The products you manufacture are complex conglomerations of elements. Whether your supply network of raw materials, transistors, components and electronic interconnects from Samtech Inc. is domestic or centered overseas, its smooth operation is required if your goods are to reach your customers on time and in conformance with your quality standards. To maintain the integrity of your goods and your brand, you should implement the following strategies.
Enhance traceability
When it comes to intricate items such as smartphones and computers, hundreds and sometimes thousands of tiny parts go into their construction. If just one is defective, the entire product may fail. For that reason, you should take pains to track each element throughout its journey from origin to end user with special attention paid to the hand-off between players. Tools like radio frequency identifiers, barcodes and numbering systems in conjunction with automated solutions can lead to greater efficiency and financial savings even with overseas procurement.
Improve measurement
Scrutinize your supply chain, including every vendor and third- and nth-party company. The error points representing the highest risk are places where components are passed from one link in the network to the next. Employ automated tools and measurement protocols to identify and measure all supply chain components.
The next step is to test for redundancies, contamination or other flaws. This process can occur either via your in-house team or be outsourced. While testing may be costly and time consuming, it is one of the best ways to pinpoint problems before the product is delivered to the end user, thus making it possible to keep your brand’s reputation strong.
Gain certification
Gauging your product quality against externally set guidelines via an outside process allows you to receive objective feedback in order to boost product quality and credibility with managers and investors. These checks and balances include industry self-regulation, regulatory compliance and voluntary third-party certification through random audits of access points and tests of raw materials. Using the information gleaned, problems can be identified and solutions proposed.
Streamline day-to-day supply chain processes
Once you implement procedures to pinpoint the players in your supply network as well as each individual part and component that must flow from origin to endpoint, you can conduct strategies to enhance efficiency. This involves using tracking technology, ensuring that it is updated and that all parties know how to take advantage of its capabilities. Furthermore, you should ensure that information flows freely among all stakeholders. Without regular collaboration and a clear understanding of expectations and requirements, bottlenecks can develop that may have long-term negative effects on your brand.
Buy-in from all stakeholders
Setting guidelines is one thing; ensuring compliance is quite another. For that to happen, you need everyone in your supply chain to understand the reasons for your strategy and the positive consequences its adoption will create. Ongoing training ensures that staff and vendors recognize the organizational commitment to compliance and their own unique role in achieving that goal.
When the products you produce are safe and of high quality, your organization can thrive. A well-managed supply chain lays the foundation. Make it one of your highest priorities, and your brand will reflect your commitment.
