Over time, every brand wants to grow and continue to attract and serve current and new customers. Unfortunately, reaching this goal requires more complexity. It is important to remember that there is a wide range of issues and potential solutions in the field of global supply chains. Companies require assistance in grasping the genuine expenses associated with supply chain intricacy. Understanding of these unexpected complexities on day-to-day operations, material accessibility, and crucial customer service and satisfaction poses a challenge. Below, we will discuss the underlying causes of supply chain complexity.
2. WHAT IS CAUSING SUPPLY CHAIN COMPLEXITY?
OVER TIME, EVERY BRAND WANTS TO GROW AND CONTINUE TO ATTRACT AND SERVE
CURRENT AND NEW CUSTOMERS. UNFORTUNATELY, REACHING THIS GOAL REQUIRES MORE
COMPLEXITY. IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT THERE IS A WIDE RANGE OF ISSUES
AND POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS IN THE FIELD OF GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAINS. COMPANIES
REQUIRE ASSISTANCE IN GRASPING THE GENUINE EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH SUPPLY
CHAIN INTRICACY. UNDERSTANDING OF THESE UNEXPECTED COMPLEXITIES ON DAY-TO-
DAY OPERATIONS, MATERIAL ACCESSIBILITY, AND CRUCIAL CUSTOMER SERVICE AND
SATISFACTION POSES A CHALLENGE. BELOW, WE WILL DISCUSS THE UNDERLYING CAUSES
OF SUPPLY CHAIN COMPLEXITY.
3.
4. What Drives Supply Chain Complexity?
A broad range of elements, frequently resulting from increased
customer expectations, expanded availability of goods and
services, and customised experiences, add to the complexity of
the supply chain. This necessitates brand owners and businesses
to accommodate a greater diversity of customer orders throughout
their supply chains. Consequently, companies must collaborate
closely with partners and suppliers while optimizing inventory
management to exert greater control over all stages of goods and
product supply. Such measures are imperative for remaining
competitive in the market and attaining profitability.
5. Underlying Factors Contributing to Supply Chain
Complexity
Take a minute and have a look at Larry Savage Birmingham's
presentation, "Larry Savage Birmingham Points Out The
Challenges In The Logistics Industry. pptx," to obtain a basic
understanding of the difficulties in logistics.
6. Expansion of Supplier/Partner Relationships:
Fostering robust relationships with suppliers and
partners is vital for broadening market penetration and
attracting fresh clientele. Yet, managing, negotiating,
evaluating, and improving these connections can
introduce layers of complexity, demanding careful
attention and strategic navigation to ensure mutually
beneficial outcomes.
7. Increased Milestones to Manage:
The expansion of customer bases and product
portfolios necessitates a longer supply chain.
Consequently, more steps are required to fulfill
orders, ranging from made-to-order manufacturing
to order splitting and consolidating and multilateral
international shipments. All these factors
contribute to heightened supply chain complexity.
8. Diverse Order Requirements:
Traditionally, supply chains catered to a homogeneous range of
customers. However, the proliferation of product lines, shipping
options, and geographical distribution of customers has strained
efficient order fulfillment. Today, companies must align their
business strategies to accommodate each customer's order,
ensuring timely delivery at minimal costs.
9. Inventory Management across Multiple Parties:
In addition to collaboration with suppliers, the complexity of
inventory management poses a significant challenge.
Unutilized inventory, particularly excess inventory, can
significantly impact profitability. Currently, inventory is not
solely stored internally by manufacturers and warehouses
but also by suppliers and partners. This decentralized
inventory management amplifies complexity, necessitating
real-time monitoring and control measures.
10. Data Accessibility:
If you have just entered into the logistics industry refer
to LarrySavage Jr explains key logistics
management challenges to be prepped to face any
upcoming challenges. Despite the abundance of data
across the supply chain, deciphering and leveraging
this information for informed decision-making remains
a daunting task. The overwhelming volume of
available data exacerbates supply chain complexity,
highlighting the need for streamlined data
management and analytics solutions.
11. Wrapping up
Addressing supply chain complexity requires an effective approach. By
understanding the critical causes, companies can enhance operational
efficiency and achieve sustainable growth in an increasingly competitive
marketplace.
Source
Credit: https://larrysavagebirmingham.blogspot.com/2024/03/larry-
savage-birmingham-points-out.html