If your company produces and / or sells something, chances are you have a supply chain. Your supply chain is the network of individuals, technology, and resources that facilitate the delivery of product between a company and an eventual supplier. Simply put, your supply chain is a culmination of the critical steps that are needed in order to get your product to your consumer. Optimizing these steps is not only in the best interests of the company, but also the consumer as they can result in faster response and delivery, lower costs, and increased efficiency. One means of achieving this is adding automation, robotics and other efficiency tools within your Distribution Center, and to partner with an organization like Boston Industrial Consulting to maximize effective use of space, time, and workflow.
Automation and supply chain planning, including more productive tools seen in the latest WMS and ERP packages, can drastically improve costs and output capacity. A common challenge of the supply chain marketplace is time spent on slow, repetitive tasks that are needed to manage the complex web of interdependent parts. These tasks are mostly performed by employees who are trained to handle each part of a process, and is often slow and tedious work. Embracing technology, specifically automated technology, such as robotics or material handling automation, can increase the efficiency, speed, and accuracy of some of these tasks. Consider how Amazon, the online E-commerce giant, has integrated robotics and automated tools to help workers improve productivity and efficiency. As a result of these technology improvements, the company has accommodated rapid growth with a very seasonal labor pool while achieving improvements in supply chain costs.
Automation can cut costs, and increase speed, efficiency and agility. Manufacturers and Distributors need to be responsive to changes in customer demands, and they are realizing that the key to differentiation is in supply chain execution and flexibility. According to a 2017 State of Manufacturing Technology survey released on the website Plex.com, “Manufacturers are more proactive and pragmatic in managing their supply chain networks: 30 percent of respondents are holistically planning their supply chains today, and another 30 percent are planning to implement supply chain planning in the next five years. Similarly, 30 percent are expecting to integrate sales and operations planning within the next five years.”
Boston Industrial Consulting can help your business improve these steps in the supply chain through the use of supply chain planning software. The benefits of these software planning tools include:
- Optimization of production scheduling
- Setting realistic work plans for delivery and capacity based upon the current resources and inventory
- Reduction in supply chain costs
- Management of current inventory with drive to lower inventory with more predictive tools
- Forecasts of “what if” scenarios
- Gathering and analysis of data from across departments
Call BIC at (978) 739-0399 or visit our website at BIC if your company needs expert guidance when it comes to optimizing your supply chain.
