Three areas to help you save time
August 1, 2022
By Heath Hazard | VP of Sales
By Heath Hazard | VP of Sales
|
Time is precious. We can hire more hands and increase revenues, but at some point, time is the resource we need the most. So, go ahead and create more for yourself.
Don’t worry. That sounds tougher than it actually is. Let’s walk through it. Three areas where people can often take back time are procurement, issuing supplies, and managing supplies. We’ll cover each but procurement is a good place to begin. Procurement Start by asking yourself three questions.
If you don't feel comfortable with your responses to those questions or you're simply thinking there may be a way to streamline, then you should reach out to a supply chain expert for a free consultation. It's amazing how many improvements they can find via a combination of supply chain solutions. To help you, they should be able to mix and match from a number of options.
These allow you to maximize your purchasing leverage, which in turn creates an opportunity to positively affect your bottom line. 
Vending is a simple way to put inventory right where it's needed. This eliminates walking and waiting time. Plus, it can give you data on which items move quickly and which you can hold off on purchasing more of.
Issuing supplies
Whenever it comes to how supplies are issued, it’s important to think about how we get from point A to point B. Depending on your age, you might remember the era of using a map to figure out your route. Fast forward a few years, and online tools like MapQuest allow you to quickly identify (and print) the best route. Finally, we arrive at GPS, which tells us how to most efficiently get from point A to point B, accounting for data points like accidents, road closures, and construction. How supplies are issued is no different. Too often, folks are owning this process themselves through tool cribs and storerooms. And in many cases, that's an improvement over free issue, but it's still not the most productive and efficient solution. So, I always challenge people to stop and ask themselves a few questions.
Because there are tools available to automate the issuing of supplies, tools that operate around the clock to make sure that the right people have the right products at the right time and place. And by leveraging this technology, you can transition those on your team away from managing products and over to focusing on the activities that drive the true priorities of your organization. Supply management Here again, the same principles apply. By partnering with a supply chain expert, you can leverage their technology to automate processes and to create those data points, which again will save you time, money, and resources on the management of supplies. I mentioned data points because those data points, they allow for you to have visibility into things like parts usage and spend, automated replenishment levels, and the power to restrict access. You could even create notifications for when assets need to be recalibrated or inspected, identify excess or obsolete inventory, avoid stock-outs, create benchmarks for continuous improvement… I mean, the list goes on and on and on. If you're feeling overwhelmed with cumbersome purchasing processes, challenged to find new avenues for efficiencies, or you're just feeling vulnerable regarding the management of your inventory, reach out to a supply chain expert. Ask them to evaluate the current state of your operations and propose a path forward. If they're the right partner, they're going to make your productivity their priority and help fuel your growth through the creation of efficiencies. 
Next steps
Say you can only do one thing to save time. What should you do? Consult with an industry expert. They’ll know what you can gain and achieve through collaboration. You might be doing things very well today, but when you collaborate with an expert, you're learning about the best-in-class practices that are being used throughout various facilities that you might not have exposure to, but an industry expert does. So, to me, that's the number one thing you can do. If you want, reach out to me, and I can help you with that. Vertical Divider
|
Like what you're seeing here? Subscribe to the Blue Print for FREE and get the magazine sent right to your address.
|
