5 Simple Ways to Get More out of Your Supply Chain Management System

Supply chain management software is the foundation of effective manufacturing and logistics processes. And it’s even more critical in the time of COVID, as single-source supply streams have quickly given way to more agile and adaptive (and hence, more complex) supply chain activities and frameworks. From demand planning to inventory management and warehouse management, complexity has intensified across the entire supply chain, and the need for digitization and automation is greater than ever before.

 Key Takeaways

• The right supply chain management software not only enables effective supply chain management, it can also provide a competitive advantage and the foundation for better customer satisfaction, more precise inventory control, and lower supply chain costs.
• Moving to the cloud offers one of the quickest paths to improved supply chain management with lower upfront costs, a predictable cost structure, less need for IT, added security, and many other benefits.
• With the right setup and optimal integrations with third-party logistics systems, agents, and agencies, the need for duplicate data entry can be eliminated. This helps ensure that supply chain systems – and staff – spend time improving on-the-ground processes instead of tracking down duplicates.

• By choosing the Magaya Digital Freight Platform, you benefit from flexible, interoperable, modular solutions designed to streamline complex and redundant processes, optimize productivity, reduce costs, and grow revenue.

Despite the need for improved proactivity and enhanced performance, Supply Chain Management Review notes that 46 percent of companies are struggling to maximize supply chain technology thanks to changing requirements and regulations. 44 percent also point to a lack of collaborative functionality, and 40 percent say technology actually gets in the way of overall efficacy.

In this post, we’ll explore five simple ways for supply chain professionals to get more out of their scm system – without breaking the bank.

What is a Supply Chain Management System (SCM System)?

Supply chain management systems, also commonly referred to as scm software, supply chain management software, or scm solution, have evolved significantly over the past few years to include a host of new functionalities designed for global supply chain support.

From real-time inventory optimization to data-driven trends analytics and enhanced product traceability processes, next-generation supply chain tools can help bridge the gap between existing legacy supply chain software and evolving customer demand.

The right supply chain management software not only enables effective supply chain management, it can also provide a competitive advantage and the foundation for better customer satisfaction, more precise inventory control, and lower supply chain costs.

The challenge? Simply having a best-of-breed supply chain management system doesn’t guarantee results. To ensure supply chain technology delivers both immediate and long-term ROI, it’s critical for companies to take an active role in the deployment, integration, and adoption of these solutions at scale.

Here are five ways to help jumpstart this performance process.

How to Get More Out of Your Supply Chain Management System

1) Move Your Supply Chain System to the Cloud

Moving to the cloud offers one of the quickest paths to improved supply chain management. Here’s why: By levering the on-demand resources of reputable, cloud-based supply chain solution providers , companies can quickly scale up as demand increases – and scale back down as demand shifts, enabling continuous improvement of inventory management.

When deployed in the cloud, modern supply chain solutions also come with the benefit of low upfront investments. Since you’re purchasing computing power rather than physical hardware, you’re not on the hook for significant capital spending and aren’t responsible for the ongoing upgrades and maintenance to cloud servers. Instead, costs are predictable and consistent, making it much easier to budget and plan for. As a supply chain organization, you gain the freedom to focus on what really matters instead of tedious IT (information technology) management.

Also worth noting is that Cloud security has advanced significantly in the last five years, as providers look to boost loyalty and prevent fraud with cutting-edge data protection practices.

2) Connect Third-Party Logistics Systems

As noted above, collaboration is a common stumbling block for supply chain solutions. While existing tools often deliver top-tier performance across a narrow band of functions, incorporating additional applications and services can be complex and time-consuming.

Here, it’s worth looking for supply chain management system providers that offer the ability to connect with popular third-party systems – such as accounting , CRM, or ERP tools – without leaving your supply chain management ecosystem. Not only does this reduce frustration for staff trying to quickly complete key tasks but also improves security since data remains under the supply chain umbrella at scale.

3) Avoid Duplicate Data Entry

Duplicate data entry costs your business time and money. In most cases, this data duplication is unintentional; several staff members may record incoming product details or outgoing delivery metrics and enter them into supply chain management systems to help improve overall accuracy. Once in your system, however, it’s easy for these metrics to cause conflict and confusion when it comes to current stock levels or delivery time estimates.

Your best bet is to look for tools capable of automatically detecting and eliminating duplicate data entries, or better yet, stopping them before they begin! With the right setup and optimal integrations with third-party systems, agents, and agencies, the need for duplicate data entry can be eliminated. This helps ensure that supply chain systems – and staff – spend time improving on-the-ground processes instead of tracking down duplicates.

4) Continuously Audit Your Usage of the System

Is your supply chain management system operating optimally? Here, many supply chain management professionals take an “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it approach” to supply chain management – so long as no major errors are occurring and orders are fulfilled on time, there’s often little interest in rocking the process boat.

