Emergency Services and Emergency Response Supply Chains: Building Capability, Speed, and Resilience in Australia & New Zealand

1. Why Emergency Response Supply Chains Matter More Than Ever

Emergency services in Australia and New Zealand—police, fire, ambulance, defence, search and rescue, and specialist disaster recovery teams—operate in high-pressure environments where supply chain performance can be the difference between life and death.

When bushfires tear through regional Victoria, when cyclones hit Far North Queensland, or when earthquakes strike Wellington, these organisations need the right equipment, in the right place, at the right time—every time.

Unlike most commercial supply chains, these networks must operate with uncertain demand, unpredictable timing, and extremely high stakes. They can’t wait for supplier lead times to catch up or for a normal procurement process to run its course. They require pre-positioned inventory, flexible capacity, and rapid mobilisation protocols.

At Trace Consultants, we’ve seen firsthand how well-designed emergency response supply chains can save critical hours, reduce operational risk, and improve outcomes for both responders and communities.

2. What Makes Emergency Response Supply Chains Different

While they share some fundamentals with commercial supply chains, emergency response supply chains have distinct characteristics:

1. Unpredictable Demand Profiles – Events may be seasonal (e.g., bushfire season) or completely unforeseen (e.g., pandemics, large-scale accidents).
2. Critical Service Levels – Performance isn’t measured in DIFOT percentages alone—it’s measured in lives saved, property protected, and operational continuity.
3. Multi-Agency Coordination – Fire services, police, defence, local government, and private contractors often operate in the same network during a crisis.
4. Geographic Reach – Coverage must extend into remote and difficult-to-access areas.
5. Surge Capability – Ability to rapidly scale resources, transport, and personnel.
6. Resilience to Disruption – Supply lines must remain functional during infrastructure failure, extreme weather, or security incidents.

3. The Building Blocks of an Effective Emergency Response Supply Chain

3.1 Pre-Event Preparedness

Preparedness is the foundation. This involves:

• Demand Scenario Modelling – Understanding likely event types and volume surges.
• Strategic Stock Positioning – Locating supplies in depots or forward bases close to risk areas.
• Contracted Standby Resources – Agreements with suppliers and logistics providers to mobilise at short notice.

3.2 Real-Time Visibility

In emergencies, leaders need a live view of:

• Current stock levels and locations.
• Resource status (e.g., vehicles, medical teams).
• Transport availability and estimated arrival times.

3.3 Flexible Sourcing and Distribution

Supplies may need to be redirected mid-transit or sourced from non-traditional vendors. Multi-modal transport (road, air, sea) is often critical.

3.4 Rapid Mobilisation Protocols

Clear processes for activating resources, escalating requests, and bypassing non-essential steps during emergencies.

3.5 Inter-Agency Collaboration

Shared platforms, data standards, and joint planning exercises improve coordination across organisations.

4. Common Weaknesses in Current Systems

Across Australia and New Zealand, emergency response networks sometimes face:

• Fragmented Systems – Different agencies using incompatible technology platforms.
• Lack of Stock Visibility – No single view of available assets across the network.
• Over-Reliance on Manual Processes – Slowing down mobilisation.
• Limited Surge Planning – Insufficient contracted capacity or pre-approved supplier arrangements.
• Post-Event Bottlenecks – Slow replenishment after major events, leaving gaps in readiness.

5. Designing for ANZ Realities

5.1 Geography

Both Australia and New Zealand have vast rural areas, long distances between population centres, and regions prone to isolation during extreme events. Pre-positioning stock and mobile capability is essential.

5.2 Climate & Seasonal Risk

• Bushfires in summer and early autumn.
• Cyclones in the north during warmer months.
• Flooding in low-lying areas.
• Severe winter storms in alpine and southern regions.

APS-style scenario planning, adapted for emergency needs, allows agencies to forecast and plan for these patterns.

