What is Supply Chain Software?
Companies must have an efficient supply chain in order to be successful. Supply chain software can help companies achieve this efficiency by helping companies better predict demand trends, negotiate the best possible deals with suppliers, optimize inventory levels, and better coordinate distribution channels.
Supply Chain Software Basics
Supply chain software is an ERP software solution that covers all operations within a supply chain, including sourcing, acquisition and storage of raw materials, scheduling and management of work in progress and warehousing and distribution of the finished products. Supply chain management can automate the planning, execution and control of key business processes.
Benefits of Supply Chain Software
Since most supply chains incorporate third-parties in various parts of its process, supply chain software can help enhance communication, collaboration and coordination with the various third-party companies needed to complete your supply chain. Other benefits include:
- Supply chain software can help companies manage its entire network of warehouses, suppliers and distributors. With increased communication between multiple warehouses, companies can improve inventory of raw materials, materials being used as well as completed products.
- Supply chain software helps reduce the chance of costly logistical errors by helping a company create and centralize a distribution strategy.
Increased visibility and collaboration across the supply chain by sharing as demand trend reports, forecasts, inventory levels and transportation with suppliers and other partners a company needs to. - Supply chain management software can also help companies run more efficiently by spotting problems on the supply chain and fix them before the problem becomes unmanageable.
Choosing the Right Supply Chain Software
When choosing a supply chain software ERP solution, it’s important to know what features your company needs to improve its efficiency. Supply chain software offers most of the same tools and features but some ERP solutions are geared to large companies, mid-size companies or small companies. Once the list of features has been determined, compare ERP software vendors to find the company whose software provides the features you need.
With the multitude of supply chain software options, the best way to find the right ERP or Supply Chain Management (SCM) solution for your company is to compare SCM vendors. Your journey to ERP discovery can start today by downloading the Top 20 ERP Software Vendor Report.