All businesses rely on a strong supply chain. It’s the vital link between you and your consumer. It doesn’t matter which stage of the process you are at, manufacturer, supplier, or even consumer, a good supply chain ensures you get the products when you need them.
Unfortunately, an array of issues has affected the supply chain in recent years. Perhaps the most prominent are the global pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The good news is that you can use technology, especially when you’re already upgrading your systems, to help counteract supply chain disruptions.
Start With Data Loggers
There are a variety of excellent data loggers on the market and it’s worth investing in them, regardless of what product or parts you are shipping. Data loggers are adhered to parcels. They are designed to monitor set parameters and, if the conditions, such as temperature or force applied to packages, exceeds the parameters, a large dot on the sticker changes colour.
This doesn’t prevent harm happening to your parcel. But, it does tell the transport firm that the package is being monitored and any issues will be recorded. This will encourage all the parties involved to look after the parcels and deliver them at the right time.
It’s a simple but effective approach.
Tracking
Most transport companies now offer a tracking service that allows you to monitor where the parcel is at any given time. This is an efficient way of recording it’s movements and confirming if there are any delays. You can enhance this system by asking suppliers to add trackers to parcels. You’ll then be able to log in and check a variety of settings, including the parcels location. It can give you advance warning of issues and delays, helping you to plan for them.
Stock Management System
In the past it was acceptable to run extremely low or even out of a product before re-ordering. However, with supply chain issues becoming more common this isn’t something businesses should be looking to do any more.
Instead, you’ll need to invest in a good stock management system. This will allow you to accurately predict what you need and what you have, ensuring you order more of anything in plenty of time. A good system will allow you to set a stock level and the system can handle re-ordering for you. The best stock management systems are almost fully automated.
Integrated Customer Databases
Most businesses have customer databases. It allows them to understand buying patterns and even target sales. However, these systems should not be regarded as standalone. The best approach is to connect these systems to the stock management system. This will speed up the ordering of products and parts when new orders are placed. It can also help to predict customer uptake and ensure the necessary items are with you as quickly as possible.
In short, using automated technology and integrating all the systems in your business will improve efficiency. This can counteract most supply chain issues and even improve the bottom line.
