The supply chain overload has generated a lot of uncertainty in SMEs in recent months. For this reason, Zebra Technologies Corporation has identified three initiatives that retail companies can put in place to minimize the impact that supply chain overload is causing. Manufacturers are under great pressure to increase production capacity and throughput and demand is likely putting many distributors in an awkward position.
“Competition for scarce equipment and parts inventory has unleashed extremely intense competition. SMEs are going to feel that they are fighting unequally against supply. All distributors are going to feel pressured by their customers, forced to balance long-term commitments with current supply capabilities.”, emphasizes Amanda Honig, responsible for Small and Medium Businesses of Zebra Technologies. “So what can small and medium-sized distributors do to maintain operational continuity and retain customers’ confidence in their ability to deliver? They have to find a way to see beyond”.
In other words, when goods, services, or labor are limited, we must “learn to do more with less”. Zebra invites SMEs to reconsider whether ancient practices they are still the best for your business. The best way for smaller dealers to make their size an advantage is to get a first-hand look at what’s really going on. To do this, they need to talk to the people in the know, the ones on the ground at every point in the supply chain.
1. Downplay the downsides
Instead of feeling disadvantaged as a small distributor because you have fewer tangible resources than your competitors, you should focus on your agility. They don’t have to go through all the bureaucratic processes of big firms when they want to look for alternative sources, use new delivery channels, or reorganize teams to better cope with increasing workloads.
And while it doesn’t yet have robots or other automation technologies employed in its distribution centers, it does have dedicated, hard-working people who have been miraculously running the business for months, some with just the right tools.
The potential that could be realized would be enormous if they simply digitized all company data, as well as some key workflows, such as inventory management, receiving, order picking, packing and shipping. Merely providing workers with reliable IT equipment that can alert them to truck arrivals, stock dwindling, or a new order due today could be a game changer.
Plus, equipping shop floor workers with tools to keep managers and customers informed of progress in real time means your customer service teams will spend less time handling queries. Managers can reassign those workers to priority tasks that keep customers satisfied.
2. Evaluate your resources
It is important, as an SME, to make the most of the labor and technological tools that you already have at your disposal. If you have enough staff, but just need them to move faster to increase production capacity, the first step is to provide them with high-capacity IT equipment or, in your case, barcode scanners, radio frequency identification (RFID) readers and mobile printers.
They can also conduct faster and more frequent inventory counts so the business can stay several days ahead. If on-time replenishment seems impossible due to longer production lead times, the company can alert customers and work with them to find alternative solutions that allow them to meet deadlines.
If workers already have basic technology tools, it may be time to give their work a bigger boost. Equipping warehouse employees with portable Bluetooth scanners instead of handheld scanners could be just what they need to get hold of items faster and move carts more safely and efficiently.
connect a RFID reader to a laptop can also give workers the great power to instantly locate items. This could be the beginning of automation in your distribution center, key to maintaining operational continuity as well as long-term competitive advantage when manpower is limited.
3. Improve your workforce to increase productivity
If the SME obtains data in real time, it will be easier to evaluate its operation in terms of efficiency and capacity. Can measure performance globally and then drill down by department, volume, and worker to see where gap-filling opportunities exist. This process will also reveal the strengths of the workers and assign each of them to the right team and shift. It also allows you to prescriptively assign tasks to certain people based on their availability, location and skills.
