In a departure from conventional wisdom, the supply chain is undergoing a profound transformation, emerging as a strategic lever for revenue and profit generation. Traditionally associated with efficiency gains and cost reductions, particularly during times of supply chain disruptions like the Covid-19 pandemic, businesses are now recognizing the untapped potential of their supply chains in driving business expansion, reducing revenue leakage, and increasing overall profitability.

As the global economy moves from the demand surge of the pandemic to a more stabilized state, supply chains are redefining their roles. Instead of being viewed solely as a cost-saving mechanism, they are increasingly seen as instrumental for unlocking new and protecting existing revenue streams as mentioned above, but forward-thinking companies are also counting upon them to protect against future disruptions.

The following are key strategies to unleash supply chain excellence and increase overall profits:

Shortening Lead Times for Enhanced Competitiveness

Shortening lead times has become a pivotal strategy for businesses aiming to enhance competitiveness. The ability to respond swiftly to market dynamics provides a competitive edge, allowing companies to adapt to changing customer demands and preferences. Furthermore, shortening lead times to respond to shifts in demand can be accomplished by leveraging postponement strategies and managing inventory by form, fit and function.

This agility not only streamlines operations but also positions businesses to capture market opportunities more effectively.  

Accurate Promise Dates for Greater Customer Loyalty

Customer loyalty is a cornerstone of sustainable business growth. Accurately predicting promise dates and delivering on commitments fosters trust and loyalty among customers and reduces revenue leakage. Businesses are now setting delivery promise dates and implementing temporary reserves during the selling process, even when products are still in the pipeline. This ensures reliability and timely delivery, key factors that resonate with modern consumers. The next generation of supply chain solutions manage promise dates to an approved, time-phased supply plan. When events occur involving changes in planned supply, a best-in-class supply chain solution will automatically evaluate trade-offs and proactively adjust customer orders.  

Incorporating Revenue Accelerators to Capture Latent Demand

Supply chain analytics and insights can accelerate revenue by adding ‘race conditions’ that inspire sales and marketing, as well as customers. We see examples of how limited and reduced availability in many other industries are used to accelerate purchase decisions: Tickets to this event are selling fast, 5 others are looking at this hotel right now, and 3 seats left for this flight at this price.

By incorporating readiness and availability into the selling and marketing strategies, processes and workflow, sales can be accelerated as well be better aligned to capacity and cost synergies. This ‘outside the box’ thinking can be a game changer for S&OP, and how supply chain planning can make significant contribution to revenue growth and optimization.

Leveraging Supply Chain Insights for Strategic Decision-Making

Harnessing the power of data analytics and visibility in the supply chain enables businesses to make informed decisions. Supply chain insights empower sales and marketing teams to align demand with market potential, ensuring synchronization with the readiness and capacity of the supply chain. This not only optimizes market share but also enhances overall profitability.

Today’s forward thinking supply chain and business-unit leaders are opening their minds to new perspectives and opportunities. They are increasingly evaluating the nodes in their supply chain not only through the cost lens, but through the lens of opportunities to increase revenue and profit margins. These leaders are discovering value in the form of supply chain revenue and profit that cannot be harvested with legacy supply chain systems, but require the next generation of solutions—modern solutions that enable dynamic scenario planning and accelerate their journeys to autonomous supply chain planning.

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