Coles Group – critical risk review

Overview

Coles Group – one of Australia’s largest supermarket, retail and consumer services chains – wanted independent advice on whether they were doing enough to properly manage safety risks in their supply chain.

The Challenge

For efficiency and reasons of commercial risk, Coles’ supply chain operations are highly diversified. They include both internal and third-party warehousing and transport carriers, with safety risk managed differently as a result.

At the time of our involvement, Coles’ supply chain operations had been through significant disruption, with high turnover and limited high-level oversight or knowledge of safety within the operational management team. There was a highly reactive rather than proactive safety culture, and the senior leadership had recognised the need for advice in this area.

Project Goals

Evaluate how critical safety risks were being managed across the supply chain network.

The Insight

Verus’s strong understanding of supply chain safety within warehousing and transport – and how safety risks can be effectively managed in such environments in cost-effective ways – enabled us to offer significant value through the review. The review’s outcomes then formed the basis for short and medium-term strategic plans to improve safety.

The Solution

Our independent review identified areas of critical need and enabled Coles to develop plans to deliver on improvements. Injuries statistics reduced significantly thereafter, with a 50% reduction in recordable injuries and 20% in lost-time injuries.