At the core of every successful business is a well-oiled, well managed system with an honest, strategic approach to operations and communication. Without these foundational elements integrated within supply chain management, the operational structure becomes even more unpredictable and scattered than what’s worth gambling. Furthermore, your company’s reputation can suffer from avoidable mistakes. The method of prevention is as simple as a high-level risk management evaluation.

An article from Supply Management (Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply) titled, “Five Tips to Streamline Your Supply Chain” focuses on taking your operations and looking at what’s working, what’s not working, and what steps to take to ensure efficiencies are being made.

The article focuses on five priority areas that begin with reviewing the current situation through a high-level, but granular lens. This approach takes a bit of skimming and a whole lot of knowledge of the internal workings. Additionally, it takes some honesty. It’s okay to confront an inefficient practice as there’s always room for improvement. Rather than a “Don’t fix what’s not broken” approach, think of it as an “Optimize over settling” method, or as the article put it, “surgical action and further reduce costs and pass savings along to their customers,” (Supply Management).

Utilize the magic of data integration within each and every aspect of the supply chain data library. With digital solutions becoming more of an industry standard, this one comes as a no-brainer. Take the insights and hard numbers, integrate them, and provide an even faster delivery of information than before. Efficiencies do not come without some form of expedition and urgency. It’s about mastering the art of quality and quantity.

The integration of data is a great segway to the flip-side – data duplication. Try to eliminate this as much as possible and save the business from petty errors and confusion. Technology creates a new way for duplication to be managed by providing on-the-go options via mobile devices and real-time updates.

Keep up with the times, but respect the original system. Many data systems allow for merging, creating a seamless transition of information without re-doing the entire process. Businesses can  leverage the lessons from the past that spotlight customer needs, strategic trends, and industry success. Don’t let history repeat itself, learn from it.

Proactive versus reactive is another no-brainer on the list. When plugged into this mindset, businesses have the capability of providing customer needs before they are even identified, providing reliability and optimization.

Summarized, the strategic use of information and data integration combined with forward-thinking can make or break the near future of supply chain management.

To read the full article, visit: Supply Management