A supply chain improvement is primarily about improving lead time, product availability, and distribution, which are ways for business leaders to make more money. How does this affect the customers? How does the supply chain management of your company affect customer satisfaction? To ensure your customer’s satisfaction, logistics and supply chain play a critical role in getting the right product to them in the right condition at the right time.
Supply chains are under pressure due to increasing globalization and changing customer expectations. Therefore, the supply chain must be constantly reimagined to mitigate risks.
Implementing the right strategies allows you to access the growth and revenue of the supply chains. Moreover, it lets you exploit newer opportunities, like using truck scales, to improve supply chain management.
Create a structure for supply chain staffing that is appropriate and thoughtful
A well-structured and effectively staffed supply chain will produce maximum efficiency and effectiveness for your organization. Nowadays, most organizations discover that a centralized strategy implemented by specialized managers in their different business units is the most effective way to address their challenges. This combination of strategies and implementations reportedly leads to more alignment between the two and the best customer service.
Examine opportunities for improving and streamlining processes using technology
Automation can solve the uncoordinated nature of supply chain processes and another global concern, the lack of visibility in the supply chain. The average level of automation in international supply chains for large companies is only 50% higher than that in domestic supply chains.
Optimizing efficiency is a top concern when selecting software and technology for your supply chain, but arranging your processes around the technology is backward. Examine processes that produce below-standard results to determine what technology can do to help, and then choose a software solution that meets those needs.
Relationships with suppliers should be healthy.
In this sector, your supplier relationships are a critical indicator of success. In addition to finalizing your deal, these connections should be maintained and cultivated. The most effective supplier relationships are those in which the buyer and seller communicate two-way. The objectives of your relationship should include mechanisms for maintaining the health of the relationship, goals to improve and maximize the value of the relationship, and a platform for resolving conflicts.
Consider the total cost of ownership over price in procurement.
Make procurement decisions based primarily on price, a thing of the past. Instead, emulate best-in-class businesses. A measure of strategic sourcing understands the total cost of ownership (TCO) of products or services. Remember that only 25 to 40 percent of the total cost of ownership is attributed to acquisition costs, while the remainder is to operational costs, channel financing, warehousing costs, and transportation costs.
Reduce the cost of inventory by optimizing it
There’s always a desire to reduce expenses and improve profit margins in any business, with invoice finance being the occasional answer. A downturn in the global economy, such as the one we’re experiencing at this moment, makes this point even more relevant. Accordingly, supply chain management should emphasize optimizing inventory quantities in light of and supporting these efforts. It is extremely expensive to hold and store inventory, and this cost is almost always higher than the 20 to 25 percent generally assumed.
