If you find yourself struggling to meet the demand for your product or service, it may be time to re-examine your current supply chain management practices. If you cannot meet demand, the growth of your business will stall. This is why property management of your supply chain is integral to the success and sustainability of your business.
Find suppliers you can rely on
Most business owners will tell you the greatest area of weakness in their supply chain can be their suppliers themselves. Cost should NEVER be your key factor in selecting suppliers. Choosing a cheap supplier with terrible customer service and unreliable deliveries can in fact end up losing you money. A supplier with a good track record, reliable deliveries and a strong reputation for good customer service.
Train your staff
Supply chain management is like an obstacle course, things can change very quickly and problems can arise at the drop of a hat. Training programmes for staff involved in supply chain management can help them become more agile and respond more efficiently to problems, mitigating serious supply chain issues.
Technology and automation
There’s no need to be doing things the old school way anymore, especially not with all the modern warehouse management systems at your fingertips. WHM systems help you better track inventory and your supply chain management practices through data analytics. Transport management software is another supply chain management tool your business should invest in to computerise your shipping and tracking systems. Technology and automation speeds up workflows and cuts out the time-consuming manual interventions that can cause errors and delays.
Improve lines of communication
If you are closely tracking inventory, you can alert the rest of the team early if there are any expected delays. This way you can come up with an action plan as a team to mitigate any serious delays to meeting your customers demands.
Consider supply chain finance solutions
If you need to upgrade your supply chain management tools, invest in staff development or build up better inventory reserves, consider applying for an unsecured business loan. You can get up to R3 million in finance in as little as 3 days to invest into improving your supply chain management.
