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Find out what to look for in supply chain management software to ensure you make the best choices for your business.
As the world continues to struggle with disrupted supply chains, ensuring that your business can maintain its flow of raw materials is vital. Employing the correct S&OP systems is an integral step in this process, and finding the best scm software for your particular set of business parameters is a way to ensure that your supply chains stay intact.
What is SCM Software?
Put simply, supply chain management software is a set of digital tools that enable you to both manage and oversee your supply chain from beginning to end.
It’s all about real-time data
Supply chain management software (SCM) uses real time data to simulate different scenarios within your supply chain, allowing your managers to test different supply chain option and have proactive plans in place to deal with sudden disruptions or changes in customer behaviour.
Multiple options for every business
Supply chain management software comes in many forms and configurations. So what should you look for to make sure that the SCM software you choose is the right fit for your business? Let’s take a look at a few of the most important considerations.
Five Key Aspects of Good SCM Software.
Supply chains can be complex. And figuring out which is the best SCM software for your particular set of business circumstances can be overwhelming. Here are five key things to look for to make sure you choose the best SCM software.
Is it from a reliable provider?
An established and reliable software vendor will have an extensive support network to back up its software. Initial configuration of SCM software can be a tricky process, so you need to shop around to find a provider who can deliver the goods on the support front.
As your company grows and evolves, your SCM software will need to be able to change with it. And your chosen provider will have to be able to guarantee long-term support of their product.
Can it crunch your numbers?
Advanced analytics tools are the main reason to opt for an SCM software suite. Inventory levels, demand forecasting, shipping and logistics, and financial planning: all of these things create big data sets that have to be crunched, analyzed and spat out in forms that are both accurate and easily understood.
So make sure that your chosen SCM platform can cope with the big numbers. It’s also worth considering that even though your business may be small now if it grows and grows, will the SCM software be able to keep up with all of the success?
In the cloud or on the ground?
Keeping vast quantities of hard copy files in storerooms is a thing of the past. The best SCM software now operates in that magical (and imaginary) place called “The Cloud.” Put simply, this means that all of your SCM analytics are done by computers in remote installations which could be anywhere in the world.
If your business has the need for in-house storage of sensitive data, you may want to choose an SCM system that operates on your internal computing system.
For most businesses, however, cloud-based SCM is the way to go as it allows you to stay up to date with the latest improvements in software, and is far cheaper because it removes the need for purchasing extra and expensive, in-house computing systems.
Is it compatible with your existing systems?
And while we’re on the subject of computing systems…is your vendor’s SCM software compatible with your current tech stack systems? It may seem obvious, but a new SCM system will often make some or all of your existing supply chain management systems obsolete.
With this in mind, choose an SCM solution that will enhance and work alongside your existing tools. A good provider will evaluate your current systems and design your new system to work in concert with it, thus avoiding the frustration and confusion of having to learn to operate an entirely new SCM system.
Can it be customized?
Tweaks and upgrades are the cornerstones of effective SCM software. Your new system will need to be endlessly customizable if it is going to keep up with developments and the growth of your company.
The modern world of supply chains and customer trends is highly dynamic and your SCM software must be easy to customize to take into consideration every shift in your supply chain parameters.
Take a Deeper Dive Into the Best SCM Software.
For a more in-depth look at the things your should consider when seeking out the best SCM software for your business, check out this JohnGalt.com. Finding the perfect solution can be a big job, but the effort will be well worth it!