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Too often, organisations embark on supply chain improvement initiatives without a clear understanding of their starting point. Whether it’s addressing a skills gap, fixing persistent inefficiencies, or strengthening resilience, success depends not on good intentions but on good diagnostics. At Pamela Steele Associates (PSA), we’ve seen first-hand that the most effective transformation begins with one critical step: assessing the current state of the supply chain.

That’s why we advocate for the Supply Chain Maturity Assessment developed by the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM). This tool provides a structured, evidence-based evaluation of an organisation’s supply chain capabilities across key dimensions such as planning, sourcing, production, delivery, and enabling technologies.

Explore the tool: ASCM Supply Chain Maturity Assessment

Why Start With a Maturity Assessment?

Before allocating scarce resources or launching major reforms, organisations must first understand where they stand, and which areas will yield the highest return on investment. Without that insight, investments risk becoming unfocused, misaligned with real needs, and ultimately unsustainable.

The ASCM tool allows organisations to:

• Benchmark current performance against global standards
• Identify critical gaps and inefficiencies
• Prioritise targeted interventions
• Track progress over time
• Build a business case for investment in supply chain capabilities

Most importantly, it enables evidence-based decision-making, ensuring that efforts are channelled where they will make the greatest impact.

Real-World Impact: Lessons from Nigeria and Ethiopia

During our Supply Chain Transformation Programmes in Kaduna and Niger States (Nigeria) and with EPSA in Ethiopia, we applied maturity models extensively to diagnose capacity gaps, build capability pathways, and structure national-level reforms.

• In Nigeria, maturity assessment guided training, system redesign, and stakeholder alignment across the states, laying the groundwork for institutional change and better last-mile delivery. Read the Nigeria Project Booklet →
• In Ethiopia, the EPSA transformation journey was anchored in maturity diagnostics that shaped EPSA’s investment in warehousing, workforce development, and digitisation. This led to measurable improvement in efficiency and responsiveness across the supply chain. Read the Ethiopia Progress Report →

In both contexts, assessment was not just a box-ticking exercise, it was the starting point for lasting change.

Next Steps: Take the Assessment. Lead the Change.

If your organisation is serious about strengthening supply chain performance and leadership, we strongly encourage you to begin with a maturity assessment. It will give you the clarity, confidence, and evidence needed to take the right steps, at the right time, for the right reasons.

Get Started Today: Visit ASCM’s Supply Chain Maturity Assessment page.
Need guidance? PSA is ready to support your assessment process, interpret findings, and co-design your transformation roadmap.

Strong supply chains don’t just happen. They are built, intentionally, incrementally, and strategically.

Let’s begin at the right place. Let’s begin with assessment.