Modern enterprises face several challenges related to supply chain management including data inaccuracy, redundancy, complex configuration, ever-changing customer expectations, and lack of mobility. It needs careful attention and proper execution to manage the supply chain efficiently. SAP Business One solution lends a helping hand for enterprises to control their supply chain and manage inventory effectively.

This post talks about key steps you can take to streamline and sharpen up your existing supply chain, and how SAP S/4HANA can be used to accelerate the transformation in any supply chain.

Let’s start with five fabulous ideas to save time, effort, and money while streamlining supply chain management.

Five Proactive Measures to Streamline Supply Chain Management

1. Use Smart Technology

With the advent of emerging technologies like AI (Artificial Intelligence), supply chain management software could enter a new era. Though pen and paper-based record-keeping has already gone, the supply chain or inventory management was unable to make the most of automation before the arrival and integration of smart technologies. For example, these days, many companies use barcode technology to automate the supply chain management system. Biggest companies including the retail giant Amazon have already deployed machine learning and AI-based processes to manage inventory effectively and automate the entire supply chain process.

2. Collect Real-time Data

When it comes to streamlining the supply chain management, gathering and analyzing the real-time data plays a vital role. Every day, you can have a whole host of data across the supply chain, and analyzing this data can help you make informed decisions in real-time. You can also tighten up various aspects of inventory, sales, and warehouse-related processes to ensure higher efficiency in supply chain management. You can readily pick up the patterns and stay ahead of your competitors with ease by analyzing the real-time data accurately.

3. Optimize Warehouse Management

Improper warehouse management makes companies laggards in implementing robust inventory and supply chain management systems. It is, therefore, necessary to monitor the movement of goods in the warehouse and optimize its layout. Optimizing warehouse management will enable you to make the most of the space available. You can rearrange shelves and move items in a way to make better utilization of storage areas and mark the difference. SAP Business One on HANA can help you optimize the warehouse by keeping records of stock movement and inventory.

4. Strengthen Demand Forecasting

Accurate predictions for the future can help you manage the inventory and supply chain efficiently. A business owner cannot become Nostradamus, but advancing AI technology and Machine Learning technique can give them an advantage of predictive analysis. As an ERP solution for SMEs, SAP Business One fetches all the data related to sales figures and enable your company’s management to weather patterns for predicting the customer’s requirements. You can strengthen demand forecasting simply by capturing and analyzing data related to more factors. It is also better to make a model to forecast the demand and keep it changing to make it more efficient over the period.

5. Establish Closer Ties with Supplier

One of the major aspects to streamline and manage the supply chain effectively is to foster strong relationships with suppliers. It is because your supply chain is dependent on suppliers at one point or another every time. While building greater trust, you can rely more on their services and manage the supply chain more effectively. The customized ERP solution has inventory management and supplier management modules to achieve this objective.

Apart from implementing these five practices to manage your supply chain effectively, you can use a series of technical aspects along with the SAP S/4HANA foundation to sharpen up the supply chain.

How to Transform Supply Chain with SAP S/4HANA

• Innovate

The SME sector needs continuous innovation and creativity. Whether you own a startup, small, or mid-sized enterprise, you can always utilize the data as a driver for implementing an innovative approach to new products and services.

• Configure

It is essential to configure the entire system in a way that supports multiple and sustainable supply chains to leverage the benefits of sharing ownership of assets from external partners.

• Connect

As mentioned above, strengthening ties with external suppliers or vendors is always beneficial for businesses as you can readily manage the supply chains. Customized SAP solution enables the company’s management to connect to assets, people, and processes.

• Operate

A reputed SAP partner assists you to refocus on the growth of your business by implementing a dynamic operating model and data-driven, flexible workforce.

• Optimize

Based on the real-time reports and business objectives, you can optimize the supply chain model as and when necessary. Optimizing the supply chain can add value for the customer and contribute to providing an excellent customer experience.

These five approaches can enable you to sharpen up the supply chain management while implementing the above-mentioned measures to streamline the supply chain.

Concluding Lines

SAP S/4HANA offers an excellent opportunity to manage and control the value chain from scratch. You can easily reconfigure the supply chain in line with the customer’s requirements in real-time using SAP solutions. The outcome of a customer-centric supply chain is an accelerated growth with a loyal customer base. You can make the most of demand forecasting and innovative approach to transforming your value chain using customized SAP solutions.

Silver Touch Technologies USA is a leading SAP Business One partner across the world. Our in-house team of certified developers provides the best-in-class services for developing customized SAP B1 apps and extensions. We also offer highly advanced solutions in RPA (Robotic Process Automation) and enterprise software domains to transform modern businesses digitally. Do you want to drive growth for your business? Simply send us an email at info@silvertouch.com and our expert consultants will contact you soon!