The trading industry of our world is only getting tougher and improvised by the minute. To withstand this constant probability of lagging behind in business, supply chain executives of every company have to properly conduct a myriad of tasks everyday, even while being on the run. And to ensure optimum performance and efficiency with utter flexibility of time and place, adapting supply chain management tools is the only rational solution.

Supply chain management is defined as the process of planning, organizing, and controlling sources of supply, maturing order to create demand, and meeting demand to satisfy customers. And, supply chain management tools are software programs that allow businesses to manage their supply chains. These tools are used by organizations in various industries to plan their production activities, avoid disruptions in supply chains, reduce costs of goods sold, exceed customer service expectations, streamline operations, improve data collection and monitoring capabilities. Also, it provides you the liberty to perform and monitor any task just using a smartphone, making it evidently accessible for supply chain executives on the move.

How do mobile supply management tools help?

The complexities of the world economy and the interconnected nature of today’s supply chains present a new set of challenges for finance and operations teams. What’s important is to have a reliable, transparent, and responsive supply chain management system in place that ensures the company maintains a competitive edge. It is also necessary for the decision-maker to be able to respond quickly, regardless of time or place, to any disruptions in the market or their own company in order to protect the organization from harm. All of which can be best ensured by mobile supply chain management tools. Simply put, mobile supply chain management tools software can make the daily hassle go away for any business executives with the accessibility and resources. These tools can help companies better plan and execute their logistics, which will in turn reduce waste and lead to operational improvement.

All the tools and how they work

1. Shipment Status Alerts and Updates:

Shipment status alerts and updates are an integral part of the supply chain management process. It helps to ensure that shipments are tracked correctly, package contents are verified, delays are identified, packages are delivered before the deadline date, and inventory is maintained. It alerts users when their orders have been shipped and what stage they are in. The tool helps businesses to manage their supply chain more effectively. Also, with shipment status alerts and updates, businesses can react quickly when shipments are late, or mishaps happen to avoid unwanted situations where suppliers, distributors, and customers are left in the dark.

2. Order Process KPI Monitoring

Order process tool helps optimize and simplify the order process from the source. OPT is a web-based order management system that offers visibility into all processes involved in order fulfillment. A robust order management system will have templatized product pages as per the industry for faster onboarding. Larger organizations in a competitive market have a need to keep up with the ever-changing demands of their customers. Increasingly, companies find themselves in a position where they need to have both a primary and secondary distribution platform for more control of their supply chain. And this order process tool might just be the answer.

3. Intelligent Warehouse Management

By having easy mobile access to inventory data, decision-makers are able to predetermine any procurement actions. Intelligent warehouse management systems that can be accessed via mobile can help organizations track inventory and optimize purchasing decisions to maintain minimal inventories, route planning and more. The goal is to improve customer service and reduce costs by choosing just-in-time deliveries instead of stocking excess inventory. With so much to juggle, it’s no wonder that intelligent warehouse management tools with a mobile interface are often used in order to handle all of the day-to-day operations.

4. Mobile Freight Tracking

Freight management is an important aspect of supply chain management. Freight management deals with the physical movement of goods from one place to another, and it can include anything from ports to warehouses to distribution centers. It deals with logistics, transportation, warehousing, and the overall handling of the products.It is a challenging task that requires companies to be on the cutting edge of technology. Hence, the freight-handling industry has seen significant change in recent years, with the emergence of new technologies for tracking, processing, and monitoring shipments through supply chain management system. If you are able to find out ahead of time about your import freight being late, you may take damage control measures immediately. Moreover, your team will be able to set and manage customer expectations in advance, due to an unforeseen hiccup in the supply chain.

That’s why mobile supply chain management tools with the right alerts and notifications are the smartest way for freight handling for companies with complex supply chains.

5. Mobile Supplier Management

Accessing the delivery performance of suppliers via mobile allows for dynamic and faster decision-making. You are better able to plan ahead of time. Ensuring the availability of the right raw material at the right time for the right price, with an emphasis on quality, is critical to meet manufacturing demands. Decision-makers are able to pinpoint the suppliers who need to improve their performance and send automatic follow up messages. Mobile supplier analytics allows performance gauging in terms of response time and speed of delivery of raw materials.

6. Demand Forecasting

In order to stay competitive in today’s world, many businesses have been turning to mobile supply chain management tools in a bid to ensure they always have the necessary resources on hand when they need them. Demand forecasting uses algorithms and statistics to predict how much of a certain item will be needed in the future, and notifies the decision-maker via a simple text message or push notification. This provides businesses with an accurate estimation of their needs which can help alleviate shortages and stockouts. In a world where consumers have more choices than ever before, companies need to understand what will drive people to their products. Demand forecasting is an important tool in any company’s arsenal.

7. Mobile Analytics and Reports

Mobile supply chain management tools are used to monitor the items that are being purchased by a company, as well as to track any delays or other problems that may arise during production. These tools are often used to identify areas where improvements can be made for efficiency, which can help to cut costs and increase profits. And one of the most important supply chain management tools is mobile analytics and reports. The analytics and reports of the supply chain management tools help companies to understand the status of their inventory, number of orders, and shipping data without the need to do excessive data mining or creating pivot tables on Excel. These tools can be used to make better decisions on managing inventory and purchasing goods. They can also be used to provide clients with a better understanding of what is in stock and when it’s expected. This allows you to allocate budget to achieve the right outcome.

8. Collaboration Portals

Collaboration portal tool is significant for your company to be more efficient and have effective coordination and collaboration throughout the process. Collaboration portals can be used to create an online, collaborative workspace where information is shared, updated, tracked, and analyzed. These portals are designed for industry-specific needs with specific functionalities that cater to the needs of the organizations. Advanced collaboration portals allow sharing of quick predictive messages between stakeholders on the move. They also save time by not having to type the whole message.

A major benefit of using such a collaboration portal is that it provides an overview of each stage in the process, which makes it easier to identify bottlenecks or make changes. It allows you to share repetitive information with vendors, suppliers, and buyers in real-time, whether they are located in different physical locations or across borders.

The right supply chain management software

With the assistance of the correct software, all of the aforementioned tools doesn’t only become accessible, but also you can monitor all the results merely by a swipe on your smartphone. That’s why, to ensure the boost in your supply chain executive’s performance and advantages of these supply chain management tools, it is crucial that you choose the right software to fit the demands and needs of your company. Nuport supply chain management software, being one of the best options, can be perfect for your supply chain management. Supply chain types like continuous replenishment, build-to-order, channel assembly, or integrated made-to-stock all can be skillfully managed by our supply chain management software. To get the best supply chain management system, perfectly tailored to fit your company’s requirements, schedule for a demo today with Nuport!

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