Note: Today’s post is part of our “Editor’s Pick” series where we highlight recent posts published by our sponsors that provide practical knowledge and advice on timely and important supply chain and logistics topics. In this post, Chris Brablc from MP Objects shares insights and advice on how supply chain leaders can achieve a challenging objective: reducing costs associated with fulfilling customer orders while also driving customer growth and retention.
Over the past decade, supply chain leaders have increasingly been asked to reduce the cost associated with fulfilling of customer orders on-time and in-full. However, in most cases, they have been asked to do so with less funding while the quantity of orders has increased. Let’s face it; that is tough position to be in.
However, what’s interesting is that we are seeing that many are seeing experience beginning to trump product and cost in how we compete for customer mindshare from a sales and marketing standpoint. That is putting increased pressure on departments that traditionally have been seen as cost centers including supply chain and customer success to be at the forefront of customer growth and retention and in turn, company success.
The benchmarks for an engaging customer experience have been consistently rising with companies such as Amazon, Apple and Walmart moving the goalposts for which all B2C and B2B businesses must begin to emulate. These heightened customer expectations in terms of faster lead times, increased service levels and our own goals of penetrating new markets have all led to monumental supply chain complexity that lands directly in the laps of supply chain leaders to “figure it out”.
In this digital age where pace of change is increasingly rapidly, how do we as supply chain leaders continue to reduce costs associated with fulfilling customer orders while being a consistent driver of customer growth and retention?
