With many supply-chain issues being out of the hands of warehousing businesses, it’s important to understand the potential challenges that can be dealt with to streamline the process as much as possible.
Building strong relationships with key stakeholders
Building strong relationships with key stakeholders in the supply-chain is a crucial factor in the success of your warehouse. Although it will be the contracts and SLA’s that formally regulate the arrangements between the parties involved in the supply-chain, communicating regularly with suppliers, manufacturers, distributors etc. will improve relationships and help to rectify any issues more efficiently. Close collaboration with each organisation involved within the supply-chain can allow businesses to create contingency plans if any potential barriers are anticipated.
Breaking down processes
Having clear processes is highly important for effective management through the supply-chain. Breaking down key operations into individual tasks will help to avoid staff confusion, keep a manageable workload, and identify any potential problem areas. Having well-defined steps within a process will increase communication, productivity, and efficiency, but only as long as staff are suitably trained.
Integrating GPS tracking
GPS and tracking technology can hugely benefit the transportation and logistics divisions of the supply-chain. With the sophistication of today’s technologies, GPS can extend much further than simply navigating drivers to and from locations. More advanced GPS tracking technologies can monitor traffic, calculate estimated delivery times, and let necessary team members know the whereabouts of any vehicles at any given time, reducing the number of calls drivers receive regarding where they are or why they’re delayed, improving the safety of journeys and streamlining deliveries. Also with more sophisticated software, live driver feeds can be viewed by customers to track their own delivery and get a more accurate estimated delivery time, decreasing the number of customer calls, and increasing customer satisfaction.
Identifying trends and forecasting
Warehouse management software (WMS) can offer in-depth reports of your stock, recording buying and selling patterns, giving real-time insights and helping your business to plan ahead. WMS with stock control and reporting capabilities will mean you no longer have to spend time searching for data across multiple business platforms and departments. Through integrations between WMS and accounts software, business plans and future investments can be initiated from the comprehensive data of relevant departments, including sales, accounts, and operations.
Contingency planning
Creating a backup plan is a necessary action for effective supply-chain management. Organising contingencies like backup suppliers, backup manufacturers, additional storage solutions, and alternative despatching plans, will help reduce the negative affects if part of the supply-chain couldn’t deliver the services they’re expected to. By prioritising risks to the supply-chain based on likelihood and level of impact, it will help you plan for worst-case scenarios, reducing high-level risks and protecting your business.
Bit Systems has a wealth of knowledge in this area, so if you’d like any help or advice regarding supply-chain or warehouse management, please call us on 03300 245452 or email info@bitsystemsltd.co.uk.