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Strategy that reaches
the shop floor.

Founded by a supply chain executive who has set long-term strategy at a global multinational and delivered it in the operation. We work with you until the plan runs.

Minimalist Atelier
OVERVIEW & HERITAGE

Overview

Why Atelier Value exists

Led from Vaud, Switzerland, Atelier Value was founded to address a fundamental deficiency in traditional corporate advisory: the gap between high-level management decks and complex, on-the-ground operational execution.

The French term Atelier signifies a master craftsman's workshop, a dedicated space where bespoke solutions are engineered with unyielding precision. We do not deliver standardized consulting templates. Instead, we architect tailored operating models that withstand global supply volatility, regulatory compliance pressures, and fast-paced market expansions.

Led from Switzerland, we work with discretion, precision and a clear link to measurable results.

LEADERSHIP

Operator, not observer

Our founder brings more than twenty years of senior supply chain leadership in global consumer goods and highly regulated industries. We do not only advise on supply chains; we have run them at scale.

METHODOLOGY

Two methods, one discipline

We anchor our consulting practice in certified research methods proven in business realities. Every engagement follows a published method: From Ambition to Masterplan for strategy and From Pilot to Production for AI, both ending with owners, KPIs and a monthly rhythm.

PHILOSOPHY

Frontline Accountability, Proven Value

We eliminate the gap between strategy and reality through strict tactical accountability. Working side-by-side with your teams from the shop floor to the boardroom, we stay until your new operating model delivers measurable financial and operational value.

Rafael Herrera, Founder of Atelier Value LLC
THE ARCHITECT BEHIND ATELIER VALUE

Rafael Herrera
Founder & Managing Director

Rafael Herrera has spent more than twenty years leading supply chains across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Eastern Europe, most recently at Philip Morris International. He kept supply moving through the war in Ukraine and through the Ebola crisis in West Africa, rebuilt global planning, and led the company’s ten-year supply chain strategy.

He founded Atelier Value for leaders who need a strategy that changes the operation, not a report about it: one senior advisor from the first workshop to the first results, with AI applied where it improves real decisions.

He also mentors founders through MassChallenge Switzerland and European incubators.

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TRACK RECORD

Selected Experience

Three programs our founder led at a global consumer goods multinational before establishing Atelier Value.

01

Keeping supply moving when war cut the network

  • 8 bn+units moved to other plants
  • <60 daysto re-route production
  • 1,000+employee families helped to evacuate

SituationIn February 2022, war in Ukraine put plants, materials and transport routes across two regions at risk overnight, and sanctions were changing week to week. The senior management team asked our founder, then head of supply chain for Eastern Europe and for Middle East, Africa & Duty-Free, to lead the operations continuity plan.

ApproachClear priorities agreed with leadership. Separate workstreams, each with a named leader, reviewed daily and weekly. A taskforce from Legal, Procurement, Finance and Logistics kept every decision compliant as the rules changed. A reduced product range was agreed for affected markets. Payment flows, transport routes and warehousing were redesigned, and progress went to the CEO every other day.

OutcomeMore than 8 billion units moved to other plants in under 60 days. The priority market in Asia stayed fully supplied. No European shortage reached consumers. Critical equipment was moved to support new product categories, and more than 1,000 employee families were helped to evacuate.

02

One plan for a global business

  • >98%of operating income covered
  • 1.8% → <0.5%obsolete stock, as a share of cost of goods
  • >99%deliveries on time and in full

SituationThere were several competing sales forecasts, planning was done locally in spreadsheets, and the finance forecast didn’t match operational reality. Two earlier attempts at Integrated Business Planning had stalled. In 2022 our founder took over the global category planning team, with a mandate to make IBP work across the whole company.

ApproachThe team was rebuilt around regions and product categories. One process was designed to run from market to region to category to the executive team, on a monthly calendar agreed with Finance. Executive sponsorship came first, along with a joint steering committee of Supply Chain, Finance and Commercial leaders. Simple tools came first and automated dashboards followed, rolled out market by market.

OutcomeBy the end of 2024, IBP was running in every category, region and market, covering more than 98% of operating income. Destroyed and obsolete stock fell from 1.8% to under 0.5% of cost of goods. More than 95% of new launches went out as planned, with deliveries on time and in full above 99%. The company’s three-year plan is now built on the IBP cycle.

03

From a ten-year strategy to forty funded projects

  • 10 yearsstrategy horizon, up from 3
  • 40+projects with approved business cases
  • >40%of routine planning decisions automated

SituationSupply chain strategy looked only three years ahead and was cut off from other functions and from the market. The result was stand-alone projects, duplicated effort and no global standards. In December 2023 our founder became Director of Supply Chain Strategy & Excellence.

ApproachA structured strategy process with the leadership team, outside advisers and executive education. A global center of expertise, with about 20 hires from outside the company, took ownership of four core processes. A maturity assessment was built, with a catalog of more than 100 practices from other industries. A learning program with AI leaders turned into working pilots.

OutcomeThe result was a ten-year strategy with six priorities, and ten transformation programs, each with a named leader and budget. A 2025–2027 plan of more than 40 projects was approved with business cases, along with a new operating model and performance scorecard. More than 40% of routine planning decisions now run without manual intervention.

See the seven-step method behind this strategy

IN THEIR WORDS

What Other Leaders Say

Recommendations from people who worked with our founder before Atelier Value, shared with their permission.

Rafael has a strategic mindset that cuts through complexity, with an in-depth understanding of Integrated Business Planning. I watched him steer a cross-functional team in crafting the long-term strategic framework for a complex global supply chain. His strength is the combination of shaping a strategic vision and delivering operational excellence.
Vineet KhannaFormer Global Head of Supply Chain, NestléWorked with Rafael from another company
Rafael is a true operations and supply chain leader. His depth in Integrated Business Planning, his composure in crisis situations and his ability to influence across cultures earned him credibility at every level, from Turkey and Eastern Europe to global headquarters.
Cagatay UstunGlobal Supply Chain DirectorReported directly to Rafael
Rafael pairs deep operational expertise with a global perspective, moving seamlessly from long-term strategy to day-to-day execution. He frames trade-offs clearly, brings cross-functional partners along, and anchors decisions in value creation and customer impact.
Sila Kurt YagmurGeneral Manager, Amazon Turkey OperationsWorked with Rafael
Rafael brings a deep understanding of end-to-end planning and large-scale transformation. Our work together showed his ability to translate complex challenges into clear, strategic opportunities, and I truly value the partnership in shaping future-ready supply chain initiatives.
Felice MillerGlobal Business Strategy Leader, MicrosoftWorked with Rafael from another company

Full recommendations on Rafael Herrera’s LinkedIn profile.

Where should your supply chain be in five years?

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