Supply chain management is all about getting the right products to the right place at the right time—and doing it most efficiently and cost-effectively possible. It’s a big challenge, especially in today’s increasingly fast-paced world, where free two-day delivery quickly becomes the standard. To meet these modern-day demands, more and more manufacturers are introducing cloud-based services into their supply chains.
Here are five reasons why you should consider cloud-based solutions to your supply chain challenges.
1. Reduced IT Costs
If you’re implementing IT in your environment, then you’re paying for the equipment and the staff to keep it running, not to mention upgrades every few years. Moving to the cloud eliminates those costs. Cloud-based service providers have the latest technology and the expertise that would simply be too costly to bring in-house. Most providers also offer a team dedicated to your site, so you get technical support from someone who knows your system and business.
2. System Agility
Cloud-based services can quickly be scaled up or down to meet the needs of your supply chain. Easily bring on additional resources during peak months and take them off-line when demand tapers off. This agility makes the entire supply chain more efficient, and you’re more in control of costs.
3. Business Continuity
Major cloud-based service providers put sophisticated disaster recovery plans in place that allow seamless business continuation. Cloud systems can be replicated in multiple locations around the globe, so if one site goes down, traffic is automatically routed to the next available one. This means your data is protected, and goods can keep flowing through your supply chain—even in the case of natural disasters. This is ideal if your supply chain includes multiple locations, technologies, and operating systems because you’ll get fast access to backups in the event of data loss.
4. Endless Connectivity
The cloud can connect virtually every aspect of your supply chain to create countless efficiencies. Devices and equipment outfitted with sensors, RFID tags, Wi-Fi-enabled labels, and antennas can send information about their location, weather conditions, and other variables to the cloud. The cloud can then use this information to track product location, automate pick and pack, monitor product consumption, and maximize space and time during load and unload at docks.
5. Supply Chain Cybersecurity
Consider the implications if hackers compromised your company’s supply chain. An attack could effectively shut down your entire supply chain. So how can you protect your firm? The answer to supply chain security can be found in the cloud. By handing cybersecurity off to a third-party cloud-based service provider, you can trust that your supply chain is being protected 24/7 by experts who have the latest anti-hacker technology and know-how to use it.
For these reasons and more, cloud-based services should be considered by all manufacturers, firms, and organizations that depend on a smooth-running supply chain to meet customer demand.
Taylored Fulfillment Services is a fully integrated third-party logistics provider specializing in wholesale, retail, and direct-to-consumer unit fulfillment. Headquartered in Iselin, New Jersey, they operate 1.5 million square feet of warehouse and distribution space strategically near the nation’s busiest ports, including Los Angeles, Long Beach, and New York. Since its humble beginnings in 1992, Taylored Fulfillment Services has become a national leader in distribution, fulfillment, and warehousing.