Why Indirect Supply Chain Is the Most Overlooked Area of Your Business

Nobody’s watching the indirect side of your business. And that’s exactly why it’s costing you more money than you think.

I’ve spent 22 years working in indirect supply chain across healthcare, higher education, manufacturing, and government. And in every single engagement, the story starts the same way. Leadership is focused on the direct materials side. The production line. The revenue drivers. Meanwhile, the indirect side, the stuff that keeps the building running, the lights on, the equipment maintained gets a shrug and a “just get the work done.”

No strategy. No optimization. No one looking at whether you’re buying smart, storing smart, or spending more than you need to. And then everyone wonders why maintenance budgets are blown and service levels are slipping.

Here’s what I want you to know: the indirect side of your business deserves the same attention as the rest of it. And when you finally give it that attention, the return on investment is significant. Hard savings. Improved morale. Better productivity. It’s not a side project. It’s a bottom-line issue.