5.3 Cross-Border Support

State-to-state and trans-Tasman cooperation is common. Designing processes for asset sharing and redeployment improves resilience.

6. Technology’s Role in Modern Emergency Response Supply Chains

Technology is no longer optional—it’s an enabler for speed, coordination, and accountability.

• Asset Tracking Systems – RFID or GPS to monitor critical equipment and vehicles.
• Supply Chain Control Towers – Providing a live, integrated view of supply and demand.
• Mobile Apps for Field Teams – To request, confirm, and receive supplies in the field.
• Data Integration with Suppliers – Enabling automated replenishment triggers.

Trace Consultants works with agencies to select and implement fit-for-purpose solutions—ranging from full-scale planning systems to tactical low-code tools that can be deployed rapidly.

7. Workforce and Resource Planning

Emergency response isn’t just about physical supplies—it’s also about the people who operate the systems, equipment, and vehicles.

Effective workforce planning for emergency supply chains covers:

• Skill Availability – Ensuring trained personnel are ready for mobilisation.
• Shift & Rostering Systems – Balancing fatigue management with operational demand.
• Cross-Training – Increasing workforce flexibility.
• Volunteer Integration – Managing large-scale community volunteer involvement during crises.

8. Supply Chain Resilience Principles for Emergencies

To build resilience:

1. Diversify Suppliers – Avoid dependency on a single source.
2. Pre-Negotiate Contracts – Include surge pricing and mobilisation clauses.
3. Build Redundancy in Transport Modes – Keep options open for road, rail, air, or maritime movement.
4. Invest in Data Redundancy – Ensure systems remain operational even during power or connectivity loss.
5. Run Regular Simulations – Test readiness under realistic conditions.

9. The Role of Private Sector Partners

Many emergency responses rely on private sector partners—logistics providers, construction companies, equipment suppliers—to augment government capabilities. Building strong, tested relationships is essential for quick mobilisation.

10. How Trace Consultants Can Help

At Trace Consultants, we help emergency services and supporting agencies design, optimise, and implement emergency response supply chains that are ready for real-world challenges.

Our support typically includes:

• Current State Assessment – Reviewing readiness, resilience, and response capability.
• Network Design – Determining optimal stock locations, depot layouts, and distribution flows.
• Technology Selection & Deployment – Implementing tools for visibility, tracking, and scenario modelling.
• Supplier & Contract Strategy – Creating agreements that enable rapid, scalable response.
• Workforce & Rostering Integration – Ensuring personnel capability aligns with supply capacity.
• Post-Event Review Frameworks – Capturing lessons and embedding continuous improvement.

Because we’re independent and vendor-agnostic, our recommendations are shaped solely around your operational needs and constraints.

11. Measuring Success

An effective emergency response supply chain can be measured by:

• Mobilisation Time – How fast resources are deployed after an event trigger.
• Fulfilment Accuracy – Whether the right supplies reach the right location.
• Surge Capacity – Ability to meet peak demand without failure.
• Post-Event Recovery – Speed of stock and capability replenishment.
• Inter-Agency Coordination Scores – Quality of collaboration during joint responses.

12. Future Trends in ANZ Emergency Response Supply Chains

• AI for Event Prediction – Using climate, social, and infrastructure data to forecast potential incidents.
• Drones for Rapid Delivery – Especially in remote or inaccessible locations.
• Sustainable Readiness – Balancing preparedness with environmentally responsible practices.
• Digital Twins – Simulating emergency scenarios and testing supply chain response before a real event occurs.

Final Thoughts

Emergency services and emergency response supply chains in Australia and New Zealand operate under unique pressures. The stakes are higher, the conditions more unpredictable, and the margin for error far smaller than in most commercial contexts.

With the right design, governance, technology, and partnerships, these supply chains can deliver speed, resilience, and life-saving reliability. The key is preparation—because when the event hits, it’s already too late to start building capability.

