Use supply chain automation to overcome operational challenges

29-03-2022 327

Automating part or all of the supply chain has a number of potential benefits for businesses – namely, reducing manual effort while increasing productivity, efficiency, and accuracy.

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Automation is a game changer in supply chain management. In the digital age, businesses need to optimize their workflow to stay competitive, and supply chain automation allows you to do that.

Supply chain automation refers to systematizing part or all of a work process to improve processes. In essence, it means using technology to centrally manage a complex network of working parts.

Automating part or all of the supply chain has a number of potential benefits for businesses – namely, reducing manual effort while increasing productivity, efficiency, and accuracy.

Investing in the right tools and resources can also cut operating costs dramatically in the long run. Using robots to automate supply chain processes resulted in a 43% reduction in resources for processes including payment, credit, collection, and pricing.

Automation can boost the productivity of the global economy by between 0.8% and 1.4% of global GDP annually. In other words, supply chain automation both saves costs and leads to higher profits.
 

 

Automation can be used across many aspects of the supply chain, including:


- Payment and invoicing
- Fulfill orders and update inventory
- Customer service, including tracking creation and email confirmation
- Pick or pack
- Sell on many channels
- Set and track sales and expansion goals
- Apply bulk actions for high order quantity

With all these tasks taken care of for you, think of the time you will have to focus on growing your business!
 

Three of the biggest order management challenges businesses face are:

 

- The explosion of ordering and delivery channels

Digging through the multitude of options out there and finding the best channels for an individual business's needs is no easy feat – especially as the range of choices grows day by day. Today, any order management system should be robust enough to streamline orders coming from multiple channels.
 

- The complexity of the global supply chain

Managing orders, picking, packing, and shipping goods becomes exponentially more complex when doing business globally. With different regulatory obligations and regulations that apply to every market, a business's supply chain management strategy needs to adapt to different markets.
 

- Increasing customer expectations

As customers increasingly expect higher levels of service, businesses face pressure to provide faster and more personalized fulfillment services to maintain a competitive edge. This means they need to be able to deliver fast shipping and 24/7 customer service as standard.
 

Here are some ways supply chain automation delivers tangible value to businesses of all sizes

 

- Improve operational efficiency

Supply chain automation is more efficient, accurate, and cost-effective than manual labor.
 

- Improve customer experience

Reducing the time from order to fulfillment has a direct impact on customer satisfaction. Automation keeps customers updated on order status in real time and enables businesses to better serve customers.
 

- Improved inventory management

Automated supply chain processes help better track inventory and orders, reduce inventory variances, and improve demand forecasting. With intelligent automated reports, you can make informed decisions about where to invest and improve your business.
 

- Increase transparency between businesses and customers

Transparency creates the foundation for trust with customers. An automated online ordering system doesn't just generate an electronic invoice - it is a point of communication that businesses can use to provide customers with up-to-date information throughout the entire management process and order fulfillment.