Omnichannel is the process of employing various digital and physical channels to develop a unified experience for your customers. It may comprise visiting brick-and-mortar stores, digital devices, and online shopping; where customers feel their interaction and connection to be great, seamless, and extraordinary. Today, we’ll discuss omnichannel supply chain management; its various key elements, and challenges.
What is Omnichannel Supply Chain Management?
The focus and role of omnichannel supply chain management is to provide seamless and consistent operations and functions to satisfy the needs and wishes of customers. In order to meet the demands of customers, companies should remove various operational and functional obstacles between different distribution and sales channels.
It means merging fulfillment and warehouse operations and integrating different sales and operation systems. It allows them to satisfy both in-store and online demands and requirements collectively.
Elements of Omnichannel SCM
Some of the key elements of omnichannel supply chain management are as follows;
Different From Multichannel
Many people use the term omnichannel and multichannel synonymously, but they’re completely different. Multichannel means employing various SC to amplify the shopping experience because every channel is separate and different. However, the stock, catalog, and pricing of online stores are different from the brick-and-mortar stores.
On the other hand, omnichannel SC are completely separate and different and they have got only one SC channel; where information is visible and freely shared. The stock level and catalog of online stores and physical stores are the same. There is no change in pricing, and the customers could either visit the brick-and-mortar stores or shop for things online.
Managing SC
The omnichannel SCM should be flexible and offer individual items to the online stores and big orders to the stores. It shouldn’t be mutually exclusive by paying heed to the SC network. Shipment, order processing, and inventory storing are some of the important decisions.
The focus of omnichannel is to support various regional distribution points rather than large centralized places and their dependence on the 3rd party distributors and shipping it directly to the customers. You can always exchange between distribution cost and service level.
Demanding Integrated SC platform
It is nearly impossible to deal with omnichannel SCM without integrating it with the software or application that comprises various areas of the company. it is significant to integrate various functions and operations of the SCM and they are as follows;
- Quick stock replenishment strategies
- Order management
- Inventory planning
- Forecasting capabilities
- Full visibility
- Logistics and procurements
- Sales
- Marketing
Breaking down Barriers
Integrated platforms and applications support and facilitate omnichannel retailing and they’re effective in breaking down functional and operational barriers that are common in multichannel. After sharing the information, it is nearly impossible for individuals, business units, functions, and divisions to manage sales, material, and information.
However, a transparent and visible SC system would only break down the SC barriers. Customers have got the flexibility and freedom to visit any physical store or shop online whenever they like it.
Supporting Customer Experience
One of the main benefits of the omnichannel SCM is that it offers a similar customer experience. The brick-and-mortar stores and online stores are the same thing from the customer’s perspective. However, it consists of customers’ capability to buy things online, browsing online, and buying them from the physical store.
A true omnichannel helps customers to return purchased items to the nearest stores and immediately receive credit. In order to establish customer loyalty, it is significant to make the customer experience stress-free and pleasant.
Customer Demands More
Omnichannel customer experience means introducing online stores. According to a study, customers want a better experience while using omnichannel retailers. Approximately 40% of the shoppers employ more than one channel while shopping; 18% of the sales happen on mobile devices. Some of the key features of the omnichannel retailing are as follows;
- Free delivery service
- Shop online and collect in store
- Goods exchange and return
- Specific delivery time
- Flexible delivery option
- Delivery on the same day
- Easy shopping experience
Re-changing Business Operations
In order to reap the benefits of the omnichannel SCM, companies should restructure their SC system. It is way beyond logistics into IT, purchasing, marketing, and sales. The integrated SC solution and software are necessary for the smooth transition between every channel of the customer experience and satisfaction and online and retail stores
Quick & Agile
Offering inventory at the right time and right place plays a significant role in the success of your business. An effective demand forecasting system integrated with a quick distribution system would make sure that the retail stores have got sufficient stock to satisfy customer demands and replenish stock quickly. The availability of stock in close proximity to the location of customers would decrease the logistic cost. It is not efficient to carry the inventory cost.
Smooth Operations
It is significant to keep in mind various conflicting variables while analyzing omnichannel SCM. It is much more than standard business analytics that consists of previous performances. However, the credibility is to make informed and data-driven decisions.
Challenges to Omnichannel SCM
Some of the key challenges to omnichannel supply chain management are as follows;
- It is very difficult to achieve seamless SC operations and functions for omnichannel
- Not easy to estimate how much, when, and where to hold the stock due to working in barriers
- Customer dissatisfaction would happen due to out-of-stock by employing the wrong stock strategy
- Demand prioritization could disturb your SC operations
- Difficult to optimize omnichannel without having a clear SC system
Conclusion: Omnichannel Supply Chain Management
After an in-depth study of omnichannel supply chain management; we have realized omnichannel is significant for a better customer experience. If you are learning about elements and challenges to the omnichannel SCM, then you should keep in mind the abovementioned factors.
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.