Trace Consultants brings the strategic insight, operational depth, and practical delivery experience to help emergency services plan, adapt, and perform when it matters most.

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Procurement of Preventative Maintenance Services – A Strategic Imperative for Heavy Asset and Infrastructure Industries

In Australia and New Zealand, organisations operating in infrastructure, mining, utilities, energy, ports, rail, defence, and transport rely heavily on high-value, long-life assets. For these industries, asset performance isn’t just a function of uptime—it directly influences operational capacity, workforce safety, regulatory compliance, and the bottom line.

With economic headwinds, regulatory pressure, and shifting expectations around ESG and cost efficiency, preventative maintenance is no longer a ‘nice to have’—it’s a critical lever in asset lifecycle management. Yet, despite its importance, procurement of preventative maintenance services remains under-optimised in many organisations. Contracts are often reactive, cost-driven, fragmented across assets, or fail to align with long-term operational strategies.

This article explores how to strategically approach the procurement of preventative maintenance services, the challenges asset-intensive industries face, and how Trace Consultants can help organisations unlock value from these essential services.

Why Preventative Maintenance Matters

Preventative maintenance (PM) refers to scheduled servicing and upkeep of assets to prevent failure and extend useful life. Unlike reactive or corrective maintenance, PM aims to address wear-and-tear before breakdowns occur.

In asset-intensive industries, PM is crucial for:

• Reducing Unplanned Downtime: Preventative schedules ensure critical assets don’t fail during production or peak periods.
• Extending Asset Life: Regular servicing delays the need for capital replacement.
• Minimising Safety and Compliance Risks: Failures in infrastructure, mining, or energy can have catastrophic consequences for workers and the environment.
• Managing Costs Over Time: A well-designed PM strategy reduces reactive spend, emergency callouts, and insurance claims.

While the operational benefits are clear, achieving these outcomes requires disciplined procurement and vendor management practices—not just skilled technicians.

Common Challenges in Procuring PM Services

Despite PM’s critical role, many organisations fail to fully optimise their procurement approach. Common issues include:

1. Fragmented Contracts and Siloed Assets

Organisations with multiple sites or business units often let each area procure its own PM services. This leads to:

• Duplication of effort and variation in scope
• Inconsistent standards and KPIs
• Missed opportunities to leverage scale for cost and service benefits

2. Overly Reactive or Time-Based Models

Many PM contracts are still based on rigid time intervals rather than asset condition or usage data. This can result in:

• Over-servicing of some assets
• Under-servicing of others
• Poor cost-to-benefit ratios

3. Insufficient Scope Definition

Scope of services is often poorly defined, leading to:

• Misalignment on what’s included/excluded
• Lack of accountability between owner and provider
• Ambiguity during contract performance reviews

4. Lack of Strategic Supplier Relationships

PM providers are often viewed as transactional service vendors, rather than long-term partners. This undermines innovation, continuous improvement, and responsiveness.

5. Difficulty Demonstrating Value

PM spend can appear as overhead. Without robust performance metrics or benchmarking, procurement teams struggle to demonstrate the value of preventative investment.

Key Considerations for Procurement Teams

To address these challenges, organisations need to apply strategic sourcing principles to PM procurement. Below are the core considerations.

1. Understand the Criticality of Assets

Not all assets are created equal. Procurement should align servicing models to asset criticality:

• High-criticality assets (e.g. high-voltage transformers, escalators in transport hubs, medical chillers in hospitals) may require condition-based or real-time monitoring.
• Medium or low-criticality assets can be serviced through a mix of scheduled inspections and standard intervals.

A risk-based segmentation approach enables prioritisation of spend and performance management.

2. Define the Scope Clearly and Consistently

Good procurement starts with a clear, consistent definition of:

• Asset categories and components
• Inspection, servicing, calibration, testing, and reporting requirements
• Access needs, site-specific constraints, and compliance needs (e.g. ISO standards, regulatory guidelines)

Trace Consultants often help organisations document their current state and develop functional scopes of work that align to ISO55000 asset management principles.

