Case Study: Recruiting a Director of Logistics to Restore Operational Stability

Profile: A mid-market manufacturer struggling to integrate acquisitions

The client is a consumer goods manufacturer based in Atlanta. They had recently bought three smaller competitors to grow their business, but the integration process was messy.

• Who they are: A growing mid-market manufacturing company.

• The situation: They acquired three new companies in 18 months.

• The problem: They were trying to run four different supply chains as one.

• The result: They had too many warehouses, too many different software systems, and were wasting money on shipping.

The Challenge: Rising freight costs and missed deliveries

Because the logistics network was fragmented, the company was losing money and upsetting customers. They faced three main problems:

• Costs were too high: Shipping costs jumped 15% because they were not combining shipments or negotiating better rates with carriers.

• Deliveries were late: Their On-Time Delivery (OTD) rate dropped to 82%, which angered their biggest retail partners.

• Systems didn't talk: They were using two different Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), so they couldn't see where their inventory actually was.

They needed a Director of Logistics who could fix the immediate mess in the warehouses and then build a long-term strategy to combine the networks.

Designing a custom search strategy using the Partnership Blueprint

To find a leader with this exact mix of skills, a standard search wouldn't work. We used The SCOPE Partnership Blueprint to design a custom strategy for their unique situation.

While the Blueprint gave us the operational structure we needed for speed, the actual search parameters were built from scratch to solve their specific M&A challenges.

Phase I: Defining a custom scorecard before sourcing

We cannot find the right person if we rely on a generic job description. We slowed down to build a unique profile for their specific needs.

• We aligned the decision makers: We held a specific strategy session with both the CFO (who cared about costs) and the VP of Operations (who cared about speed). This ensured we were solving for the business problem, not just filling a title.

• We built a custom scorecard: We created a Candidate Scorecard that graded candidates specifically on "Network Consolidation" and "WMS Integration" rather than just general logistics experience.

• We got approval before sourcing: We did not contact a single candidate until the client approved this custom profile. This ensured we were all using the same ruler to measure success.

Phase II: Executing a targeted search with weekly feedback

Good candidates don't stay on the market long. To keep them interested, we stuck to a strict schedule designed for this specific role.

• We targeted "Number Twos" in specific hubs: We didn't just look anywhere; we targeted leaders at Fortune 500 logistics firms in Chicago and Dallas who were currently "Number Two" in charge and ready to run their own show.

• We worked in weekly sprints: Instead of sending random resumes, we sent a small, vetted batch of candidates once a week that matched the custom scorecard.

• We relied on the 48-hour feedback rule: The client committed to giving us feedback within 2 days. Because they replied fast, we could adjust our targeting immediately.

Phase III: Closing the candidate by being transparent

• We mapped out the interviews early: We told the candidates exactly what the interview process looked like from Day 1. This helped them prepare for the CFO’s financial questions and the VP’s technical questions.

• We structured the offer for the market: We looked at real-time market data and advised the client to include a performance bonus tied to freight savings. This allowed them to attract top talent from expensive cities without breaking their base salary budget.

The Results: Reducing freight spend and restoring service levels in 6 months

Because the client followed the Blueprint process and gave us fast feedback, we avoided the delays that usually slow down hiring.

• We filled the role in 6 weeks: We beat the industry average for Director-level searches.

• The new hire cut costs immediately: Within six months, the new Director combined the 3PL providers and saved $450k per year in warehousing costs.

• They fixed the service issues: The new Director standardized the software systems, bringing on-time delivery back up to 97% and lowering shipping costs by 12%.