Why Your Distribution Software Should be in the Cloud
The markets are changing, and these changes require instant access to accurate, up-to-date data to power new types of procurement, inventory management, asset tracking, and accounting processes.
Businesses have a choice here. They can continue using their legacy processes and inform them with new processes that meet the enhanced expectations of their clients around reporting and tracking guidelines and basic interactions. These companies will continue to store their data in local stacks and off-site servers.
The alternative choice is bidding farewell to off-site data storage and integrating a cloud-based distribution software solution, and to work with the right consultant to help them choose the right solution to meet their unique business challenges.
The way companies view their processes around procurement, inventory management, and supply chain control has also changed. Our new business environment requires all of these processes to be completely transparent.
Take a look at your company’s legacy distribution management solutions. Chances are, if you’re not yet on the Cloud, the software that you’re using is slow, cumbersome, and incommunicative. It must serve its purpose, or you wouldn’t be using it — in all likelihood, these legacy tools are effective in terms of data collection and basic analytics, but when paired with more up-to-date solutions, a fragmented system arises that impedes effective communication and timely access to data.
When you move your entire distribution system to the cloud, you no longer have to worry about local servers and software. Once you’ve settled on a provider with a reputation for expertise and reliability, you’ll be able to use these systems to expand your distribution while increasing your data-analysis capabilities.
There are three main benefits to moving your distribution processes to the cloud:
User-friendly interfaces: With the massive increase in digitization of our everyday lives, B2B clients are accessing B2C tech flows every day, and they are now expecting the processes they use in business to be as simple and user-friendly as the tools they’re using in their everyday online activities. This is possible with cloud-based systems, but not with the legacy systems many businesses are still using.
Streamlined inventory management: Cloud-based systems streamline your inventory management abilities, giving you insight into exactly what is going on with your company’s stock and inventory, enabling you to send out overstock or order in supplies to face current shortages. This information is available to business owners in real-time.
Improved communication and collaboration: If you’re ready to discuss making the shift to a cloud-based distribution system but don’t know where to start, we can help. Reach out today to speak with an expert.
Managing a Remote Team
As a business owner, you’ve undoubtedly faced a great deal of challenges since March 2020. At that time, many businesses made a sudden and drastic shift away from the traditional, office-based work environment to a work-from-home model. While this introduced many efficiencies and came with a great deal of perks for both business owners and their employees, it also brought on a new set of challenges, including how to manage a team of employees that are working remotely.
Here are three tips to help managers and business owners manage remote teams in a way that maximizes their output and efficiency while allowing and encouraging them to maintain a healthy work/life balance.
Don’t skip the small talk
We’re all busy, and sometimes small talk can seem frivolous. However, when managing teams working from home, small talk is important in building rapport with your team and ensuring they are satisfied in their role and their environment. Take the time to find out what your employees did this weekend or ask about the paintings on the wall in the frame behind them. This helps employees stay connected to their teams and experience some of the social interaction that is so abundant in an office environment.
Turn on your camera
We’re all using video chats more than ever, and it can be tempting to turn off your camera during these meetings. Resist the temptation and keep your camera on at all times. Tone of voice is important for meaningful communication, but so is body language and facial expressions, and these are lost without physically seeing the person you are conversing with.
Ask a lot of questions
Unhappy employees are unproductive employees. Take the time to have one-on-one video chats with each of your team members regularly. This ties back to building rapport. Ask specific questions about their level of satisfaction with their work environment, find out how they are feeling emotionally, if there are isolation issues, internet connectivity issues, ergonomic equipment issues, etc. If there are issues, fix whatever is possible to fix. Keeping your team happy is key to a successful remote work environment.
Managing a remote workforce is tricky, and there’s a lot more to it than these three tips. However, if you commit to these and incorporate them into your day-to-day management strategy, you will build a solid foundation of open communication with your team that will help give you better insight into their satisfaction and performance.
Getting the Executive Buy-in Needed for a Successful ERP Implementation
We’ve heard from many professionals who have taken the time to research, select, and purchase ERP systems that they feel will help them monitor and grow their business, only to hit significant roadblocks when the time comes to implement the system.
Implementing an ERP system can be complicated, and to make it a smooth transition, it’s important to have the buy-in of the company’s executive team. Because ERP implementation will require changes to the business’ operations and processes, the use of human power is necessary to get these changes off the ground, and this can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. Having a champion at the executive table that is committed to prioritizing the success of the new ERP program is paramount to ensuring that the implementation team receives the necessary resources.
Attaining this leadership support should be easy, but often it’s not. After all, the leadership team approved the financial investment required to purchase the software, but ensuring that your executives are constantly reminded of the importance of a modern cloud-based ERP solution is key. Throughout the implementation process, keep your executives up to date on which elements of the system are being worked on, and how the various stakeholders from every department across the company are being trained to use the systems to improve efficiency. Clearly communicating how each step will contribute to company success will remind the company decision-makers of the importance of this implementation and help reduce hesitation to allocate the resources needed to complete the process.
Another important thing to keep your leadership team up to date on is the ROI you can and will receive from a proper ERP implementation. Every company leader will be on board with common ERP benefits like the reduction in operating expenses, faster response times, more satisfied customers, better access to higher-quality data which helps inform decision-making, and maximizing employee efficiency through the creation of more detailed workflows. Remind them of these benefits regularly and keep them apprised of where things stand in terms of implementation and realizing these benefits, and maintain the leadership buy-in needed for a smooth, successful ERP implementation across your company.
The Future of Food
The COVID-19 pandemic has taught valuable lessons about resource planning to leaders in every industry, but there has been no industry that has emerged as more crucial during a global crisis than food and beverage.
The strength of our supply chain was questioned very early on in the pandemic when stockpiling of non-perishables and frozen foods hit an all-time high.
The right enterprise resource planning solution puts businesses in a position not only to withstand a global crisis, but, with proper insight, planning, and execution, ERP could help that business excel above its competitors and establish itself as an industry leader.
Supply chain visibility
A good ERP program will provide advanced visibility into the entire supply chain, giving you the information needed to react quickly to shifts in market demands.
Demand planning
Depending on your ERP needs, your consultant will help you select a platform with the right modules for your business, including options that offer forecasting to ensure your products reach your customers when they’re needed.
Manufacturing support
Food and beverage manufacturers usually leverage more ERP modules than the average business, and you’ll need to select a platform that can handle a variety of production environments and provides the flexibility to switch modes to meet any shifts in demand.
Increased safety
There has never been a time in history when food safety has been more of a focus. Consumers are demanding an increased level of hygiene and safe packaging and handling. ERP platforms can provide insight into your company’s processes, and if contamination ever occurs, the right program will make it easy for you to trace the problem back to the specific shipment and limit future issues.
In short, ERP software is essential to move the food and beverage industry forward.