Any business that relies on moving products is going to rely on a supply chain that gets each product from one part of the sales process to the next. Whether it’s making local deliveries or you’re expanding to international territories, a poorly managed supply chain is going to lose items, frustrate customers, and lose you money.

So, how do you make sure it’s running as it should? Here are the links you need to invest in to keep that supply chain strong.

Where the Products Come From

If you manufacture and provide the products that you sell, then this point can be replaced by the need for efficient manufacturing processes. Otherwise, however, you’re going to need to look more closely at the suppliers that you choose, making sure that they won’t let you down. Reliable supply of new inventory is crucial, and the best way to make sure that you get that is to work with suppliers who are honest and transparent about their own supply chain, rather than surprising you with sudden shortages.

Where the Products Are Held

If you’re outsourcing the warehousing and storage of your items, then the tips will be much the same as above: make sure you do your research, know what you need to find in warehousing services, and compare your local options. Otherwise, if you’re running the warehouse yourself, you need to make sure you’re investing in good inventory tracking systems, training your staff to be efficient and detail-oriented, and warehouse equipment, including the racking that is going to make it easier to access and organize your inventory. Otherwise, items can go missing in warehouses all the time or take too much time to find, all of which costs you money.

How Your Products Get From A to B

Your supplier will take care of getting the product to you, in most cases, but you need to consider which options are best for getting it to your customers. If you’re doing long-term deliveries in bulk, then relying on drivers for individual deliveries can get very costly and you might instead want to hire dry van freight trucking, then have drivers on the other side take care of the particulars. Make sure you consider the distance you’re shipping, as well as the volume of items you are moving, and choose the most cost-effective option based on those parameters.

Customer Satisfaction

It’s not just about getting your products out there, it’s about making sure that the customer or the buyer is satisfied. One of the better ways to do that is to have a thorough understanding of how long it usually takes you to get products out there so you can offer reliable estimates. If you control your own fleet of vehicles, then you can use GPS tracking to offer product tracking to the customers, as well.

The specifics of supply chain management can get pretty complex and will differ from company to company. Hopefully, the points above help you look a little more closely at your own.