Monday, October 17, 2016

What One Should Know About Supply Chain Optimization

By Matthew Jackson


The supply chain refers to the steps through which a product moves as it moves from the manufacturer to end consumers. Some of the intermediaries that may or may not be involved in the process include wholesalers and retailers. Supply chain optimization is to institute measures that help increase the efficiency of the process. The overall objective is to have high quality products delivered to consumers in the most efficient manner.

We must appreciate that the business environment has undergone many changes over the last couple of decades. Whereas the traditional methods of operating a supply chain were very fragmented, the modern approach involves greater collaboration of the parties involved. For this reason, there is a need to have a clear communication channel. The communication may be at departmental level, between different companies and even at a global level.

It is important that you start by setting the target for the chain management team. Monitoring and evaluation measures should be put in place to track progress being made over time. Ensure that enough time has been allocated for each of the interventions such as the implementation of IT infrastructure. The teams responsible for the streamlining processes should also be adequately trained.

IT infrastructure provides a platform on which the relevant software can be operated. Such software will increase the efficiency by eliminating delays, making it easy for partner companies to communicate and reducing the operating costs. This is done through incorporation of mathematical modelling techniques. The end result of these efforts is better returns to the firm.

Mobile technology is another trend shaping the market and one should be able to embrace readily. The technology has also brought a lot of flexibility in the supply chain resulting in a reduction in delays of product delivery. Mobile devices are useful in product marketing, management of field sales and in the provision of products to consumers. Product information such as content, origin and method of manufacture can be easily transmitted from the producer to the consumer.

Efficiency can only be ensured if the demand of products is matched by the production. This can only happen if the demand for the goods being produced is accurately predicted. One of the ways of achieving this is by studying historical data on the demand for the product in question. It is also useful to anticipate future events that may affect this demand. There should be efforts to collect aggregated data relating to groups of consumers and types of products.

A supply chain has many different parts. When you analyze your performance you may notice areas in which you do well and others in which your performance may need some improvement. One of the options of dealing with this problem is to outsource some of the services you offer. While this may result in additional expenses, it is a way of creating balance to the whole chain.

Optimization of supply chains has a number of advantages. Among them is the reduction of operating costs. This is important in guaranteeing the firm maximal returns. Another major benefit is the fact that efficiency is increased which is beneficial to all the players. A third benefit is that which relates to better predictability of demand ensuring that consumers get products when they need them.




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