What is Supply Chain Account Management (and Why you Should Consider it)?
If your company transports any sort of stock from one place to another — B2B or B2C — then you’ve probably come across the term supply chain before. It denotes any stage of the production and/or distribution of a commodity; it can save you a hefty sum if optimised correctly or cost you just as much if managed poorly. As part of our professional logistics solutions, elite logistics australia offers complete supply chain account management services so you can ensure everything from freight management to warehouse pick and pack practices are governed accordingly. Keep reading to find out what supply chain account management is and why you should consider it for your business.
Understanding supply chains
When it comes to logistics, a company’s supply chain encompasses a multitude of factors; it is a complete end-to-end process that tracks a product from the supplier all the way to the consumer, this includes storage (whether it be internal or through a 3PL warehouse provider), B2B and/or B2C transportation and tracking throughout. It’s all about the flow of merchandise.
Defining supply chain account management
Supply chain account management relates to the organisation, supervision and optimisation of a company’s supply chain — it’s about interpreting the data and applying it to practise for constant improvement and a more efficient process across several areas including speed, cost, customer service and even sustainability. A supply chain account manager should have established relationships with external freight companies and couriers, and know when best to leverage each one’s service, as well as be able to scale operations effortlessly to meet demand during peak seasons.
Freight management
One vital organ of a company’s supply chain is freight management — efficiently moving goods across the supply chain network. For example, a supply chain account manager handling freight for a retail brand would ensure products are being transported to physical retail stores on time as well as directly to consumers — e-commerce customers who have ordered online directly from the brand’s website. There may be weekly, fortnightly or monthly B2B orders in place that transport merchandise from the 3PL warehouse to the retail stores to ensure stock levels are kept optimally.
Why should you outsource your supply chain account management?
There are three attractive reasons why you should outsource your business’ supply chain account management to a 3PL provider like ELA.
1. Dedicated and experienced account manager
Depending on the size of your business you will either end up hiring a dedicated supply chain account manager or, take on the role yourself/delegate it to another existing team member. The former can be costly and may not be necessary whereas the latter can cut the allocated person’s time and pull their attention away from other matters they’re more qualified to deal with. By engaging a 3PL provider like ELA, you can benefit from an experienced and dedicated supply chain account manager that will be available exclusively to you and your company — this will be far more cost-effective than hiring your own and you will receive the added bonuses of a vast and complex network of courier/freight company partnerships (as well as our in-house transport fleet).
2. Premium technology and logistics solutions
Speaking of added bonuses, ELA is home to some of the world’s best and cutting-edge logistics supply chain technology, designed specifically to optimise your freight management (FMS), warehouse management (WMS) and costs. Your dedicated supply chain account manager would have unhindered access to this technology and understand how to expertly leverage it to ensure your entire operations are optimally placed to yield the best results across the board.
3. Complete transparency and regular updates
Wouldn’t it be nice if you had simple, regular reports presented to you as regularly as you required them with invaluable data poised to help you improve your business? An outsourced supply chain account manager can provide an invaluable and boutique reporting service so you won’t need to waste time or worry about interpreting raw data. In addition to regular updates sent directly to you, our intuitive, easy and completely integrable cloud-based system will allow you to access this information whenever you need it and in real-time.
Are you looking to outsource your supply chain account management?
elite logistics australia is a third-party logistics provider specialising in the retail logistics, FMCG and lightindustrial sectors; we have a vast and centralised 3PL warehouse with state-of-the-art technology and processes. Our clients enjoy dedicated account managers who will help them boost all levels of their supply chain to superior heights using unparalleled business intelligence — keeping costs low and efficiency high is what we excel at.
If you have any questions about our account management or logistics services, then please do not hesitate to give us a call on 1300 652 157 or fill out our online contact form below.