Companies must rethink their Supply Chains. The term “seamless” is being used to explain the ideal Supply Chain state, one that provides a top-quality customer experience steadily, while delivering value. Three characteristics describe the Supply Chain of this century: complex, global and cross-functional.
Creating a seamless experience should look for:
To accomplish an end-to-end view of the Supply Chain.
To synchronise the information and processes across all divisions.
To collaborate, both internally and across the enterprise.
To guaranty the delivery of product flowing from one Supply Chain to the next.
To understand consumers’ demands.
To leveraging data across planning and replenishment processes.
To supply counting Internet accessibility.
To enable near real-time communication across the Supply Chain network.
To efficiently sharing information among divisions for common goals.
To carry out the promise of delivering your customer the product on time, no matter what.
Social Media, news, events and weather (SNEW) data are causes of disruption, which could leave off immense knowledge of it, as they can interrupt or delay the progress of products through the Supply Chain, negatively impacting the customer experience.
Quite often, we can find a clear resistant to collaborate in sharing information among divisions in our companies, but in doing so, they block visibility, tracking of inventory, data availability, selling and distribution locations. This attitude leads only to the lack of value and support, and to passive decision making. Collaboration among trading partners is vital to drive value and develop a Seamless Supply Chain; working side by side, they will access to many benefits, such as reducing shipping costs and inventory levels, increasing turns, and eliminating out-of-stocks issues.
Product localisation brings excellent value to the process when collaboration is at the top of all this, because access to consumers’ insights is now possible to determine the right amount of product located at the right place; it serves to increase service levels and customer’s loyalty.
Manufacturers gain on a better capability to organise raw materials and equipment needed to manufacture their articles. 3P Logistics suppliers can benefit from improving product flow and location awareness, as all groups are encouraged by a useful meeting point of interests, enhancing the optimal experience of your customer. Without any breaks in the information flow, the end-to-end SC avoids disruptions or delays that could impact the customer.
The three principles of a Seamless Supply Chain:
• Cost-effective Customer Commerce to provide personalised and seamless answers to link the digital customer with the real SC without any interruption.
• Flexible Manufacturing in which retailers, manufacturers, suppliers and distributors, will be able to seamlessly respond to customer demand while dealing with inventory, equipment, and labour within the industrial unit to capitalise on ROI; being clearheaded to demand changes and to cope possible supply disruptions.
• Smart Fulfilment links planning and implementation processes to satisfy demand matching to the personal needs of specific customers.
When it comes to service, many organisations are considering segmentation strategies: a) set up intelligent “clusters” of channels, customers and products that have similar requirements, patterns and characteristics, and define the customer value proposition. Next, they must leverage the different value schemes with the cost to afford separated service stages across the specified clusters while providing value.
The Seamless Supply Chain needs a customer-centric culture within your organisation, with a flowing up and down communication and clear pronunciation of the benefits and why the firm pursues a change. It demands the unification of all people involved, first-class technology, effective executive leadership and commitment, well structure processes, and governance.
SUMMING UP: the future feels right to leaders who can act in response to customer demand, and at the same time managing Supply Chain costs, a segmentation strategy, and focus on offering differentiated services across the defined clusters.
A Seamless Supply Chain is a dynamic alliance of customer channel demands with Supply Chain capabilities across each division. Investments on supporting technology is a priority to drive competitive advantage and profitable growth across all clusters. It will result in a personalised Omni channel customer experience, significant impact on surplus, market share and competitive capabilities. So take the necessary steps now to gain!
Dave Food
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