Supply chains are complex systems and are susceptible to error from either human mistakes or system issues, requiring tools and processes in place that minimize these risks and their repercussions for operations.
Business leaders have seen first-hand how a single supply chain issue can cause major ripple effects throughout an organization. In this blog post, we will highlight some of the most perilous supply chain mistakes and how to prevent them.
1. Inconsistent Inventory Management
Consistent inventory management practices can lead to major complications down the road for supply chains. Such errors range from failing to keep accurate records of stock levels and shipments, miscalculating prices, or miscalculating delivery dates – mistakes which could prove costly for your online store or shipping goods to customers.
Minor discrepancies can easily be corrected, while larger ones can eat away at your profits. That is why investing in an inventory reconciliation process that records, tracks, and improves is critical – an efficient 3PL such as WareIQ can reduce picking errors while managing inventory real time to fulfill orders faster and reduce picking errors by tracking changes quickly.
Assuring warehouse processes are consistent across all locations is one key way to reduce discrepancies. This involves having a rigorous inward and outward process with each item checked against its supplier invoice to prevent items with different descriptions from entering your supply chain. Furthermore, working with reliable suppliers who can consistently meet your needs is key and having multiple suppliers and diversifying supply routes and ports will add resilience in case one supplier goes downhill.
2. Lack of End-to-End Visibility
One effective strategy to increase supply chain resilience is full, end-to-end visibility. Visibility allows companies to see where their materials are, how long it will take for them to reach distributors, and eventually customers’ hands. Furthermore, visibility helps companies identify and address any potential issues quickly – such as port congestion which currently affects Oakland, Savannah, Charleston New York City Los Angeles.
Unfortunately, many businesses operate with insufficient visibility. Instead of considering all aspects of value chains and their interdependencies, many businesses focus solely on downstream visibility alone – however this could have negative repercussions throughout their supply chains.
Truth be told, an end-to-end view of your supply chain is necessary for successful demand planning, inventory optimization, customer experience and risk management. Visibility shouldn’t be seen as just another add-on feature – rather, it should be treated as integral component to all other supply chain operations that work in concert. Without it, any one could suffer.
3. Poor Inventory Planning
Poor inventory management can be detrimental to any business. Left uncorrected, it can result in lost sales opportunities and diminished profit margins; eventually leading to organizational breakdown which could threaten its future viability.
With no accurate reports about sales trends, best-selling items and customer behavior available, businesses run the risk of ordering either too much or too little inventory – either way leading to issues in terms of fulfillment and fulfillment problems.
As well as errors, your organization could also be plagued with ghost inventory – an excess stock that lies dormant at warehouses or distribution centers but doesn’t exist in your system of record – leading to misleading inventory levels which lead to ordering mistakes and delivery delays that ultimately cost money and time.
Many supply chain mistakes can be corrected quickly if you know what to look out for. By investing time to implement necessary changes, you can avoid costly errors entirely and ensure your inventory meets customer demands accurately and on schedule.
4. Ineffective Warehouse Management
Warehouse management refers to overseeing the flow and storage of inventory at a 3PL facility. This involves planning, implementing and overseeing logistic and operational processes necessary for efficient warehouse operations – as well as monitoring them regularly for compliance purposes. Effective warehouse operations depend on effective management, which may be compromised due to resource restrictions, issues or mistakes.
Warehouse managers must balance accuracy with efficiency when managing inventory. Any errors in handling can lead to inefficiencies that decrease productivity, increase expenses and result in revenue lost.
Repetitive procedures that waste both time and resources are also an issue, such as failing to tag orders properly when entering a warehouse, which requires extra work when being processed or shipped incorrectly, leading to added handling costs that increase with each additional transaction.
Implementing proper systems to handle inventory is paramount to its successful management and handling. Such systems can help prevent costly errors while improving efficiency by using data to avoid unnecessary handling or additional steps. Warehouse overproduction or shortage costs cost the company money; taking measures to eliminate them must therefore be prioritized as soon as possible.
5. Improper Inventory Management
Inventory management is at the heart of supply chain operations for manufacturers, e-commerce businesses, freight/logistics operators and freight/logistics operations alike. Proper inventory control can reduce stockouts and spoilage while improving logistics operations and forecasting capabilities; conversely, improper management could result in costly mistakes such as overstocking, incorrect ordering and inefficient warehouse operations.
One of the biggest mistakes companies make with their inventory management practices is failing to collect accurate data across their supply chains, according to CoFounder. This includes collecting details on transaction histories, product testing results, supplier contracts, pricing agreements and material costs.
As businesses lack sufficient data, their inventory ordering practices often fall victim to overstuffing, leading to either excessive inventory levels and lost revenue or stockouts and missed customer opportunities. To prevent such errors from arising, switch from paper-based records and invoice processes with cloud-based software that creates paperless records while automating data input; organize inventory storage by shelf, bin and compartment levels while setting automatic reorder points according to preset stock levels and current availability; maintain safety stock for unexpected production delays or changes in demand.
Infographic created by Track Your Truck, a GPS vehicle tracking devices provider