How ERP Software Can Promote a Sustainable Supply Chain

Businesses that are winning in today’s competitive market are making more eco-conscious decisions that impact the way they conduct business. Going green can help a company’s ability to retain customers who are environmentally aware, as well as the rising millennial market, which supports growing climate concerns.

For solid companies that are looking to drive customer loyalty, improving efficiencies around the supply chain can help to create a more sustainable business ecosystem. Improving the optimization of logistical processes and the rush to get items to market can greatly reduce waste.

Implementation of a state-of-the-art cloud-based ERP solution could improve efficiencies within the company, while streamlining the supply chain, to grow a more profitable company for decades to come.

Sources of Waste

The first step toward determining what areas need improvement is auditing the supply chain process from start to finish. Where is waste occurring? Looking at trends can help reveal the issues — whether obvious or less so.

It’s likely that issues will show up in areas of over-production or the over-purchasing of materials, which can often be attributed to errors around forecasting. Businesses looking to attain a more eco-friendly model should mitigate negative impacts of inventory management.

Another matter that can drive waste is unnecessary transport of items; issues in this area can cause a company’s carbon footprint to soar. The least amount of miles a product travels, the better this will be for the company: manufacturing, packaging, storage, and distribution all have an impact on emissions. This is something ringing true to more and more of the population, and a business that reflects awareness in this area will no doubt benefit.

Utilization of an ERP solution can track these matters, while also improving coordination and communication between suppliers and partners — as well as providing unified messaging across the entirety of the organization and ultimately its customers. With complete data and important information available in real-time at the click of a button, risks can be alleviated. Costly issues attributed to human error can be minimized, and employees will be enabled to make better decisions to ensure a more connected supply chain.

Making it Agile

The goal of a successful business is being truly agile. The best bet in achieving this is implementing business management technologies that can support the supply chain’s efficiencies, identifying and removing any processes that lack value. The company will lighten its carbon footprint and also see a cost savings that can positively impact the company’s overall profits.

A cloud-based ERP system gives the company flexibility and the ability to respond to issues quickly and certainly, as industry demands dictate. Business leaders should be concerned with improved service over inventory girth — what matters is being in touch with the market and reducing excess inventory.

Through insight-driven dashboards, managers and functional departments can monitor supply and demand and make adjustments based on data. Guesstimating is a thing of the past, thanks to advances in technology.

Today’s companies need to be concerned with staying ahead of the competition in regards to sales, but for the long-term, brand positioning will set them ahead and better secure customer loyalty.

Visibility for the Future

An ERP solution can bring insights otherwise overlooked by even the most qualified employees. The visibility the system provides offers easy-to-digest charts and graphics speaking to the needs of members of the C-Suite and each department. While the master dashboard offers a simplified view with vital information, the system should also provide drill down capabilities that offer deeper insights.

With a one-source solution in place, a company can imbed its financial information into every function of the business. This gives everyone insights that simply wouldn’t be possible with outdated technology. Once users are up and working in the system, human errors will be reduced and employees will be able to focus on tasks that are more advantageous to the company’s well being and, ultimately, growth.

Moving beyond manual spreadsheets and outdated legacy systems will arm a company with the ability to stay relevant in the time of digital transformation. With the right strategy, companies can reduce emissions and achieve sustainability into the future.

An environmentally aware company will be streamlined for efficiency and drive the push for improved processes around waste in the supply chain. Keeping up to date with the latest in cloud-based technology allows business leaders to be a force of change for the better, while driving profit margins.

Partnering for Success

The time to innovate is now! The first step of the journey is realizing when a company is ready for a cloud-based ERP system. Acumatica Cloud ERP is an award-winning solution that offers Acumatica Distribution Edition. One of its many features is Advanced Inventory, which is designed to streamline processes for efficiency and eliminating waste, which can improve customer retention and profitability.

Partnering for the future enables a business to improve capabilities and develop a strategic vision that drives growth. As an Acumatica partner, CCS Technology Group brings cloud expertise to take a company into the next decade and beyond. Read testimonials and contact us to learn more about implementing a cloud-based ERP solution.