3. Consider Whole-of-Life Outcomes

Rather than just lowest cost per visit, sourcing strategies should consider:

• Expected life extension per asset category
• Reduced downtime risk
• Reduced reactive maintenance callouts
• Improved compliance metrics and insurance risk ratings

This moves the conversation from ‘price per hour’ to ‘value per outcome.’

4. Engage the Right Providers

Not all PM providers are the same. Procurement teams should assess:

• Experience with similar asset classes
• Ability to scale across sites and geographies
• Digital capability (e.g. condition monitoring, reporting tools)
• Safety record and compliance rigour
• Culture fit and partnership approach

Where appropriate, alternative contracting models like performance-based maintenance contracts or bundled service agreements may be more effective than transactional models.

5. Embed Reporting and Continuous Improvement

Contracts must specify clear KPIs such as:

• Completion rates vs. schedule
• Asset reliability improvements
• Downtime reduction
• Response and rectification times
• Audit findings and non-conformances

Embedding mechanisms for quarterly reviews, lessons learned, and innovation pilots strengthens supplier engagement.

A Strategic Sourcing Framework for Preventative Maintenance Services

Trace Consultants recommends a structured approach to PM procurement, using a strategic sourcing and transformation lens. Below is a typical methodology we apply.

Phase 1: Spend & Asset Base Analysis

• Review current PM spend, service contracts, and categories
• Analyse asset inventory, criticality, and condition
• Assess historical maintenance performance and cost drivers

Phase 2: Opportunity Identification

• Identify duplicate contracts, low-performing vendors, or high-reactive spend areas
• Conduct benchmarking on servicing frequencies, costs, and outcomes
• Evaluate internal vs. external service provision trade-offs

Phase 3: Scope and Specification Design

• Define standardised scopes of work and service level agreements (SLAs)
• Prioritise high-impact categories or assets
• Develop asset care plans by type and criticality

Phase 4: Market Engagement Strategy

• Develop Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy (bundled vs. category-based)
• Determine contracting model (e.g. term-based, performance-based)
• Prepare RFx documents with clear evaluation criteria

Phase 5: Supplier Selection and Contracting

• Support tender evaluations, negotiations, and supplier onboarding
• Finalise KPIs, reporting obligations, and escalation processes

Phase 6: Implementation and Performance Management

• Support transition to new providers or processes
• Embed contract management practices and digital dashboards
• Facilitate quarterly reviews and continuous improvement

Preventative Maintenance in Key Infrastructure Sectors

The approach to PM procurement must be tailored to industry-specific operating environments. Below are a few considerations across key infrastructure sectors:

Mining and Resources

• Assets operate in remote, harsh conditions; reliability is critical
• Fly-in/fly-out (FIFO) servicing models often apply
• Contracted providers need to meet stringent safety standards and operate 24/7

Transport and Logistics

• Rail, port, and airport assets require strict adherence to service windows to avoid passenger or freight disruption
• Shared asset environments demand clear accountability between multiple parties (e.g. lessor, operator, government)

Utilities and Energy

• Preventative maintenance plays a central role in network reliability and bushfire prevention
• PM plans must integrate with real-time SCADA and asset condition data
• Increasing expectations around ESG reporting linked to asset management

Social Infrastructure (Hospitals, Universities, Correctional Facilities)

• PM influences safety and comfort of occupants
• Growing expectation to bundle services (e.g. HVAC, plumbing, fire safety) for integrated FM delivery models

The Role of Technology in PM Procurement

Technology plays an increasingly important role in both the execution and procurement of PM services.

Asset Management Systems (AMS)

Robust AMS platforms (e.g. IBM Maximo, TechnologyOne, Assetic) enable:

• Asset lifecycle tracking
• Condition monitoring
• Maintenance scheduling
• Contractor integration

Procurement teams must ensure service contracts are structured to align with the organisation’s digital architecture.

