Refinance Existing Lease Lines
The popularity of "Finance leases" ($ 0 residual value or $ 1 buyout) has created an opportunity for companies who need cash to convert leases to Operating leases and reduce the debt service. Refinancing existing leases that were initiated before interest rates fell can be refinanced with a lower monthly payment with out changing the residual value of a "Finance lease".