Optimize the Supply Chain: The Importance of Connecting Key Actors
15/05/2024
Reading time: 6 minutes
In the complex landscape of contemporary trade, the efficiency of supply chain management proves to be imperative for companies aspiring to maintain their competitiveness in the market. The supply chain, which orchestrates each step from production to delivery, often faces challenges of coordination and communication among its various stakeholders. It is in this context that the necessity to connect the key players of the supply chain makes perfect sense.
In this article, we will explore in detail two crucial relationships within the supply chain:
That between the supplier and the sales administrator on the supplier side
That between the scheduler and the sales administrator.
We will analyze the current issues and highlight the benefits of a close collaboration between these players for efficient production management.
Focus on the Customer-Supplier Relationship: The Perspective of the Purchaser and the Sales Administrator
The relationship between the supplier and the sales administrator is crucial for ensuring a constant flow of materials and products between suppliers and customers. However, this relationship is often hindered by issues.
Among them, delivery delays, insufficient product quality, and ineffective communication are the most common. These problems often lead to an increase in calls and emails from customers to suppliers, thus affecting the workload of suppliers who must spend more time responding to requests. This workload can disrupt operations and lead to a decrease in productivity. Furthermore, it can negatively impact employee satisfaction and the financial resources of suppliers.
Effective management of the client-supplier relationship becomes essential to ensure the smooth functioning of operations and maintain the satisfaction of the stakeholders involved in the supply chain. Several solutions exist:
To optimize this relationship, it is essential to establish effective collaboration mechanisms, allowing for transparent information exchange and quick decision-making, such as a collaborative order tracking platform.
The implementation of an online collaborative platform allows customers to track the status of their orders in real-time, from production to delivery. Suppliers can share accurate information about production times, parts availability, and order status updates, which reduces the number of calls and emails to obtain tracking information.
Focus on the Customer-Supplier Relationship: Scheduler's Perspective
For a scheduler, the relationship with suppliers is essential as a significant part of production operations is often outsourced. Whether it is for the manufacturing of specific components, the assembly of finished products, or the provision of specialized services, suppliers play a decisive role in the value chain. Thus, the reliability, quality, and punctuality of suppliers become key factors for the scheduler to ensure the smooth running of production.
The scheduler is faced with managing the complexity resulting from the multiplicity of suppliers and the diversity of products to be produced. Coordinating production schedules, delivery deadlines, and technical specifications with different suppliers can become a major challenge. Moreover, order changes, delivery delays, or quality issues with suppliers can lead to disruptions in the scheduler's production planning.
To overcome these challenges, it is essential for the scheduler to cultivate a strong and collaborative relationship with suppliers. This can be achieved by establishing clear and open communication, sharing relevant information about production forecasts and order changes, and closely collaborating to quickly resolve issues. Additionally, using technologies such as collaborative platforms that allow real-time tracking of order statuses and the availability of parts can greatly facilitate production planning and strengthen the customer-supplier relationship.
A collaborative platform to increase productivity
At Oplit, increasing factory productivity is our primary battle. Oplit has recently developed a client-supplier interface to allow better visibility and collaboration between clients and suppliers.
Are you a client? With one click, you can see the progress of your parts in real-time.
Are you a supplier? Give your clients access to your choice data.
Conclusion
In summary, the connectivity of key players in the supply chain is essential for optimizing operations and maximizing profitability for companies. By fostering close collaboration between suppliers, customers, and other stakeholders, companies can improve visibility across the supply chain, reduce inefficiencies, and strengthen their competitive position in the market. Therefore, it is imperative that companies invest in solutions and practices that promote increased connectivity within their supply chain, in order to thrive in a constantly changing business environment.
