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Whether a company manufactures protective eyewear, televisions, or smartphones, the importance of a robust and resilient supply chain cannot be overstated. In order for that to be put in place and maintained, companies are recognizing the vital role that supply chain managers are increasingly playing. In turbulent times, these professionals have become crucial.
ENHANCE CUSTOMER SERVICE
The technological products that electronics companies manufacture have become both ubiquitous and indispensable to consumers and workplaces. When disruptions in the supply chain occur, shipments can be delayed or orders bungled. A competent supply chain manager can work directly with clients to ensure that there is no confusion about expectations. Should issues arise, the manager is perfectly positioned to be transparent with all stakeholders, holding all parties accountable for their roles in the situation, negotiating workarounds when possible and finding alternative solutions. Often, hard feelings are smoothed away just through attention and empathy on the manager’s part.
REDUCE COSTS
A supply chain manager has their finger on the pulse of the entire network, often using technological innovations like artificial intelligence and machine language to augment their knowledge. As a result, inventory levels can be refined so that warehouses only stock goods in quantities that customers need. Furthermore, the manager can react quickly to delays in the network to prevent costly bottlenecks.
IMPROVE THE COMPANY’S POSITION WITHIN ITS INDUSTRY
Because the supply network is the beating heart of an electronics manufacturer, it stands to reason that a successful manager can have a direct effect on the entire firm’s corporate well-being. The hard work of a manager can result in supply chain streamlining that can save the company significantly, leading to higher profits and happy shareholders. Increased inventory efficiency can lead to fewer warehouses, plants and vehicles, further cutting expenses and helping the environment. Finally, a smoothly functioning supply network often gets components to the end-user faster, enabling invoicing and payments to occur more quickly.
No matter how you slice it, supply chain managers are critical to a modern electronics manufacturing company’s success. The recent pandemic has underscored that fact since it was the organizations with top-tier managers who were in the best position to guide their firms through the unprecedented interruptions and fear that COVID-19 brought about. Although the pandemic is considered by many to be a so-called black swan event that cannot be predicted or planned for, it has demonstrated to all businesses the importance of forethought and supply chain diversification.
Moving forward, it is supply chain managers who will be charged with the complicated tasks of steering their employers through both good and bad times. It is important to assemble a premium supply management team sooner rather than later before the next war, terrorist attack or pandemic crashes on the scene. As we have seen, companies that make this a priority will benefit in many ways.
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This content is brought to you by Henry Brady.
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