High purchasing costs
Look beyond unit prices to total cost, unnecessary transactions, and specifications that cost more than they need to.
Learn the approachConsulting / Apollo Solutions
Practical Experience for
Difficult Business Problems.
Tom is the CEO of Apollo Solutions, founded in 1995, and has consulted for more than fifty organizations across chemical, paper, pharmaceutical, IT, automotive, government, and consumer industries.
By Dr. Tom DePaoli / Business
Where Tom can help
The problems
worth solving.
Supplier relationship challenges
Rebuild trust with suppliers through information-based negotiation and shared process mapping.
Learn the approachInefficient business processes
Map the as-is process with the people who use it, then remove the waste with Kaizen and Lean Six Sigma tools.
Learn the approachSupply-chain problems
Storerooms, inventory, sourcing, and readiness for disruption—starting with what the front line already knows.
Learn the approachLeadership and accountability issues
Help leaders earn trust, hold people accountable without fear, and invest in their teams’ skills.
Learn the approachOrganizational change
Plan transformation as a human journey: the right crew, clear communication, and persistence.
Learn the approachRelevant expertise
Experience across
the whole operation.
Supply-chain and human-resources executive roles, corporate purchasing turnarounds, Lean Six Sigma deployments, and consulting projects in e-procurement, re-engineering, and transformation. The scope of each engagement is agreed directly.
- Purchasing
- Procurement & e-procurement
- Supply chain
- Leadership
- Human resources
- Lean Six Sigma
- Process improvement
- Change management
- Global sourcing & negotiating
Purchasing / Suppliers & negotiation
Look beyond
the price.
Common Sense Purchasing — New Edition
Supplier relationships and information-based negotiation run through Common Sense Purchasing. Start with the new edition, or compare it with Tom’s original collection of hard-knock lessons.
Explore the original editionConsulting inquiry
Discuss your
business challenge.
Describe your organization, the challenge, and the outcome you’re looking for. Tom will reply to discuss whether and how he can help; scope and availability are confirmed directly.
Business Consulting Wows!
The consulting
reading companion.
Business Consulting Wows! gathers practical lessons, training exercises, and ideas for working with people. Watch the presentation as an introduction, then consider a question from your own workplace.
Processes, supply chains & people
More than one
business question.
All fourteen titles 
Process improvement
Kaizen Kreativity (Oops!)
A creative, human approach to process improvement.
Presentation · 3:26
Management
Broken Windows Management in Business
Small steps toward a workplace built on trust.
Presentation · 3:47
Supply chain
Common Sense Supply Management
Lessons from the supply chain trenches.
Dr. Tom DePaoli
Business experience, told through practical books. Explore the person behind the work or his leadership mentoring.
A place to begin
Practical business reading for the decisions ahead
Purchasing, supply chains, process improvement and leadership rarely sit apart at work. Tom’s business books offer several entry points, with Apollo Solutions consulting context available for readers who want to discuss a particular situation.
Purchasing and supplier relationships
Common Sense Purchasing connects negotiation and business decisions with the relationships behind them. The original and new editions have separate reading guides, covers and presentations so you can choose the edition you mean.
Explore furtherProcesses and the people using them
Kaizen Kreativity (Oops!) offers a creative approach to process improvement. Read it alongside Business Consulting Wows! or Common Sense Supply Management when the question reaches beyond one purchasing decision.
Explore furtherThe complete collection