Power BI and Analytics Dashboards

Dashboards enable procurement, operations, and engineering to:

• Visualise PM performance across sites
• Track contractor compliance
• Monitor asset performance trends
• Compare reactive vs. preventative ratios

Mobile-Enabled Field Reporting

Best-in-class PM providers offer digital tools that:

• Capture field servicing data in real time
• Flag defects and non-conformance immediately
• Auto-generate audit trails and compliance reports

Trace Consultants helps organisations design performance frameworks and contract requirements to ensure technology integration is considered during procurement—not as an afterthought.

How Trace Consultants Can Help

At Trace Consultants, we specialise in helping asset-intensive industries optimise procurement and performance across their supply chain and operations.

When it comes to preventative maintenance services, our approach is both strategic and practical. We partner with clients across Australia and New Zealand to:

• Analyse maintenance spend and vendor performance
• Define standardised scopes, SLAs and evaluation frameworks
• Develop Go-To-Market strategies and manage the procurement process
• Identify opportunities for cost reduction, bundling, or insourcing/outsourcing
• Support supplier transition and contract implementation
• Benchmark performance and enable continuous improvement through data

Our work is grounded in deep industry knowledge—from mining to energy, transport to healthcare—and we pride ourselves on being hands-on, trusted advisors.

By engaging Trace Consultants, clients gain not just procurement expertise but a team that understands the operating context of their assets and the broader strategic drivers behind their maintenance strategies.

To learn more about our services and recent work, visit our insights page: www.traceconsultants.com.au/insights

Preventative maintenance is no longer just an operational issue. For asset-intensive industries across Australia and New Zealand, it is a strategic lever for performance, risk mitigation, and long-term value creation.

Yet too often, preventative maintenance services are procured like commodity labour—without the strategic rigour, planning, and alignment to outcomes required to drive real impact.

As infrastructure ages, capital budgets tighten, and safety and compliance expectations rise, the organisations that treat PM as a strategic procurement category—not just a cost centre—will be best positioned for long-term success.

Whether you’re about to go to market, reassessing vendor performance, or looking to drive cost efficiencies, Trace Consultants is ready to help you transform how you procure and manage preventative maintenance services.

How well is your preventative maintenance procurement strategy working for you?

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The Future of Management Consulting, with AI

A point of view by Shanaka Jayasinghe, Partner at Trace Consultants

Let me get this out of the way upfront: yes, I used AI to help draft this article.

Not because I couldn’t write it. But because, like everyone else, I’m learning how to use these tools effectively—and because it would be disingenuous to talk about the future of management consulting without using the very technology we’re all trying to understand.

AI is already transforming the way organisations think, plan, and operate. For consulting firms—especially those of us who work deeply in supply chain and procurement—this presents both a challenge and an opportunity. We must confront what AI automates, where human expertise still holds unmatched value, and how our role needs to evolve.

At Trace, we see this evolution playing out every day across our projects—from rethinking warehouse and transport networks, the automation of forecasting & purchasing decisions, to the redesigning back-of-house logistics for major hospitals.

The future isn’t about competing with AI. It’s about integrating it—so we can go deeper, act faster, and deliver smarter outcomes for our clients.

A Shift in the Consulting Project Landscape

In a short space of time, we’ve already seen a clear shift in the types of consulting projects clients are engaging. The era of the multi-year tech transformation—requiring armies of consultants, vendors, and SI partners—feels like it’s winding down. Whether driven by economic pressure, AI enablement, or both, organisations are now leaning into more agile, focused initiatives. The brief is clearer: reduce cost, move faster, unlock value.

Clients want surgical improvements to their business model—clear problems, straightforward solutions, pragmatic delivery, and real-time benefit tracking. It’s no longer about grand programs with abstract business cases. It’s about doing fewer things, better.

