4 Tips for Creating a More Effective Supply Chain

Successful warehouse management requires you to maintain an effective supply chain. Many manufacturing and distribution companies, however, struggle with how to go about streamlining and improving upon their current supply chain. The process can be an expensive and arduous task, especially if you don’t know where to begin. While we cannot do the work for you, we can provide you with a few tips to launch your supply chain initiative.
The following list reflects the habits of the most successful and effective supply chains:
1. Create a written strategy and update it often.
While it may seem like common sense, few manufacturers actually maintain a supply chain strategy in writing. While budgets and objectives are beneficial, companies need to focus on developing a strategy in order to improve their supply chain.
What, exactly, is a supply chain strategy? In short, it’s a plan designed to help supply chain leaders decide how they will allocate their scarce resources over a period of time. Many companies also include an assessment of their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in their supply chain strategy. Regularly updating your strategy will help you gain a better view of your supply chain and develop solutions to problems that arise.
2. Align your business with your supply chain.
Sales and Operations Planning has made it easier for companies to align supply chains with the business. However, companies often lose track of the importance of this alignment due to critical operational pressures and additional factors.
Make sure that those higher up in your manufacturing company realize the importance of aligning your supply chain with the business and make it a top priority.
3. Make decisions based on facts.
In order to find true success, companies need to develop a “fact-based” culture. Rather than accepting assumptions at face value, employees need to dig for factual evidence. Managers and executives need to stress the importance of fact-based analysis among supply chain teams in order to improve success in logistics.
4. Take advantage of the latest technology.
The most successful supply chains incorporate technology such as warehouse management systems (WMS) and mobile warehouse management applications into their strategies and warehouses. Using mobile devices and mobile apps, can help you streamline key supply chain operations and save time (and money) along the way.
The top performers are more aggressive and smarter users of technology because they know that the competitive advantage comes early in the technology cycle. Companies that adopt technology after it has matured are merely catching up to companies who have already mastered the technology. Stay ahead of the game and adopt early. This will guarantee your future in the global marketplace, as well as give your supply chain a boost.
Effective supply chains also regularly assess their software implementations to determine if there are any capabilities that they own but are not currently using or if they should consider investing in additional technology to improve their value. Ensuring your systems and processes are in top shape will not only help you are get your money’s worth from your warehouse management software, but it will also help you create a more effective supply chain.