Mobile Supply Chain: Benefits, Visibility and Uses

While a company's supply chain is just a set of processes and actions, it might as well be a living and breathing thing. Supply chains evolve as quickly as anything else within an organization's structure whenever there are advances in technology.

An efficient and effective supply chain is the gold standard but it can be tough to hold something to that standard when it is constantly changing. You can start to enhance your supply chain performance by converting to a mobile supply chain – which means infusing your supply chains with mobile technology. This mobile technology improves speed, accuracy, and output when properly utilized.

In this article, we'll take a look at the characteristics of a mobile supply chain and the benefits for you if you are using or considering using a mobile supply chain.

Here's the Breakdown on the Mobile Supply Chain

A mobile supply chain is using smartphones or portable laptops or other technology to complete tasks within the supply chain. These devices can provide full functionality and access to a company's business systems without any sort of limitations. Mobile devices today have incredible processing power, which provides companies an alternate avenue for running their supply chain processes.

Instead of keeping your supply chain managers in the office for the normal 9-5 grind, you can have your employees anywhere and everywhere while still giving them full access to the supply chain. This type of mobility is a major coup for companies who operate around the clock. A supply chain manager who is off the clock can still take care of any situation that may pop up while they're on the go no matter what time of day or night an issue occurs.

Benefits of a Mobile Supply Chain

Improved Accuracy

Business intelligence applications give you and your supply chain workers a live look into processes and procedures wherever you are throughout the day. This real-time look into data, statistics and production levels enables companies to change course at a moment's notice. The ability to take an accurate look into how your supply chain is functioning at any given time makes it easy for you to identify areas of concern. You can then prioritize your focus to address any areas that need improvement without having to be in the office.

Real-time Information Exchange

Imagine being able to see exactly what your warehouse employees are working on and exactly where they're at with their task. Mobile applications and devices are providing companies with that advantage. There are wearable and handheld devices your warehouse employees can use to access applications, company software systems, and send a variety of information instantly with others in the warehouse or colleagues higher up in the supply chain ladder. Anyone on your team with access to supply chain operations and applications can exchange information instantaneously, which cuts down on multiple emails and phone calls trying to share the correct information.

Increased Productivity

When everyone from the ground up can use mobile applications to speed up tasks and boost employee productivity, you free up more time across your supply chain. When you have better results in less time, you can allocate your resources to problem areas of your supply chain without having to worry about a bottleneck somewhere else. A mobile supply chain helps you step out of a rigid mold and into processes and tasks that can be modified on the fly without fear of a reaction through the rest of your supply chain. The ability to adapt on the fly is becoming so important as supply chains adjust to new technology, consumer habits and pressure to be as lean as possible.

Inventory Tracking

Without an accurate inventory, you have no idea if you need to empty the shelves or if they'll be empty in a week. A mobile supply chain provides more visibility into your inventory tracking and processes. This visibility allows you to analyze historical data to see where your peaks and valleys are within the sales cycle. Having access to this data from any mobile device can help you improve your replenishment habits, which will lead to savings. Ordering the right amount of product will leave less sitting on warehouse shelves for extended periods of time, which costs you money as you cannot use this space for other product.

Final Thoughts

Mobile supply chains are becoming the norm across many industries because of the benefits they provide to companies like yours. You can see improved accuracy, faster communication, increased productivity and savings through your inventory and other supply chain processes. Mobile supply chains are moving faster, and if you are not integrating this technology into your current supply chain model, you would be wise to take a look at how you could benefit from mobile applications.