Business Systems Need to Provide Supply Chain Visibility
Business systems that enhance supply chain visibility can help your business grow. A study conducted by IDG research for Sage provides insights into these and other methods that manufacturers consider to be of primary importance for business growth.
Top Considerations for Business Systems: Integration, Automation, Mobility
Among the top three priorities for technology investment by manufacturers, integration leads the way. Manufacturers want their inventory systems to integrate fully with their CRM systems, accounting, and sales software to help customers track shipments and provide real-time updates on where items are in transit.
Automation is also among the top three investments cited by the survey respondents. Manufacturers are looking for more ways to automate their businesses from front-end operations to sales and back-end fulfillment. Automation cuts down on costs, reduces human errors, and makes companies more efficient. All three lead to greater profits.
Lastly, when asked where they plan to invest their IT dollars, manufacturers cite using mobile technology to make sales and customer service departments more efficient. Cloud-based business systems and enterprise software are making data available to all employees, no matter where they’re working. This provides better information and updates which can, in turn, lead to higher customer satisfaction. The faster your sales and service team can answer customer queries about their shipments, the higher their satisfaction; and, the more they return to order from your company.
Insights into the Importance of Supply Chain Visibility
Nothing is more frustrating to customers than to hear “I don’t know” when they call and ask where their orders are in the shipping process. Businesses depend on reliable shipments to keep their doors open.
That concern is reflected in the IDG survey. When asked, “To what extent is your company experiencing challenges in the following areas in the daily operation of your business?”, 63 percent of companies responded yes, they are experiencing challenges in maintaining reliable shipments.
Investing in Warehouse Software Pays Back
In the same survey, companies were asked about areas of technology in which they had invested in the past one to two years, and whether or not they felt that investment paid off.
According to the survey, 61 percent of respondents had invested in software that would improve the efficiency of warehouse logistics and the accuracy of order fulfillment. The results of that investment showed an impressive 86 percent of respondents felt that this investment generated an improvement in their business.
Good Supply Chain Management Engenders Confidence
It’s really no surprise that investments into fulfillment accuracy generated an improvement in business. When customers get what they pay for on time and in good condition, they are satisfied with their order. When service is even better than they expected, thanks to robust enterprise software that includes supply chain management, they feel confident in their business decisions. Good service engenders confidence in a vendor, which in turn can lead to repeat business.
It’s an old saying that 80 percent of your business comes from 20 percent of your customers, but ask any business person and they’ll say that it’s true. The less you need to spend on customer acquisition, the better. With good supply chain management and ERP solutions in place, you may find that customers order for the quality of your goods but return for the excellent service.
Sage 300 and Inventory Advisor from IWI
Real time insights into your supply chain are available with the click of a button. Sage Inventory Advisor seamlessly integrates Sage 300cloud (formerly known as Sage 300) and Sage EM (formerly known as Sage X3) to product accurate, timely and actionable data to improve customer satisfaction and retention. From enterprise software to business systems and more, when better data means increased profits, contact us. Call IWI at 1-866-916-3851 today.