And in this environment, it’s not the “smartest” consultant who stands out—it’s the most helpful. The real value lies in the application of a solution, not just its design. Those who can implement change, navigate complexity, and deliver impact without overcomplicating it will outperform. That’s the difference between good and great—and it’s what will determine who thrives in the age of AI.

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Consulting’s Core Promise Hasn’t Changed—But How We Deliver It Must

Great consulting has never been just about providing answers. It’s about helping clients solve problems they can’t—or shouldn’t—tackle alone. It’s about building trust, embedding change, and transferring capability.

I read a fantastic piece on consulting back in 2018 that's shaped my perspective since. Robert Hillard wrote in The Mandarin, consulting is at its best when it’s:

• Trusted – grounded in long-term relationships, not transactions
• Transformative – unlocking change that sticks
• Transferable – leaving clients better equipped than before

These principles remain true in the age of AI. But how we deliver against them is changing—fast.

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A Growing Irony in the Consulting Sector

There’s a strange paradox emerging. Many global consulting firms are promoting AI as the key to competitive advantage. Yet in doing so, they’re also accelerating the commoditisation of some of their own services.

As a former Director at Accenture, I’ve seen firsthand how large firms—built for scale and capacity—are grappling with this shift. Their latest global strategy, as reported in the AFR, reflects a sharp pivot towards AI-powered service lines. But in doing so, many are caught in a tension between automating delivery and preserving value.

If AI can automate benchmarking, generate strategy slides, simulate business cases, and process supply chain data in minutes—then why engage a traditional consultant?

The answer, of course, is: it depends on what you want.

If you want a generic solution based on global best practice and internal toolkits, AI might be enough. But if you want something fit-for-purpose, grounded in the operational realities of your business, and actually implementable—then you still need people who understand how supply chains work on the ground, how technology integrates across the stack, and how to drive alignment across stakeholders.

That’s where the difference lies. And it’s where Trace has always focused our value.

The Spotlight on Big Consulting—and the Rise of Boutique Specialists

The broader context cannot be ignored. The PwC Australia tax scandal has prompted a wave of scrutiny around consulting engagements—especially within government.

Large firms, once the default, are now under more pressure than ever to justify cost, independence, and delivery value. In this environment, boutique firms like us have found greater traction—not just because we’re smaller, but because we’re specialists.

We bring deep, operational expertise in supply chain and procurement—not just strategy, but execution. We know how to redesign supply chain technology architectures and work with operators to optimise for outcomes - whether that be oriented towards driving service, growth or cost outcomes. We know what warehouse constraints actually look like on site. We know how to navigate and implement change in complex government and commercial environments.

What’s Becoming Less Valuable in Consulting

AI has already made some aspects of our profession redundant—and more change is coming.

Tasks like deck-building, benchmarking, financial modelling, and process mapping are being automated. These used to be core deliverables; now they’re inputs, or even by-products, of the real work.

Some forms of IT consulting, particularly those relying on offshoring or capacity-based delivery models, are at risk. Why engage a team to build a data model over three weeks when an AI tool can structure 80% of it in a day?

Clients expect—and deserve—faster, more efficient delivery.

Let’s call it out clearly:

1. Generic Benchmarking and Presentation Building

Once a differentiator, now a commodity. If you’re producing decks that repackage existing content, clients will quickly realise they can generate it themselves—with better data and in less time.

2. Surface-Level Expertise

Summarising industry trends or deploying generic maturity models without tailoring to the client’s operating model, commercial context, or tech stack is no longer good enough. Clients want specific, actionable insights.

3. Chargeable-Hour Based Operating Models

Charging for time rather than outcomes is under threat. When a task is automatable, the expectation will shift toward fixed-price, outcome-based delivery—especially in areas like procurement diagnostics, network design modelling, or demand planning.

Consultants need to go beyond what AI can do. That’s the new bar.

