Supply chain management comprises of series of time-consuming and complicated processes that present challenges to the company. If you want maximum ROI (return on investment) while establishing small businesses in multinational conglomerates, then it requires supplier relationship, risk, and logistics management. It would be highly costly without end-to-end visibility. Today, we’ll discuss the end-to-end visibility supply chain; its definition, tips on how to improve it; and its advantages, and disadvantages.
What is end-to-end Visibility Supply Chain?
The end-to-end visibility supply chain is the method of making all the stages and processes of SCM transparent and visible from sourcing to delivering the finished goods to the end consumers. Transparency has become possible by carefully evaluating all the stages involved in the process, gathering relevant data, and organizing it in the centralized database management system.
It would help you to review, analyze, and generate actionable insight to amplify your business processes, make strategic decisions, and make long-term financial plans. The E2E visibility comprises of following areas;
- Inventory and procurement management
- Customers and sales services
- Quality control
- Operations
- Logistics
- Finances
The transparency of all the areas is significant for the comprehensive data analysis. It allows you to make sure that every team member has got right and complete needed information for effective collaboration and communication and it helps you in the following ways;
- Supporting business goals
- Optimizing business processes
- Amplifying and innovating product offering
- Satisfying expectations of customers and stakeholders
How to improve end-to-end Visibility SC – Tips
Some of the main tips on how to improve end-to-end visibility supply chain are as follows;
Integration
You should integrate your templates and file standardization with other software and applications like CRM (customer relation management), ERP (enterprise resource planning), accounting, and others. It would help you to make sure that everyone is on the same page, and that you are employing the same file processes and formats.
Streamlining Processes
You can streamline workflow processes by robotic automation processes, machine learning, and cost-saving methods. It allows you to remove the human intervention needed in time-consuming activities like invoice verification and data entry. However, it amplifies data availability, completion, and quality; so that the employees could refocus their time and energy on other areas.
Centralized Procurement
A centralized procurement system in terms of value creation station and data centers offer you transparency and visibility for your company. The analytical tools and process improvement would help you in the following ways;
- Long-term strategic development
- Financial planning and reporting
- Cash flow management
- Forecasting
- Budgeting
Cloud-Based System
The cloud-based centralized database management system offers you access to your team members and real-time visibility. They would also help you to employ data coming from both directions upstream and downstream to;
- Refine logistical processes
- Optimized operations
- Integrating finances with sales, marketing, and strategic planning
- Amplifying value efficiency from sourcing, and procurement to sales
- Getting an insight into every dollar spent
KPIs
KPIs (key performance indicators) would help you to recognize the areas that need improvements like service level compliance, lead time, and vendor management KPI. It offers you an opportunity to develop your key suppliers into supply chain partners.
Advantages of End-to-End Visibility SCM
Some of the main advantages and benefits of an end-to-end visibility supply chain are as follows;
No Complexity
When you have the key insight throughout the SC network, then it would help you resolve the logistical issues that would jeopardize the profitability of the company. It also amplifies trust and confidence among customers.
Customer Satisfaction
It allows you to ensure the availability of the right product at the right place at the right time. It helps you to track customers’ orders from sourcing to delivery.
Easy Compliance
International SC has to comply with regulatory requirements that are changing from time to time. It makes sure the ethical behavior of your SC partners and reduces the risk of reputation.
Disadvantages of End-to-End Visibility SCM
Some of the main disadvantages and challenges to end-to-end visibility supply chain are as follows;
Tiresome Activity
No one denies the significance of E2E SC visibility. However performing in the routine SC operations is an extra task that employees, partners, and stakeholders have to do at every stage of the process. Only then the system would become transparent, and it is a tiresome activity that they avoid.
Expensive Tools
Companies need to allocate a significant amount of capital resources to tools, equipment, and software for the digital SC process. It is difficult for companies to maintain visibility and transparency while making critical business decisions like; competitive growth and performance, reaching goals and profitability, financial forecasts, and budgeting.
Traditional Approaches
Along with tech investment to achieve SC transparency, companies are overly involved in the traditional operational processes. The traditional method considers account payables, procurement, and operations as separate entities rather than shared process or success.
Broken System
When the traditional approach puts over-emphasis on one point without optimizing the other one, then it results in the form of a broken system. The data would remain unclear, incomplete, and wrong, and it jeopardizes the transparency.
Conclusion: End-to-end Visibility Supply Chain
After an in-depth study of the end-to-end visibility supply chain; we have realized E2E SC transparency is highly significant for the company’s growth and competitiveness. If you are learning about E2E visibility supply chain management, then you should keep in mind the abovementioned improvement tips, benefits, and challenges.
Ahsan is an accomplished researcher and has a deep insight in worldly life affairs. He goes Live 3 days a week on various social media platforms. Other than research writing, he’s a very interesting person.
