Not all supply chain visibility partners are created equal, which is why it pays to evaluate the options before selecting one. And because their software will affect and enhance your business operations, take the time to choose partners that have a proven track record of success and can help you achieve your business goals.
Here are some tips to keep in mind when choosing a supply chain visibility partner for your retail business:
- Select a partner that can both solve your immediate problems and join you on the longer supply chain visibility journey. As your organization grows, the right partner will grow right along with you.
- Pick an experienced software provider that’s innovating and introducing new solutions to new problems. You want a platform that offers all of the modern functionalities the retail environment demands, and that’s continuously improving along the way.
- Take a global perspective and find a company that has international reach. Not every retailer is selling and/or delivering products globally, but most of them are receiving products from partners abroad. You can still drill down into micro or regional perspectives, but at the end of the day if a company is good at tackling issues on a global scale, they’ll be even better at managing regionally or locally.
- Factor in the last-mile customer engagement piece of the puzzle. Your supply chain visibility partner should be able to handle the “behind the scenes” operations while also addressing your company’s last-mile and/or customer-facing visibility gaps. By improving communication and collaboration across the warehouse, carrier, and customer, for example, project44 helps retailers improve customer service, efficiency, and profitability.
- Put your data first. When you start tackling the data, think about the bigger issues that you’re trying to drive as a result of better visibility (e.g., cost savings, customer service improvements, higher sales, better risk management, or improved sustainability). Then, vet your list of potential providers based on their ability to get you closer to achieving those goals.