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What’s Becoming More Valuable in Consulting

As AI takes over commoditised tasks, the real value in consulting shifts to the things it can’t do—yet.

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1. Deep Domain and Operational Expertise

Nowhere is this more true than in supply chain and procurement.

From configuring a WMS system for complex warehouse flows to evaluating supplier transition risk across a hospital network, the nuance required can’t be faked.

Our clients choose us because we understand their operations at a granular level. We know what happens at the loading dock. We understand how a supplier shift affects patient flow, shift rostering, or site safety.

That’s not something AI can infer from a spreadsheet.

2. Human Connection and Change Enablement

AI doesn’t build trust. It doesn’t resolve tension in a boardroom or help a CFO navigate uncertainty in a capital project.

Consulting is still about people. That’s more true than ever in a world where technology creates answers, but humans make decisions.

3. Strategic Intuition and Decision Framing

AI can present options—but it can’t navigate trade-offs in a complex business environment.

Whether we’re advising on S&OP frameworks, indirect procurement strategies, or warehouse footprints, our clients value judgement—the kind that comes from doing it before, in multiple contexts, and knowing where to flex.

The Architecture Challenge: Data Disintegration in Supply Chains

If there’s one thing holding organisations back from AI-enabled transformation—it’s their fragmented system landscape.

In supply chain, we see this daily:

• ERP for finance and materials
• APS for planning
• WMS and TMS for logistics
• P2P for procurement
• BI tools for reporting
• All alongside countless excel spreadsheets!!!

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Each holds different data, structures, and timestamps—creating blind spots and inefficiencies.

This leads to:

• Limited visibility of landed costs or working capital
• Duplicate supplier records
• Misaligned planning and execution
• Excel-heavy workarounds

AI won’t solve this alone. But it can help:

• Integration layers to harmonise data
• Agents to fill data gaps with external benchmarks
• Decision engines to simulate outcomes across constraints

But only if consultants know how to apply it operationally.

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Bridging the Gap: From Data Fragmentation to AI Enablement

AI’s power is only as strong as the data it can access. In supply chain and procurement, fragmented systems often limit that potential. Legacy platforms, siloed functions, and poor integration can stall even the best AI tools. Effective consultants help cut through this. Drawing on deep operational experience, they guide businesses to prioritise tech investments with a practical lens—introducing targeted solutions that capture and connect the right data without overengineering. This approach maximises the impact of AI while keeping integration costs lean.

At Trace, we’ve helped clients unlock critical data and enable AI-driven planning, forecasting, and workflow automation. If you're navigating this space, reach out to Tim Fagan or Mat Tolley—they’re doing this work right now and can help you move faster, smarter.

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A New Model of Consulting: AI-Augmented, Human-Led

At Trace, we believe the future isn’t AI versus people—it’s AI plus people, each playing to their strengths.

Our model is simple:

• AI does the heavy lifting – data ingestion, pattern recognition, workflow automation
• Our consultants lead the thinking – alignment, change, solution design, implementation

Whether optimising a warehouse network, designing linen logistics for a new hospital, or deploying scheduling tools for aged care—our team uses AI to go faster but always lead with human judgement.

What This Means for Talent

The consultant of the future isn’t just a generalist. They’re:

• A systems thinker
• An operations expert
• A change leader
• A technologist (even if not a coder)
• A trusted advisor

At Trace, our team includes planners, engineers, operators, integrators—and the occasional AI enthusiast.

These are the people who will thrive in the future of consulting.

The More Things Change, the More We Need to Stay Human

AI will replace parts of consulting. But it will also elevate it.

Our job is not to resist the shift—but to lean into it with clarity, ethics, and courage.

To stop charging for what’s easy.
To focus on what’s hard.
To go deeper.
To be faster.
To stay human.

At Trace, that’s been our model since day one: operational depth, client intimacy, real-world results.

Yes, I used AI to help write this.

But it’s the human insight that makes it matter.