Software tools. Your company has lots of them, right? One piece of software for supply chain communication, another one for order management, one more for tracking invoices, a few spreadsheets with chunks of data about products and shipment dates, and an ERP that is supposed to bring everything together in one place.
The abundance of software tools can easily create a tangled mess when trying to integrate all this information so you can track down the latest, most up-to-date version of the truth to make informed decisions.
Fortunately, there is a solution to address the top challenges of supply chain integration! Let’s unpack these challenges and find a solution that will simplify your supply chain.
What Are Your Challenges with Supply Chain Integration?
From our conversations with customers, we have discovered five common problems companies face when trying to integrate the various aspects of their supply chain.
1. Large systems. Usually, we notice that companies have large systems that are not very nimble. These systems lack the flexibility to incorporate data from new sources or to make existing data easily accessible. Then, every time something new is added to the system, the system becomes weighed down and is less able to support supply chain decision-making.
2. Lack of support. Large systems come with a frustrating cousin: a lack of available IT support. You may experience difficulty receiving cooperation from your in-house IT team or third-party providers when you need to initiate an integration project.
3. Silos. Another people-related challenge we have observed is that it’s difficult to achieve buy-in from personnel accustomed to their siloed processes. They are comfortable with their spreadsheets, even if it slows everything and everyone else down. Breaking dependencies on old ways of doing things is very time-consuming but necessary to support integrations.
4. Waste. Supply chain waste comes in various shapes and sizes. The largest problem with multiple systems and spreadsheets – and frequently overlooked – is the resulting process and communication waste.
In these situations, personnel spend too much time and effort trying to find specific information, leading to more emails and phone calls. Time is money, and companies will quickly run out of time or money utilizing resources to accommodate inefficient processes.
5. Stale data. When companies have an abundance of spreadsheets and different systems, this causes a lag in data retrieval and information processing. It becomes very difficult to make quick and accurate decisions because no one is quite sure which data is the most accurate and recent. Then, people have to go back to the last person who updated the system to verify the most up-to-date information. That’s more communication waste!
Do these challenges sound all too familiar in your company? We’d like to show you that brighter days are ahead with integrating your supply chain.
How CloudLogix Can Support Supply Chain Integrations
We’re here to tell you that efficiency and cost savings are achievable for your company! Through our CloudLogix supply chain platform, we can simplify and streamline processes, data integrations, and communication to provide you with a robust system that works for you, not against you.
Check out the video below to see for yourself…
In addition to providing you with access to our software platform, we also offer expert support. Consider the benefits of working with the CloudLogix team:
– Our in-house integrations experts can handle all communication with your software providers and IT personnel to complete integrations in stellar time.
– All of our support staff come from a supply chain and logistics background. You gain access to the expertise you need to help navigate your people and processes seamlessly through the software optimization steps.
– We will set up specific integrations that fit your current needs. If you are looking for quick results, then ERP and freight carrier integrations are the most common choices for optimization. However, we have the tools and expertise needed to integrate with nearly anything you currently use in your company.
In our experience, one of the most beneficial integrations that we have set up is between our platform and various aspects of ERP systems. By doing this, we are able to connect your company’s purchase/sales order data directly to shipping/tracking data, all the way down to shipping cost. This integration allows us to send your system advanced shipping notices (ASNs) so that you always know what orders are coming in and when to expect each order.
Specific to our freight carrier integration, this is a huge opportunity to realize cost savings and to increase visibility in real-time. With carrier integrations, your company can compare rates in a timely manner – all in one place. You can also obtain shipping documents and centralize all of your tracking data. You no longer need to check multiple sources or make multiple calls to obtain tracking info!
Work With CloudLogix to Optimize Supply Chain Integrations
Looking for a supply chain software provider that gets the industry? We are your go-to partner. We’ll identify the best pathway to address your company’s challenges of supply chain integrations and then implement a solution that fits your needs. Simple and easy.
Let’s talk about solutions, process improvements, and how we can work together on the best optimization steps for your supply chain! Contact us today for a consultation. We look forward to supporting your company.
