As an industry, supply chain management has greatly evolved into a thriving, prominent, and necessary global operation. Consumers have grown to become dependent on the industry that moves and stores all of our goods.
The increased demand of consumer-driven shipping expectations, led by e-commerce leader Amazon, meant supply chains everywhere needed to grow and implement different fulfillment processes. Adopting digital tools and technological innovations at the right time have kept supply chains relevant and in popular demand. The pressure to remain competitive and meet higher customer expectations is one of the growing pains the industry continues to face.
The entire process is like a perfectly choreographed dance made up of several moving parts. The fulfillment of a single order could require connecting with the raw material vendor on a different continent, a warehousing ecosystem operating across several regions, transportation fleet management, labor and distribution all interconnected and dancing as one—requiring flawless communication throughout the entire process. Enterprise mobility pieces it all together into one fluid movement, here’s how:
Workers communicate and collaborate more effectively
Employees, managers and staff from each unit in the supply chain leverage the use of handheld mobile devices and smartphones that allow them to communicate from anywhere at any time. Mobile devices equipped with relevant applications are key in supply chain logistics management. They provide real-time insight into all operations of the supply chain allowing for improved inventory and storage tracking, better fleet management, and enhanced communication between transportation and distribution. The power to communicate with the right person when needed empowers workers and optimizes workflows.
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Improved labor and human resource management
Avoiding a gap in communication in the supply chain process is crucial to the operation of the organization. Any mismanagement can cause a critical disruption that will negatively impact business and customer satisfaction.
Powering staff with the right enterprise mobility devices, apps, and AIDC (automatic identification data capture) tools such as mobile computers, barcode scanners, RFID readers, and other wireless devices increases their productivity, speed, and accuracy, leading to the best possible outcomes for your chain. The use of mobile devices gives floor employees, drivers, and managers the ability to digitally track their work eliminating errors and providing insight into areas in need of resources.
Better asset and driver management
The transportation of goods needs to be managed with the greatest efficiency—guaranteed delivery on-time, every time defines the success of the supply chain. Enterprise mobility solutions provide better tracking and complete visibility into this aspect of the process. IT admins can track assets and vehicle location connecting resources with the central business system.
Mobility includes system applications that grant real time visibility for product and inventory tracking and vehicle location. Transportation apps + GPS not only allow communication directly with the drivers but also ensure a healthy and safe driving environment, with the ability to monitor routes and schedules while making sure they are in compliance with government regulations.
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More easily identify performance and productivity gaps
Additionally, mobility solutions provide the necessary data collection supply chain managers need to identify gaps, loopholes, and errors in production, operations, or transportation. The right devices will provide the tools needed to streamline communications, alleviate performance gaps, enhance process agility, address inventory issues, optimize transportation and improve load planning and management.
Major players in supply chain management have gotten ahead by leveraging enterprise mobility solutions to remain connected to their business at every aspect.
Contact the experts at Imprint Enterprises to learn more about enterprise mobility solutions for supply chain management.
