Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Five Top Tips On Supply Chain Optimization

By Deborah Bell


Optimizing the supply chain demands adoption of responsive and efficient methods that reduce the cost of operation to the lowest possible. This is meant to expand profit margins or tame expenditure. Supply chain optimization revolves around wide ranging changes that should touch on all affiliated departments. In the process, the cost of running some operations might increase. This should be ignored if the general operating budget is reduced.

Top among the best proposals is to think globally yet act locally. This is a strategy to tap into profitable and efficient tactics elsewhere yet retain the advantage of local incentives, materials, infrastructure, etc. This integration allows you to take advantage of both worlds so that goods and services can be accepted locally yet bear the hallmark of international standards. Localized materials, incentives and infrastructure are always cheaper thus advantageous to use.

Consider the possibility of outsourcing repetitive non-core functions to concentrate on your areas of strength. Some of the tasks that can be performed by professionals include IT, distribution, freighting, accounting, etc. They are considered unnecessary bother that only take up time and resources. By concentrating on your core business, you can develop the products and necessary manpower to create a competitive product.

Better collaboration between all players within the chain. The manufacturer, retailer, distributor or supplier, etc must all work together. They must share data and information to enable certain forecasting and management of inventory. When data is within reach, you can make predictions and optimize production. It reduces waste while increasing predictability of profits. This certainty and predictability can be used to make long term plans.

Supply channels stand to benefit through the use of mobile technology. The technology proves effective in monitoring, field management, customer care and marketing. With this technology, brands can serve their customers directly which allows customized products. Direct link with customers also facilitates loyalty and sustained relationships. It enables manufacturers and suppliers to get unfiltered feedback about their services and products.

It helps to have an open channel that is more responsive. To build such a system, social media will play a significant role. It enables instant and quick communication such that gathering feedback is quick as well as unfiltered. Besides being cost effective, it necessitates wide coverage and easily boosts sales volumes. Clients also gain confidence in your services because you offer direct feedback.

Change in strategy will bear more fruits where one plan fails. The idea is to find new channels of reaching to customers, delivering your goods, producing cheaply, etc. Your target when shifting gears should be long term efficiency. It is likely that the initial cost will be high but it will be covered by long term gains. This is especially a call to innovate and be creative around all your operations as well as customer interactions.

Each product or service is unique. This makes supply chains different. Such differences must be captured and appreciated in the strategies you adapt. Identify the unique features of your channel as shaped by the products you are offering. All opportunities that lie within this channel must be maximized. The idea is to find customized ways to achieve efficiency and reduce cost.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment