Introduction
Supply chains are essential to our economy, livelihoods, and trade; however, they are relatively complex in their operations. Project management can augment these by enhancing organizational practices, accountability & boosting efficiency. Let us browse through some of the main aspects when considering how these two concepts interlink and synergize. Collectively, these are termed supply chain management solutions.
What are supply chains & why are they important?
Supply chains are essentially the journey of a product from start to finish. This entails procuring raw materials for the manufacturing process and then distributing them to respective stakeholders. Supply chain management solution providers can either be retailers or wholesalers (in most cases anyway). Hence, from a commercial aspect, a supply chain is a network of organizations, activities, data exchange & resources necessary to deliver a product (or service, as the case may be) to a client or customer.
Supply chains are essential as they enable any goods or services to be made available to the end consumer. Therefore, supply chains, be it food, clothes, cosmetics, toiletries (as essential items), furniture, electronics, electrical appliances or even automobiles, are needed. This is where supply chain risk management solutions enter the arena to safeguard supply chains from hindering factors, such as mismanagement.
What is project management & why is it significant?
Project management involves all stages of enabling a team to fulfil an aim within a specified duration. Also known as ‘project documentation’, this is curated at the start of the development process, defining all aspects of the project. These may include stakeholders, activities, ownership & responsibilities, timelines, as well as allocated funding for the project.
Project Management is vital as it ensures that the project runs in a smooth & timely manner, where everyone involved is aware & clear of their responsibilities plus expectations. This enables the project to proceed purposefully with a guiding direction, promoting efficient practices. Now supply chain management solution providers can facilitate this entire process in a unified manner.
How is project management related to solving supply chain problems?
Considering the continuing trend of globalization, perils of cyberattacks, compliance issues, higher consumer demand with shorter lead duration, and a broader playing field, it has become necessary to manage supply chains using a specific solution. Customers & suppliers are interconnected, sharing a fragile yet essential relationship. The further connecting points there are, the more complex the entire supply chain system becomes. To exemplify, if a new product is being introduced, however, customer feedback is sought for, then this, along with manufacturing & distributing the product itself, all formulate connection points.
So, what should be done to address this situation effectively? Well, here are a few concepts that are recognized industry-wise:
- Deploying the Critical Path technique unveils an activity sequence within a project plan. Specialized software displays tasks with dependencies and efficiently organizes these to minimize the overall duration to fulfill the target. Such tools which identify & manage this critical path effectively ensure that everyone knows what to do when it is due & how it should be handled. This way, teams can all collaborate & focus on the tasks at hand, delivering a synced performance in time to meet deadlines.
- Communicate & work together: supply on demand requires excellent communication, without which the entire cycle can be halted within minutes. Customers & suppliers, as well as their respective demand & supply, need to all be aligned for optimal performance. Significant outcomes are only possible when inter-departmental collaboration occurs.
- Utilizing collaborative project management software. This unifies team activities and schedule updates, mainly when connections are based in distinct locations/ time zones
- One can always use an effective convention – to call the respective person directly over the phone. Sometimes, this is the best solution and is simple to implement and perform
- The Agile approach deploys quick & flexible processes to reinvent existing inefficient protocols, promote market opportunity adaptability and drive business efficiently with digestible data. Furthermore, this stratification ensures that all parties benefit pretty. Now configure & personalize your program accordingly to serve everyone involved – including yourself.
Economic adversity, the pandemic & even geopolitical tensions all culminate to and mean one thing. Supply chains are under threat by volatility and need to be propelled as quickly & accurately. Then only will they operate ideally, drawing idealistic pathways to reach your desired destination (so to speak) as swiftly & accurately as possible. Operations and supply chain management solutions offer such remedial features to ensure that your supply chain always remains intact & runs smoothly.
TradeEdge from Edge Verve – A step into the future of supply chains
Edge Verve presents TradeEdge – a solution designed to be responsive to demand signals & boost sales opportunities! Execution of production plans & forecasting trends is one of the other features of TradeEdge. Furthermore, flexible & free-flowing workflows add to their complex user interface (UI) plus user experience (UX). This is an example of a global supply chain management solutions
Conclusion
So, there you have it. Supply chains encounter many issues and are already subjected to challenges. It organizes, sets deadlines, and synchronizes all team members to ensure that processes are completed cooperatively. The result? Quicker & better outcomes for all the stakeholders involved.
