Global Logistics Companies
Supply Chain Management for Retailers and Manufacturers
When
someone thinks of Supply Chain Management they immediately think of an
accountant. Maybe, even an accountant who is really good. As a matter of fact,
there are supply chain accounting professionals who are very adept at both
accounts receivable and accounts payable tasks. However, having a high degree
of awareness of the accounting aspects is not the same as having a great deal
of knowledge. For more visit here :Global Logistics Companies
So
what does Supply Chain Management have to do with accounting? Let's start with
a discussion about what actually is a supply chain.
To
start with, a supply chain is not a factory; it is a line of people and
products that move from one place to another. A big part of this is that it can
be very difficult to tell a single worker in a small operation from a
multi-tier company. There is also not necessarily a single line of people that
is responsible for the movements in a production plant. Even if there is, they
will each be working on different tasks at different times, thus creating all
sorts of time differences.
Workers
can also be moving from place to place at different times of the day, which
creates a situation where they will have various sets of tasks to complete.
This means that they will not always have the same set of needs. In addition,
while one worker may need to make a delivery immediately, a coworker or
employee who is waiting on someone else may not need to make a delivery right
away. Then they will have different priorities that need to be met at different
times.
If
there is a warehouse where the goods are being stored, then a supply chain has
even more problems. Items that will be stored will have to be kept safe and
well-managed. The same goes for storage areas and the racks where the goods are
stored. These storage areas will also need to be able to accommodate a large
number of workers and their needs without them overwhelming eachother.
Also,
the items stored in a warehouse or storage area will vary quite a bit depending
on the particular industry in which the warehouse is operating. For example, in
the automotive industry, the items will most likely be grouped according to the
type of automobile and the manufacturer. But a supply chain in the retail
industry will probably have different needs.
Because
of all of these challenges to management, it is no wonder that a supply chain
management professional would not necessarily be a customer. For one thing,
they will not understand all of the subtleties of customer requirements. The
systems that the retailers and manufactures use are very sophisticated, so that
is to be expected.
However,
when a retailer or manufacturer is working with a supply chain management
professional, then the firm cannot expect to have much input into the problem.
This means that those who are handling supply chain management may end up
ignoring even the more pressing issues. In other words, a firm may work with a
supply chain management company and still do little more than monitor and
improve supply chain management procedures.
Does
this mean that supply chain management is not something to consider? Of course
not. However, it does mean that the retailer or manufacturer should be prepared
to hire an outside consultant who will have more experience in the field than
they do. These experts will take that knowledge and begin to streamline the
procedures that the management uses in order to address the problems that may
be occurring.
To
put this another way, a retailer or manufacturer can use a supply chain
management program to streamline its process so that it becomes more efficient.
While doing so, the company will be able to meet its customer's needs and
ensure that the goods that are on the shelves are in perfect working condition.
This helps to reduce the burden on management, since the specialists can focus
on those areas where they actually know the most. It will cost more money, but
it will save the company money in the long run. This is because the company
will be able to continue to run at a reasonable rate and keep up with customer
needs. This in turn means that there will be less work for the salespeople to
handle and fewer return visits by the manufacturers or retailers.
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