Supply networks are being strained by rising globalization and changing customer expectations. As a result, to manage and minimize risks, you must constantly reinvent the supply chain.
You can gain access to the supply chain’s growth and revenue by implementing the proper techniques. Furthermore, it allows you to take advantage of additional chances to optimize the supply chain, such as using truck scales.
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has irrevocably altered the logistical landscape due to changes in customer behavior, order speed, and delivery standard expectations. Supply networks must evolve years in a matter of months to keep up with this big paradigm shift in the middle of all this chaos.
Companies have shifted away from low-cost supply chains and toward a far more resilient and adaptable structure. In the future years, 87% of supply chain executives want to invest in resilience.
As a result, supply chains have become faster, smarter, and more user-centric because of the adoption of next-generation transportation and logistics strategy solutions. Furthermore, the logistics business is growing at an alarming rate, with a projected market value of $12,256 billion by 2022.
Importance of a successful supply chain strategy
Considering the pandemic’s new normal, all businesses must adopt a supply chain component regardless of size. But why is that? Let’s look at that for a moment.
- Maintains a healthy balance between expenses and service quality
Customer pleasure is critical to every company’s success. However, this may need always have things on hand. This could lead to resource waste and overproduction. This may be avoided with a robust supply chain management (SCM) strategy in place. The company will save money while keeping customers satisfied.
- Higher rate of efficiency
Data-driven SCM gives real-time information on raw material availability and manufacturing delays. As a result, instead of facing these challenges with empty hands, businesses execute a “plan B.” As a result, out-of-stock merchandise and delayed delivery will no longer be an issue.
- Encourages the growth of a company
You can assess your prior contacts with vendors if you have a data driven SCM strategy in place. For example, if you are writing a Castrol case study report, you can compare costs, raw materials, and other factors to identify opportunities for improvement. Work on these, and you’ll be able to attain your business objectives quickly.
7 ways to improve your supply chain strategy for 2022
1. Make the most of company-owned inventory
Check the inventory that belongs to the company. Keep only the items you require; nothing more.
Keeping and maintaining merchandise comes at a high price. Inventory holding expenses can account for over 60% of the cost of an item maintained in inventory for a year.
To maximise company-owned inventory includes demand planning and forecasts.
Using truck scales for effective inventory management is another technique to optimise inventory. The scales provide precise measures that can assist you in determining the appropriate amount of merchandise to store.
Another crucial procedure for optimising inventory is inventory replenishment, which ensures that adequate product is available to be chosen and packed immediately as each order arrives. Backorders and delayed deliveries can be avoided by refilling inventory at the proper moment to satisfy demand.
2. Strengthen the distribution network
There are two ways to improve the distribution network:
- a) Cluster approach: combining charts, graphs, and other comparable materials. This aids in the observation of processes for every given firm function.
- b) Holistic approach: This method entails examining all the distribution network’s major components. It also focuses on how the various components operate together.
While shopping hasn’t fully vanished, the new normal requires you to regularly stay on top of client requests and regularly replace retailer inventory. In addition, companies appear to be juggling between international, regional, and local networks to facilitate faster delivery times. As a result, 90% of US retailers and consumer goods companies intend to restructure and optimise their supply chain network to improve efficiency.
3. Form a Supply Chain Advisory Council
Create a governing council with a defined strategy for efficiency and functionality.
The council’s purpose is to provide guidance and match the supply chain strategy along with the company’s main aims.
The council helps in the removal of organisational impediments. It also enhances cross-functional communication inside the company. As a result, leaders will deliver excellent supply chain management in future projects.
The adoption of digital transformation in supply chains has been slow. But, on the other hand, the epidemic has served as a wake-up call. Supply chains must undergo thorough change management to stay alive and keep up with the changing times, with the digitisation of practically everything in sight.
But, first and foremost, what is change management? All systematic processes and approaches used to plan, assist, and help businesses make a comprehensive organisational transition are called change management.
Managers must now comprehend its tenets to implement a seamless digital transformation. Unfortunately, only 1% of world supply chain leaders have a comprehensive digital supply chain system; thus, it is critical.
4. Make the most of technology
Improve the supply chain with technology. First, examine all the current processes that are yielding subpar results. Then, determine which processes could benefit from the use of technology.
Industrial scales, for example, can make the supply chain more streamlined, visible, and accessible.
It refers to developing and using sophisticated technologies such as cloud-based computing, IoT, blockchain, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to improve traditional supply chains. Such technology will reduce errors, increase resource efficiency, and give useful information.
5. Establish your logistical procedures
For logistics operations, procedures must be defined. Logistics is defined
- as the procedure for planning, implementing, and monitoring the efficient transportation and storage of commodities. It encompasses services and related information from the point of origin to consumption to meet client expectations.
Are these procedures written and well-understood across your company? Have the members of your team been trained in these procedures? Team members must also keep the processes up to date as business and consumer needs change, necessitating ongoing development.
6. Make better use of your assets
In general, the higher the use of an asset or trailer, the better. However, some businesses may need some help in this area.
Examine which assets are used, when they’re used, and whether this satisfies your supply chain delivery needs. Here are some things to think about:
- Are certain assets in high demand at certain times but not at others?
- Do members of the team solely use recent trailers or rigs?
- Are they allowing the elder ones to squander their time?
Determine what is driving the underutilisation and develop innovative ways to fix it. This could mean the difference between a happy and a disgruntled consumer.
7. Evaluate the efficiency of your supply chain
What matters to the company is measured. Determine which KPIs are critical to achieving your supply chain goals by going through the process.
Set Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that allow you to compare your performance to your goals. The KPIs for your firm must be meaningful, relevant, visible, and understandable. These KPIs will be used to motivate employees to improve their performance.
The following are examples of good KPIs:
- final delivery on time
- Price-per-pound
- on-time delivery
- order precision
- Cycle time from dock to stock
A Final Thought
Your supply chain may be transformed, and income can be increased with the appropriate techniques. If you already have some of these tactics in place, adding the others can significantly improve the supply chain’s value.
