7 Essential Strategies to Manage Your Supply Chain During Uncertain Times

Business executives and experts have different views on whether the current blockages will ease up or if 2022 will remain as volatile as the past few months. The truth is, there's an upheaval in the supply chain. The pandemic brought new sets of issues to the supply chain world that were not predictable. However, many companies are looking to turn this crisis into an opportunity. 

How? They're making the supply chain more reliable and resilient.  Keep reading to learn more about the best-proven strategies for supply chain management in times of uncertainty. 

What Is Supply Chain Management?

Abbreviated as SCM, this is the centralized management of the flow of goods and services. It involved all the processes of transforming raw materials into final products. 

Companies can reduce the risks and uncertainties in supply chain management through the following practical strategies:

1. Collaboration 

The best thing to do during uncertainty is for companies to collaborate with others. Organizations should collaborate with their supply chain partners, such as suppliers, transporters, distributors, retailers, and internal stakeholders. 

2. Frequency of Supplier Performance Reviews

Consider increasing the frequency of supplier performance reviews. Such reviews should be done every quarter for the most strategic and mission-central suppliers and semi-annually for the next tier of suppliers. 

3. Risk Management

Including risk management in your strategy for outsourcing is another aspect. Revisit the outsourcing process to ensure it is adequately addressed in your evaluation by all of your buyers. 

4. Watch Out for Early Warning Signs 

If the quality of goods drops and there are delays in shipment of the products, this is a clear indication your supplier has cut too deep into their operations. Also, it raises a red flag when there are frequent requests for early payment and changes in the personnel of the sales support team. 

5. Automate the Process of Supplier Management 

With our modern economy, the only sure thing is that companies will face supply risks and challenges more than ever before. As much as the automation of the supplier management process is time-consuming, it is worth the effort. Automation means significantly less risk.

6. Optimization of the Inventory

Companies must learn the art of optimization. By optimizing inventory continuously, based on a stable forecast, optimization patterns should be able to deal with both the uncertainty of the offer and the demand. Delays in shipping or variations in the quality of the products can happen unexpectedly and optimization can help to combat these obstacles.

7. Focus on Resilience and Digitization

If companies could combine data-driven insights, due diligence, and realistic workflows, they could build an intelligent supply chain to ensure a successful risk management process. 

It would:

• Enhance supply chain visibility. Most companies lack access to which Tier 1 suppliers have risks that stem from sub-tier suppliers. The trend could ruin a company's reputation. It would be a good idea for businesses to have a transparent view of the supply chain to eliminate risks. 
• Improve supplier onboarding. Companies should have a clearly defined process that incorporates onboarding suppliers and outgoing monitoring to help them improve efficiencies, maintain operations, and lower costs. 
• Ensure there is constant supply chain monitoring. It will help prevent financial waste and inventory shortfalls and guarantee a resilient supply chain system. 

Conclusion 

The strategies above are specific and doable to lower the rapid shifts in future demands. However, if companies ignore them, there are costs associated. The secret is in designing your supply chain management strategies with minimal costs. You can hire a MetaExpert to 'Get it Done' today!