Network Optimization

Optimize Decisions Across Your Supply Chain

Balance cost, service, and complexity with continuous network optimization.

Network optimization is the process of continuously improving supply chain decisions—across inventory, sourcing, and transportation—to reduce cost and improve service.

Why Network Optimization Matters

As demand, costs, and service expectations shift, teams are forced into  reactive decisions:

Expediting to maintain service

Moving inventory  to fill gaps

Absorbing higher transportation costs

These actions keep operations running, but they come at a cost. Over time, they reduce efficiency, increase variability, and make performance harder to control.

Even a well-structured supply chain network design will fall short without continuous optimization.

Network optimization replaces reactive workarounds with smarter, system-driven decisions—reducing cost and improving service.

Get to Better Answers, Faster

Better performance starts with better answers.

GAINS makes it easier to evaluate tradeoffs across inventory, sourcing, and transportation without rebuilding models each time.

So you can continuously refine how your supply chain operates, not just react when issues arise.

How Network  Optimization Works

Network optimization continuously evaluates how your supply chain operates and identifies better ways to make decisions.

It allows teams to:

Instead of relying on static models or one-time updates, optimization becomes part of how the supply chain runs every day.

Most supply chains aren’t underperforming because of their design. They’re underperforming because no one is continuously optimizing how they run.

Who Benefits from GAINS Network Optimization?

If you are constantly making adjustments to maintain performance, this is where supply chain optimization makes the difference.

Static models that do not reflect current conditions

Manual analysis to evaluate tradeoffs

One-off updates when issues arise

Rising transportation or fulfillment costs

Inventory imbalances across locations

Service variability by region or channel

Constant reactive adjustments

Managing a multi-echelon supply chain

Navigating cost pressures or service targets

Looking to improve performance without redesigning the network

Supply Chain Optimization That Delivers Real Results

Network optimization can unlock significant performance increases without redesigning the entire footprint.

Working with Continental Battery Systems, GAINS helped continuously refine inventory positioning, sourcing decisions, and operational workflows across more than 150 locations.

reduction in inventory

10% reduction in operational costs

10 to 13% reduction in working capital

5 to 6% increase in vendor-direct shipments

Improved fill rates from 65–70% to  80–90%+

These results came from continuously optimizing supply chain operations,  not redesigning them from scratch.

Download Case Study

How Continental Battery Systems Reduced Inventory by 40% While Improving Service Levels

Ready to Improve How Your Network Performs?

Start by asking:

Are we optimizing how our network operates or reacting  to issues?
How often do we re-evaluate inventory positioning and sourcing decisions?
Can we quickly test the impact of a change?
Are we balancing cost and service or trading one for the other?

If those answers are not clear, optimization may be the missing piece.

Keep Your Supply Chain Performing at Its Best

Network design sets the foundation.

Network optimization keeps it working.

GAINS powers the outcomes.

When to Use Scenario Modeling and Simulation

Not every decision requires a full redesign—but many benefit from better visibility into impact.

Scenario modeling and simulation help you test changes before they happen, so you can move forward with confidence instead of assumptions.

Evaluate Strategic Changes

Understand the impact of larger decisions before committing.

Adding or closing facilities
Entering new markets or regions
Changing sourcing strategies

Respond to Changing Conditions

Adjust your network as demand, costs, and constraints shift.

Demand variability or seasonality
Transportation cost fluctuations
Capacity or lead time changes

Compare Tradeoffs Before Acting

Make better decisions by seeing the full picture.

Cost vs. service tradeoffs
Inventory positioning decisions
Transportation and routing options

The Benefits of a Digital Twin In Supply Chain

A digital twin embedded into your platform replaces disconnected analysis with continuous,  decision-ready insight.

Improve  Decision-Making

Make faster, more informed decisions using a current view of your supply chain.

Strengthen  Resilience

Simulate disruptions and plan responses before they impact performance.

Optimize  Operations

Test strategies across network design, sourcing, inventory, and flow without disruption.

Reduce Cost and Improve Efficiency

Identify bottlenecks, reduce waste, and optimize resource allocation.

Improve Service and Customer Experience

Align inventory with demand to reduce stockouts and improve availability.

Frequently asked questions

What is network optimization in supply chain?

Network optimization in supply chain is the process of continuously improving how inventory, sourcing, and transportation decisions are made within an existing network. It helps organizations reduce costs, improve service levels, and operate more efficiently without redesigning the entire network.

What is the difference between network design and network optimization?

Network design defines the structure of the supply chain, including facility locations and product flows.

Network optimization improves how that network operates day-to-day by refining decisions like inventory placement, sourcing, and transportation.

Design sets the foundation. Optimization ensures it performs.

What tools are used for network optimization?

Modern network optimization uses advanced modeling, scenario analysis, and increasingly AI-driven tools to evaluate tradeoffs across cost, service, and inventory.

These tools allow teams to test decisions quickly and continuously refine how the supply chain operates as conditions change.