- By Softlink Global
- March 1, 2023
- General
In today’s business, customers have become more knowledgeable, connected, and demanding than ever. They value services and experiences above mere products and expect companies to offer personalized services and swift delivery. Customers now prioritize integrity and authenticity in their relationships with brands, where even the behaviour of a delivery person can impact their loyalty. In the era of e-commerce, the supply chain plays a significant role in shaping customer experiences and can provide a comprehensive and satisfying experience for consumers. As a result, smart, customer-focused supply chain networks have become essential for retaining customers and improving profitability.
In the years to come, businesses that can offer innovative and highly personalized products, services, and experiences through their supply chain networks will enjoy a competitive advantage and have greater growth potential. However, achieving this requires a complex and multifaceted approach, which places a significant responsibility on chief supply chain officers to revamp their existing network strategies and prioritize customer-centric approach. Organizations must stay attuned to the rapidly evolving needs of their customers and create an environment that can respond to these needs in a timely and satisfactory manner.
The success of a supply chain company depends on factors such as customization, swift innovation, ease of ordering, packaging, and the speed of delivery and returns. High-performing logistics service providers understand the need to establish a close connection with their customers. They recognize that delivering highly customized products and providing delightful customer experiences requires aligning different parts of the organization, including partners. A customer-centric supply chain driven by visibility and insightful data is crucial for a shared commitment to meet customers’ need.
To embrace a customer-centric approach, supply chains must collaborate with marketing, promotion, and R&D teams to integrate customer requirements into the structure and metrics. To be future-ready, organizations need to focus on the following:
Micro-segmentation: By accurately identifying their customers, organizations can gain a better understanding of the true costs of serving them and tailor their supply chain to meet their specific needs.
Macro trends: Understanding the changing landscape of customer behavior, such as the shift from offline to online and back, will allow supply chains to adapt and cater to new demands, such as last mile and reverse logistics.
Configure-to-order: By leveraging customer insights, organizations can predict trends and configure products quickly and efficiently to meet customer demands.
Visibility: In addition to tracking orders, it is increasingly important for sustainable supply chains to have visibility into the origin of the orders and the associated raw materials. This helps organizations make informed decisions and ensures that they meet ethical and sustainability standards.
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How to create a customer-centric supply chain network?
Creating a customer-centric supply chain network involves a multifaceted approach that requires collaboration across different functions of an organization. Here are some steps that organizations can take to build a customer-centric supply chain network:
Develop a deep understanding of your customers: Transform your supply chain network into an asset-light ecosystem that delivers exceptional customer experiences through personalized micro-segments. To achieve this, it’s essential to comprehend your customers’ needs, preferences, and behaviors at a granular level and align the supply chain accordingly. Gain a comprehensive understanding of your customers, conduct market research, gather customer feedback, analyze purchasing patterns, and employ customer analytics tools. This valuable information can enable you to offer customized products, services, and delivery options, resulting in an enhanced customer experience.
Design processes that support customer needs: After gaining a clear understanding of your customers, it’s crucial to design processes that cater to their needs, such as offering flexible fulfilment options, responsive customer service, and speedy delivery times. To illustrate, if customers prioritize convenience and swiftness, organizations can provide faster delivery options, hassle-free returns, and adaptable fulfilment choices. Furthermore, responsive customer service plays a pivotal role in addressing any customer concerns quickly and efficiently.
Foster collaboration across the organization: Establish a customer-centric supply chain network to foster collaboration among various departments in the organization, such as marketing, R&D, and supply chain management. This enables building a comprehensive view of the customer and aligning the organization’s goals accordingly. Additionally, to achieve end-to-end visibility and integrated planning and execution, it’s important to connect with external parties. Collaborating with external partners can provide real-time insights into the supply chain network, enabling timely responses to customer demands and resulting in better communication, enhanced decision-making, and a streamlined supply chain.
Leverage technology to improve visibility: Technology is an essential component in developing a customer-centric supply chain network. Utilize data as an engine for generating insights to develop new products and services that align with the customer’s needs. This requires leveraging data analytics and other cutting-edge technologies that helps you gain a comprehensive understanding of your customer preferences, behaviors, and requirements. Additionally, utilizing technologies such as data analytics, machine learning, and others can help enhance visibility throughout the supply chain network. By using technology to enhance visibility throughout the supply chain network, organizations can make data-driven decisions and react to customer demands in real time. The insights gained through these technologies can also aid in developing new products and services that cater to the evolving customers demand.
Continuously monitor and measure performance: Achieving efficient day-to-day operations in supply chain management requires the strategic use of analytics, performance monitoring, and continuous innovation. By consistently measuring and monitoring performance based on customer-centric metrics, businesses can improve the supply chain network’s ability to meet the customer’s ever-changing needs. Adopting a service-oriented operating model and a hybrid workforce allows organizations to prioritize customer satisfaction and service excellence. Regularly measuring performance against customer-centric metrics such as on-time delivery, order accuracy, and customer satisfaction provides insights for identifying areas that require improvement. By making data-driven decisions, businesses can enhance the supply chain network’s ability to meet customer needs, thus delivering better customer experiences.
Research indicates that retaining current customers is just as crucial, if not more so, than acquiring new ones. The cost of attracting new customers is five times greater than retaining existing customers. Though customer acquisition increases the customer base, customer retention allows organizations to extract maximum value from existing customers. Adopting a customer-centric supply chain network that can adjust to the changing demands of customers is crucial for staying competitive. Organizations that prioritize customer retention can enhance their supply chain network’s ability to meet customers’ evolving demands, thus staying ahead of the competition.