In fact, most companies could benefit from auditing and optimizing the use of supply chain systems. From newly-added functions to application and service connections that exist in supply software frameworks but haven’t been enabled, it’s worth conducting regular system audits to determine where tools are delivering ideal performance and where they can be improved. You may very well be paying for some features that could be benefiting your business, and you just haven’t dusted them off yet! Not sure where to start? The best supply chain solution providers will help you make the most of their systems and keep you in the loop about new releases.

5) Add New Modules Instead of Ripping and Replacing

When companies run up against legacy supply chain issues, one operational option is “rip and replace” – tear everything out and start from scratch. And while this may offer improved performance over time, it also puts businesses in a difficult position during the transition period; what if new services and solutions don’t work as intended or experience issues during deployment?

In this case, it’s worth considering modular systems that make it easy to simply add new modules on top of existing functions without disrupting day-to-day operations. In a world where real-time supply chain visibility and traceability is the expectation, modular systems can help ensure that your supply chain management system is capable of delivering on time, every time.

One good example here is a digital forwarder portal. You don’t need to change your whole ERP (enterprise resource planning) system to be able to modernize your customer service and experience. Look for a solution that can extend your back-end with a customer-facing portal for self-service quote requests, bookings, visibility, reports, and more.

The Future of Supply Chain Management: Solving for the “New Normal”

Supply chains have undergone significant disruption – and the process is ongoing. In this “new normal” of multiple-source, multifaceted supply chain systems, companies can get more from current solutions by considering cloud moves, connecting third-party systems, avoiding duplicate data entry, auditing ongoing usage, and adding new supply chain modules on-demand. Solving for the new normal demands supply chain transformation to ensure the resilience and agility to endure whatever challenges lie on the road ahead.

How to Pick the Best Supply Chain Management System for Your Business

While you can often get more mileage out of an existing supply chain management system by following the recommendations in this article, it’s equally as important to know when it’s time to start fresh. And when replacing your SCM software is on the table, making the right choice can make or break your business. The logtech market these days is cluttered and confusing, so it’s important to conduct thorough research and ask all the right questions. What’s right for one freight forwarder or 3PL might not be suitable for another. Confused about where to start? Review sites like G2 and Capterra can be excellent resources for comparing the best supply chain management systems as rated by real-life users. 

How Magaya Can Help Modernize Your Supply Chain Operations

More than 2300 freight forwarders, NVOCCs, 3PLs, and other logistics services providers worldwide trust Magaya to help them grow and optimize their business operations.

By choosing the Magaya Digital Freight Platform, you benefit from flexible, interoperable, modular solutions designed to streamline complex and redundant processes, optimize productivity, reduce costs, and grow revenue.

• Digital Customer Experience : The Magaya Digital Freight Portal gets you quickly established as a digital freight forwarder to deliver the transparency, control, and ease of use that modern customers expect. From schedules to quotes, bookings, and reporting, we’ve got you covered with a branded and customized web portal that will set your business apart from the rest.
• Customs Compliance : Our ACE-certified ABI solution is focused on compliance, security, and technology. It provides advanced customs compliance features with an intuitive interface, easily enabling automation, efficiency, and increased compliance.
• Rate Management : Our industry-leading rating and quoting solution simplifies complex data and allows you to access data and manage margins from a central control tower. The interface emulates real-life business scenarios delivering critical information and data points that are organized in a practical way, making the solution intuitive, detailed, and customizable.
• CRM : Put your customer data in the spotlight with Magaya CRM. Integrated with Magaya Supply Chain, this time-saving logistics CRM solution eliminates redundancies and fosters collaboration across sales and operations teams with greater visibility, streamlined processes, and built-in business intelligence.
• Cloud-Based : Cloud-based supply chain software enables you to run your business on the go and provides the added benefit of enhanced versatility, security, reliability, all with lower IT costs.
• Integrated : Magaya offers standard integrations to leading third-party apps like QuickBooks Online , enabling you to make the most out of our solutions without having to rip and replace other tools you’re already using.
• Designed for Productivity : At Magaya, we don’t rest until we’ve helped you reach new heights in productivity. Duplicate data entry is our enemy. We are obsessed with efficiency, so we’ve designed the Magaya Ecosystem to manage everything from order acquisition to product destination via a single logistics software platform with built-in analytics, saving you keystrokes and giving you back precious time in your day.
• Best Support in the Industry : Magaya provides every customer with expert phone and live chat technical support by real, nice humans, for no extra charge. Whether you’re just getting started or want to audit your usage to take your Magaya technology to the next level, we’ve got you covered with expert support.
• Extendable : Magaya offers a collection of extensions and apps specifically for the logistics industry, enabling you to scale the Magaya Supply Chain solution to your changing needs and reducing costs for customization or integration.