Logistics management is oftentimes a top-down system where most innovation, inspiration and drive comes from management and is filtered throughout the rest of the supply chain team. But studies show that the best way to improve supply chain efficiency is by giving a voice to the subject matter experts that work the details of your supply chain every day.
Here are some ways to empower your workforce, suppliers, clients and consumers to create a more efficient supply chain:
Communicate Efficiently
Making a commitment to weekly big picture meetings and daily task force meetings gives your team an opportunity address upcoming logistics situations in advance. We suggest face-to-face meetings whenever possible to avoid miscommunications and vague overviews.
Train Your Workforce Comprehensively
A training program should teach your professionals more than where the break room is and what daily tasks they should perform. Take the opportunity to share your company’s comprehensive plan to increase productivity while reducing costs. Teach them about the importance of internal and external customer service.
Give your workforce an incentive to act in accordance with your business’ vision, mission and values. Sharing this and training will drive a successful organization by creating aligned goals while improving supply chain productivity.
Increase Information Sharing and Visibility
Make your logistics processes more transparent to your workforce and your clients. Eliminate slow, unreliable spreadsheets to provide information. Share the most up-to-date information through current technology solutions.
Other ways to increase information sharing include taking advantage of big data analytics available to you, measuring supply chain metrics regularly and involving employees in finding inefficiencies in the system. By informing your workforce and your clients, you create opportunities for innovation.
Analyze Information to Meet Customer Needs
Extend the belief that supply chains begin at the warehouse and end in a store because all products sent through your supply chain eventually reach an end user. Analyze transportation data to better inform your customer of trends and opportunities.
Nurture Innovation In Partnerships
Supply chain managers should evaluate which suppliers possess capabilities they can tap into to help produce innovations in products, services or go-to-market strategies. They should play a key role by becoming less of a process executer and more of a process enabler. Looking for opportunities to improve current processes by leveraging supplier capabilities empowers both parties while benefiting the ultimate consumer.
