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Monday, July 25, 2016

Five Excellent Tips For 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.

Thinking globally and acting locally is an effective way to optimize. This allows you to take advantage of international best practices, technology, raw materials, etc and integrate that will local dynamics through sourcing and incentives. There is a cost advantage when you use localized technology, infrastructure and assets. This combination enables you to produce international standards at a localized cost. It makes your offer more competitive and acceptable.

It saves time and resources to outsource functions that are not central to your services and product. This leaves room for you to concentrate on functions that are directly related to your operations. The functions that can be outsourced include IT, freighting, distribution, accounting, etc because of their repetitive nature and the fact that they do not relate directly to your product or service. The resources and time that will be saved are used in developing and improving your core products or brand.

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.

Supply channels depend on the players involved and the products or services on offer. All strategies developed must take to account the uniqueness of operation environment or market. Utilize all the opportunities available within your operation environment. All efforts should go towards cost reduction and efficiency over the long term.




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