How to Select Effective Supply Chain Management Software

The process of choosing a supply chain management (SCM) software can be daunting; selecting a good SCM is an important decision taken by a logistics manager within a business house. If the decision is a good one, it can drive up business incomings to the highest possible brim and render as much as 99.8% fulfilment; on the other hand, a wrong decision can completely overturn matters causing severe damages to the business strategy.

Keeping the above factors in mind regarding the selection of effective supply chain management software, here is a checklist; this checklist can be used during the interview process of an ERP system company or an SCM vendor. On the basis of this checklist, vendors can be evaluated for their SCM software packages.

1.  Observe the vendor to notice if they relate to the needs of a business. For this, the vendor must closely relate understand all specific business needs. To ensure that they have done it in the past, question them about the success percentage of their SCM implementations and also enquire about customer satisfaction and related ratings. The current industry average on this scale is 50%; but being a business owner, one must look for 90% or more. So the solution needs to be a tight and a fully integrated enterprise-wide system that would render a fast and easy GUI and there must be sufficient tweaks to eliminate onerous duplication of data.
2. One must get hold of a complete supply pipeline visibility. In order to eliminate all sorts of information barriers, one must make use of a fully coordinated resolution with a flawless real-time accuracy that would sail through a serviceable warehouse; only then goods can be easily located. After all the users (such as distributors, trading partners, clients etc.) require accurate data that is easily accessible.
3. The software chosen must drive a collaborative process. Only then the supply chain visibility can help a business in developing and analysing plans. Running and rerunning scenarios also come into play here till the ones meeting short and long term targets are all effectively met. For this the SCM software must be able to slice core data for viewing it at a fundamental level. Also ensure that this software can allow a user to electronically share plans with requisite partners.
4. If the provision allows, ensure that the software has a ‘request for a quote system’. Generally good RFQ systems help in streamlining the quotation process via very high levels of amenableness to display detailed product specifications.
5. All purchasing processes must be linked so that supply to demand is properly balanced. Besides every buyer must have an access to a decent purchasing history as well as sales hassles, RFQs, marketing finances, catalogue availability and product development requirements.
6. The sales order systems must be flexible and quick so that customers can place orders via various channels (online, through a telephonic conversation sales team or call centre representatives. So one must look for a point of sale system for retail store that can display customers’ order preferences, offers and credit history easily.
7. Ensure that at any point in the SCM’s lifecycle, the inventory stays visible.
8. It must positively include a customer relationship management (CRM) module.

Thus the point of sale software must not only tracks and sell inventory bust also cater to an ultimate role properly; this role is to offer customers with anything that they want.