The term in English, sometimes difficult to understand for some, supply chain literally means supply chain that refers to a company's import or export processes, from the purchase of its raw material to the delivery of the finished product to the final destination.
Precisely because there are so many connections and intermediaries, the process becomes very complex, and it is necessary to monitor it closely at all times, in order to avoid unforeseen events and problems that may reach the end customer.
In foreign trade, it starts with the simple purchase of an input that would be used in the production of an imported or non-imported item, through its storage, packaging and logistics, from the negotiation and choice of a good supplier, as well as its distribution.
Large multinationals throughout the world have a department called Supply Chain Management (SCM) that hires, takes care of and coordinates this entire chain, starting with the service providers that will be used, but it is very important to know some fundamental aspects to give greater security to this model.
In imports, it is essential to have a network of reliable suppliers, which will be frequently audited by the company's quality department to demonstrate the level of efficiency in delivering the product to the carrier responsible for shipment.
But what are the real benefits of supply chain can offer?
– Avoid operating costs that were not accounted for in the process by choosing the best logistics partners by contracting services in advance, always seeking values compatible with the market, without forgetting the quality offered.
– For this to occur, it is important to request from partners, responsible cargo agents, KPI reports that will show the lead time of the cargo from its readiness to arrival at ports and airports, until the end of contracting the service.
– Each spot contract can generate an additional cost to the final product, also impacting the performance/volume traded during the period.
– Negotiation of annual bids, seeks to reduce values and fix freight costs so that the final product does not suffer so much from freight fluctuations throughout the year.
– Since there are fewer price fluctuations in the supply chain, the company stays ahead of the market, becoming more competitive and attractive to its customer.
– It is a department that will think strategically, but it is essential to involve other departments in the company that will also have contact with these service providers seeking an alignment of expectations.
– Technology is very present in all processes of the comex, therefore it is worth working with those who are prepared for this market trend.
– Monitoring the indicators of all logistics partners such as customs brokers, freight forwarders, shipowners, transporters, warehouses, among others, helps to optimize internal processes and mitigate problems that may occur, as efforts to seek information about where the cargo is, arrival forecast and other data about the process will be available in the system and in real time for several people at the same time.
– Through a visibility platform, for example, the importer can manage its international logistics with simplicity, efficiency and agility from end to end, in addition to obtaining results, some of which have already been mentioned before, such as:
- Real-time visibility of your shipments through the customs process;
- Alerts on automatic updates for each step of the operation;
- Efficiently managing risks;
- Cost reduction;
- Gain competitive advantage;
- Optimization of daily activities;
- Strategic planning;
- Out-of-stock risk management — and much more.
Through these innovative technologies, the solution allows you to monitor the main information of your operation at any time and on any device, in a 100% online and in real time, from the loading of the cargo, to customs clearance and delivery.
Therefore, the Supply Chain Management (SCM), a discipline that studies means to be applied in the management of operations, and their complexity makes the use of these technologies indispensable, after all, one cannot design the management of interconnected operations and of a different nature that does not require the most modern resources.
Thanks to the resources that some providers make available, it is possible to integrate different distribution and marketing channels, materializing the sequence of logistics operations.
Therefore, this is what SCM is all about: integrating the different phases that make up the supply chain and that place it on a higher evolutionary level when compared to logistics.
SCM solutions are, over time, increasingly modern, as businesses of different sizes have understood the importance of having a computerized supply chain management that follows technological developments and meets, in an assertive way, the demands internal and external.
Thus, this solution became so essential that, annually, the Gartner consultancy (American consultancy founded by Gideon Gartner in 1970) began to publish a ranking with the 25 companies that stand out in this process.
We can consider a list of five companies below that invest in this sector and that have had very positive results.
- Cisco Systems
- Colgate-Palmolive
- Johnson & Johnson
- Schneider Electric
- Nestlé.
Although they are not in the top positions, Walmart (8), Nike (13) and Coca-Cola (18) have success cases which are worth mentioning:
Walmart
It was one of the first companies in the world to implement delivery via drone, but the model still needs adjustments and improvements, as it can only support loads of up to 3 kg and fly distances of up to 5.5 kilometers.
Nike
After investing in a solution that does predictive retail analytics and demand detection, the sportswear giant was able to streamline its logistics and guarantee customers within two days of delivery to its Los Angeles headquarters.
In addition, Nike already has the radio frequency identification system (RFID) in almost 100% of its products, which helps the brand to have a better management of its stock, for example.
Satisfied consumers are grateful for the efficiency provided by the good services provided by large industries.
