Never underestimate the value of having an expert on your side. If your supply chain is struggling to meet its goals or seems to be continually leaking money, your company could be due for a supply chain analysis. To remedy these issues in a quick, efficient and long-lasting way, it's often advised to enlist the help of a professional analyst. While some businesses are reluctant to invest financially in an analysis, refusing to have one performed could cost them far more down the road.
Keep reading to find out five urgent scenarios wherein supply chains require some extra assistance to get back on their feet.
1. Goals Without a Standard Process
All the ambitious objectives in the world are useless if you don't have effective strategies for reaching them. If you're struggling to get from point A to point B, it may be time to call in a professional. A supply chain analysis offers an unbiased assessment of where your supply chain is coming up short and provides effective strategies to fix these gaps.
This advice also applies if your team is using a number of different and conflicting strategies to address the same problem. Why not try to streamline your objectives? When everyone is working together toward a common goal, you'll likely find an increase in productivity and cohesion within your supply chain.
2. Outdated Planning and Methodology
If people in your company are repeatedly asking, "But why are we doing things like this?" then chances are, you should be asking yourself the same question. Over time, supply chain management can become outdated. If your methods and plans no longer make sense in today's fast-paced world, it's important to be honest and upfront about it.
There's no reason your company should fail to stay on the cutting edge. However, keep in mind this is a large undertaking that you shouldn't carry on your shoulders alone. Supply chain analysts make an honest living from successfully bringing supply chains like yours into the modern age.
3. Overworked and Unproductive Staff
Everyone puts a lot into the task at hand but somehow the output doesn't reflect the input. A supply chain analysis could identify where in the chain your company is failing. If your team is not working as a unified whole, all that effort could be falling into a black hole. Having a committed team is half the battle. Figure out what they need to succeed, and your supply chain will prosper too. Of course, it's also possible that certain employees aren't pulling their weight, as busy as they may seem.
4. Inability to Keep Up with Demand
Increased demand from your clients is a great thing... until you can't keep up anymore! As supply chains grow, it is important that the company expands alongside them. Ask a professional whether your supply chain could benefit from additional staff, another warehouse, updated technology, or a new or updated strategy to help you meet demands. After all, if you can't meet customers' needs now, the level of demand will soon begin to drop off.
5. Staff Looking to Jump Ship
Unhappy employees are a big red flag for any supply chain. If the people running the supply chain are dissatisfied, feel overworked, or lack confidence in your company, it will show in their productivity and work ethic. Once you've invested the time to hire and train excellent staff, you want them to keep working under your roof, right?
In a time of crisis, call in backup. A professional supply chain analysis can determine why your employees are jumping ship, as well as work with you to devise better work conditions and incentives to keep them enthusiastically on board.
Think of a professional supply chain analysis as a health checkup. Asking an expert to assist you in treating your supply chain's ailments helps to ensure its health, cost-effectiveness, and productivity into the future. It's worth investing in your continued longevity as a successful, thriving company.
