More complex and data-driven than ever, global and local supply chains have a massive impact on operational efficiency. It is necessary to utilize strong supply chain management practices to ensure the flow of information is monitored, procurement is efficient, and delivery to the customer is fast and accurate.
While never simple, managing a supply chain has significant benefits. Here are the benefits of supply chain management, regardless of whether you’re new to logistics or are searching for ways to optimize an existing supply chain.
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Control Supply Chain Costs
The top reason to manage your supply chain is the opportunity to cut costs. Identify where inefficiencies are and fix them. Evaluate every aspect of your chain to see where costs could be improved or altered in your favour. This may include reducing overhead costs by moving warehouses, stocking inventory differently, and optimizing warehouse layout. Sometimes, it may be more affordable to rely on a third-party logistics provider to streamline the supply chain.
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Improve Quality Control
As quality issues arise, costs increase, customers end up disappointed, and brand reputation suffers. Enact and manage company quality control guidelines, providing them to your supply chain partners. Evaluate delivery times, final product quality, and complaint resolution time, and don’t hesitate to conduct periodic audits to verify a partner’s compliance occasionally.
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Adopt Innovative Technology
New supply chain technology is innovating the space, further cutting down on cost and improving how logistics is carried out. Suppose you aren’t routinely managing your supply chain. In that case, you could miss out on opportunities to incorporate this new tech, ultimately giving your competitors more of an edge while you gradually fall behind.
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More Automation Reduces the Effort
Automation in supply chain equipment and machinery, as well as the creation and storage of information, can vastly improve the effectiveness of operations. However, this requires companies to manage and interpret the data they receive actively.
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Process Large Amounts of Data
Supply chains generate large swaths of data. By analyzing this data and creating reports, you gain more transparency into how efficient a supply chain is and what opportunities exist to improve an existing supply chain.
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Real-Time Updates and Notifications
As the flow of information is in constant motion, supply chain software and supply chain automation allow you to receive real-time updates and/or notifications, which can also be directed to customers or relevant stakeholders.
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Optimize Inventory Ordering
Procure inventory via automation or by monitoring orders as they arrive. If you aren’t sure where your inventory levels are, you could end up paying more for warehouse space you don’t need or not having the right products when a customer puts in their order. This puts the customer through a delay before they receive their order, which no one wants.
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Predictive Analysis and Demand
Demand for a product changes over the year. Peaks and valleys. Predictive analyses can provide insight into how much inventory you need to meet demand regularly. This will minimize delivery delays, reduce inventory trouble, and allow you to respond effectively to data-backed predicted market conditions.
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Quicken Supply Chain Deliveries
Properly managing your supply chain, at the end of the day, benefits the customer. It means you are maximizing delivery efficiencies and able to make key improvements to your flow of products while reducing bottlenecks.
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See How Good Your Supply Chain Is
When you routinely look at your supply chain, you won’t be under any illusions about how well it functions. Define and analyze KPIs. Enact new strategies or initiatives and judge them based on these KPI above metrics. This way, you know if something’s working or a change needs to be enacted.
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Optimize Your Shipping Experience
Shipping rates have risen quite a bit in recent years. A company using delivery cannot get around these rising costs. Managing your supply chain, however, you may find ways to make changes to lower your shipping costs and optimize shipping. Find the best way to do small parcel shipping or bulk orders, how to reduce packaging size, if there is a way to reduce packing costs, and more.
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Strengthening Partner Relationships
A part of supply chain management is collaboration with partners, i.e. suppliers and vendors. The stronger these relationships are, the better they function, which can mean lower costs and better overall conditions.
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Utilize Feedback To Make Improvements
In time, a company may receive feedback from suppliers, partners, and customers on improving certain processes. If a company does not care, these comments go unnoticed, unheard, and penalize all involved. Supply chain management allows you to manage and integrate feedback-based solutions, satisfying the customer and improving overall operational efficiency.
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Respond Quickly To Issues
Better understand and mitigate risk. See real-time data on issues and problems as they arise. Respond quickly. Implement a strategic plan to prevent delays or further disruptions. Reduce the likelihood of out-of-stock or late shipments to customers by managing in real-time. Without committing to supply chain management, a company becomes a victim of whatever circumstances it faces, unable to foster and implement a response to minimize damages.
Interesting Related Article: “Streamlining Supply Chains: A Guide to Freight Solutions“