VISIBILITY IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN
manufacturers can stay focussed on growth and future-proof operations . If costs are exceeding expectations , or production is out supplying demand , companies can pinpoint the area that is hindering their business and act in real-time to ensure minimal disruption .
Use insights to audit effectiveness of supply chain partners Once greater visibility of the supply chain has been achieved , the next logical extension is to use the insight to audit and measure the effectiveness of supply chain providers .
Manufacturers need to analyse whether their partners can seamlessly integrate into the processes they are undertaking . They need to find out whether their partners can share information and data effectively , and collaborate in a joined up way . If a partner is offering specialist expertise , are they able to offer this straight away ?
Secondly , does the partner have the relevant security measures in place to protect the supply chain ? The PwC Information Security Breaches survey for the UK reported that third-party suppliers account for 18 percent of breaches , so it is essential that contracts are drawn up at the start of a partnership .
Finally , manufacturers need to ensure that their supply partners have the right infrastructure in place to support the process . For example , if the supply chain and information sharing is underpinned by a cloud solution , can a partner in a remote location provide the right infrastructure to fulfil this ?
With The Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply ( CIPS ) stating that 66 percent of UK businesses have no plan B for a supply chain emergency , it is vital that more UK manufacturers leverage technology to best protect against external threats . We have recently seen factors such as the strong pound , global oversupply , and lack of demand due to slowing overseas economies contributing to the deterioration of manufacturing organisations .
It is essential that UK manufacturers complete a full tech audit of solutions , and review the effectiveness of supply chain partners , to future-proof themselves .
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