Worldwide, distribution and supply chain management are straining as never before to predictably meet customer demand and allow companies to remain viable. In this series of six blog posts, we discuss distribution issues that you can address with the right technologies, refined and deployed by industry experts at Sikich. In this first post, we discuss some of the more urgent challenges for supply chain management and how technology could help.
Distributors’ supply chain management has reached a turning point where it has become so highly exposed and fragile that the world’s attention turns to it when it is threatened by disruptions. Distribution companies are challenged to modernize their supply chain management or fall behind in the competition for customer spending. Several concurring factors drive the urgency of doing so:
Allowing a strategic, immediate response to these trends, digital technology has come a long way when it comes to managing supply chains and distribution businesses. For many years, companies primarily looked to technology to help them make their supply chains as efficient as possible and ensure accuracy in inventory management and shipping. Specialized software applications and broad, all-in-one ERP solutions served these goals.
Today, technology can be transformative for distributors and help them achieve the best possible outcomes in managing their business. With software systems and data from many different sources in the cloud, accessible from anywhere, technology can help distributors do the following:
Powered by the right digital solutions, supply chain management can help distributors realize their unique vision instead of playing an important, but secondary, enabling role. This is a similar change to what began happening in corporate finance departments several years ago, when the ability to translate business data into relevant insight allowed CFOs and finance managers to become key business partners instead of supporters.
If it’s time to take your distribution and supply chain management to the next level, we should talk. If you are still exploring your options, and want to learn more, this eBook is perfect for you: What’s Next for Distribution Management: 7 Key Areas for Modernizing Distribution.
This publication contains general information only and Sikich is not, by means of this publication, rendering accounting, business, financial, investment, legal, tax, or any other professional advice or services. This publication is not a substitute for such professional advice or services, nor should you use it as a basis for any decision, action or omission that may affect you or your business. Before making any decision, taking any action or omitting an action that may affect you or your business, you should consult a qualified professional advisor. In addition, this publication may contain certain content generated by an artificial intelligence (AI) language model. You acknowledge that Sikich shall not be responsible for any loss sustained by you or any person who relies on this publication.