Ultimately, it’s all about keeping your clients happy so they continue working with you. And with so many companies looking to improve their supply chain processes, it’s important to make sure you’re ahead of your competition. We spoke with Alistair Marshall, Business Manager at Progressive, to discover some of the ways you can do this:
Embrace technology
Not every company is aware that they need to use more than just one tech solution. For example, a warehouse could use software to create a centralised database of their stock, but they could also combine this with radio frequency identification (RFID).
“With RFID, an employee would be able to walk around the shop or warehouse and count all stock. What used to take weeks to do can now take minutes. Smart shelves are also another option. If something’s running low, a smart shelf will let you know”, says Alistair.
Analyse your data
You will have a wealth of data within your company; don’t let it go to waste. By hiring an experienced data analyst, you’ll be able to get a clear view of areas that need to be improved, areas of opportunity and growth, and also any potential risks. Once you know all this, you’ll be able to make informed decisions to help your company grow. You may even find you need a team of data analysts in order to fully collate and extract the data.
Keep up with trends
External trends and developments will have an impact on your company. If you want to stay ahead of your competition, you’ll need to keep on top of these. Let’s say a new regulation will be put in place in six months’ time… don’t wait until just before it comes in to make any necessary changes. Start as soon as you know about it and inform your clients at every stage. This will help to reinforce the notion that you’re an industry leader.
Communicate clearly
Many businesses focus on having great communication with external stakeholders, but what about internal ones? You need to be sure that the people within your organisation also understand your key aims and intentions. After all, they’re the ones that will be the face of your company. But it’s not just stakeholders you need to consider; you also need to make sure that any systems you have in place communicate with each other. This will help to avoid any issues throughout the process.
Hire the best candidates
Alistair explains, “It’s a competitive market and you need to make sure you’re up-to-date with it. You need to move quickly and you need people who can work in a fast-paced environment. The best candidates are able to help put you ahead of your competitors – and the best candidates aren’t always the ones with the experience.”
Here at Progressive, we work with businesses from all sectors, of all sizes, finding them the staff they need. Whether you’re looking to grow your team or build a new one from scratch, we can help.
Below is a list of areas that we can help you with:
- WMS & TMS
- E-commerce
- EPoS
- Supply Chain
- ERP & CRM
- BI, Big Data and Analytics
- Distribution
- Retail Business Systems
- Workforce Management
You can find out more about how we help businesses around the world here. And if you’d like us to help you find the right people for your team, get in touch.
