Supply chain processes have remained similar in their broad strokes over the years, with the cycle of goods moving from material suppliers to manufacturers and then on to vendors, staying in warehouses along the way. According to a recent report by Supply Chain Digest, however, several experts in the warehouse management market have seen software systems in the industry going through changes and evolution, delivering new capabilities.
Digital technology has taken over business as a whole. Some areas, however, remain stubbornly resistant to changes that could bring large-scale productivity and agility boosts. According to CFO magazine, small and medium-sized businesses can overcome the difficulty of managing large quantities of physical paperwork, an anachronistic inefficiency that could get in the way of effective operations, by employing EDI solutions.
Supply chain management is not only for retailers. While merchants are likely the first group that comes to mind when discussing procurement and logistics, the field extends to any company with a need to move goods. The technology and competencies that make a great retail supply chain can extend to other fields as well. In recent years, advances in these techniques and products have been many and varied, focusing on making each employee, each piece of software and each physical location in the supply chain as efficient as possible.
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With supply chain management globalizing and accelerating in response to consumer demand, companies have begun to search for different ways to cover the wide distances between partners and do so in less time than ever. The answer could lie in electronic data interchange (EDI) systems, sending information quickly and securely between links in the supply chain without the risk of non-specialized systems or the inefficiency that comes from using a variety of systems in tandem.
According to a recent report by software firm SEEBURGER, companies can save money by combining and modernizing the technological processes behind the supply chain. Supply chain management has become a global concern, with companies spreading their operations around the world in search of the most reliable trading partners and lowest costs. This means that businesses need strong B2B integration solutions to ensure the process runs smoothly.
Companies with complicated supply chains may be wondering what software solutions could help untangle their worldwide network of connections. Industry expert Steve Rees, writing for Supply Chain Digital, has a very simple idea for companies - change the way they exchange their information. A simple electronic document interchange (EDI) solution can help. Managed EDI, Rees stated, has the interlocked benefits of visibility and intelligence, with the technology linking well with numerous other business systems.
Sharp fluctuations in purchase orders can have a dramatic impact on an organization's supply chain and the business as a whole. As a result, companies should address the three factors that contribute to purchase order volatility, according to a Spend Matter report. These elements include timing variations between orders, varying order quantities and the frequency of orders placed.
| Since their creation during the 1970s, electronic data interchange standards have become the go-to business integration solutions for companies looking to transmit information quickly and easily between business partners, regulators and customers. |
