Visibility in the Inbound Supply Chain Finding a Clear Competitive Advantage as Complexity Grows A GT Nexus White Paper
The Inbound Supply Chain Is a Complicated Affair As global supply chains grow in complexity, companies are looking for ways to make their supply chains more efficient, cost-effective, and competitive in a market where companies are embracing new technology to get ahead. More suppliers and partners are involved in the inbound supply chain than ever. Manual processes are becoming too complicated to continue. Risk and volatility is driving up transportation spend, landed costs, and expenses related to supply chain disruption as companies struggle to become agile in an environment that demands it. The companies that are gaining a competitive edge are the ones investing in technology that can greatly improve inbound visibility and best address the current challenges in the market. They re using systems that provide end-to-end visibility into inventory and supply chain activity across the globe. Visibility Drives Strategic Operating Improvements Some companies are already reaping the benefits of end-to-end global supply chain visibility and control. They operate with less overhead and inventory and react to fluctuations in demand more quickly. They re able to manage risk more effectively, using agility to help them face unexpected disruptions. The companies that don t have visibility are beginning to make it a priority. The manual processes associated with simpler supply chains are difficult to manage and cut into the overall profit margin by adding costs along the way. To deal with the sharp increase in complexity as global supply chains grow and diversify, companies need technology that can provide visibility across a large network of trading partners. They need the ability to see order statuses, shipments, in-transit goods, trade documents, and costs as inventory moves along the supply chain. Each company must evaluate the areas where they can most improve however some common examples of the benefits of visibility are below:. Increasing supplier collaboration Visibility drives process efficiency and improves collaboration between suppliers and buyers. Data on supplier activity is available to all involved parties, and companies can identify and address changes, delays, or problems as they arise. PO distribution: Suppliers can accept, decline, or request changes to orders instantaneously. Buyers/ merchandise managers can benefit from being able to access all of their supplier responses in a central location. Staying ahead of disruptions: As the ordered goods are produced, deviations from planned production, delivery dates, and quantities can trigger alerts in the system, providing buyers with an early warning of potential delays down the line. Product safety and quality: The results on safety and quality inspections of products are quickly and easily made available.
Document creation and management: Suppliers can prepare shipments by creating key documents like commercial invoices and packing lists, using data directly downloaded from the purchase order to reduce data re-keying errors. They can also perform valued-added services such as labeling, creating special packaging, and generating ASNs. Origin operations support: With a single version of the truth on specifics of a shipment, and a single point of contact for all parties, there s far less likelihood of miscommunication during transportation at the point of origin.. Improving supply chain agility and reducing inventory Increased visibility and control over inventory across the extended supply chain allows companies to see all of their inventory, no matter where it s located in the supply chain. In-transit inventory is counted as on-hand, lowering the amount of buffer stock a company must hold in case of disruptions. With this visibility, companies can make strategic fulfillment decisions. They re able to use dynamic ETAs to adjust allocations or divert in-transit inventory to respond to changing availability and consumer demand (see Figure ). FIGURE : With better management of inbound shipments, companies can reduce transportation spend on unnecessary expediting or inventory transfers. Inbound Pipeline West DC East DC Demand DC Yard Based on early forecasts, a steady supply is planned to arrive in the DCs Problem: Unexpected change in demand can t be met with existing inventory in East DC; no visibility into yard, where there may be inventory, or into ETAs of inventory en route, which could be just days away An Out-of-Market transfer is initiated; inventory is trucked across the country to replenish the East DC, incurring additional handling and transport costs Solution: With visibility into yard inventory and the inbound pipeline, yard inventory could be used, and container shipments destined for the West DC could be diverted en route to the East DC, avoiding an Out-of-Market transfer At the receiving end, a visibility system can streamline transfers of cargo from one mode of transportation to another, which is often a major bottleneck. Other benefits include: Reducing container detention charges and improving yard turnover Improving efficiency of DC cross-docking operations and streamlining the receiving process (see Figure ). One leading company increased cross-docking by over 00%, achieving both inventory cost savings and improved customer service Improving receiving labor and DC space requirements forecasts Performing post-entry audit to spot shortages/overages for customs filing within 0 days
FIGURE : Cutting costs and back-order time through increased cross-docking Inbound Pipeline Distribution Center Demand Request is made Problem: DC does not have items requested in stock Solution: With visibility into inbound supply, requested items destined for DC are expedited directly through DC Delivered Perhaps the largest opportunity to drive value is the reduction in buffer inventory made possible by increased visibility and predictability of supply. Finally, data and insights provided by the platform give companies the tools and materials for the strategic analysis needed to drive transformative, ongoing process improvements.. Reducing transportation spend Access to detailed, reliable historical cost and usage data allows negotiations for transportation contracts to be conducted on the basis of a much clearer understanding of real needs and past deals and increases the likelihood those contracts will meet current requirements. Sophisticated optimization technology can maximize the value received from freight allocation decisions value determined not only by cost, but also by service levels and other important considerations. Automating the audit process can eliminate freight overcharges. This capability can be an important tool in achieving Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, too. Improved visibility also reduces the need for premium freight services such as expedited shipping. For many companies, this reduction represents a significant source of value.. Meeting regulatory compliance requirements and streamlining customs process A cloud-based visibility platform provides the connectivity, data, and data-handling capabilities necessary to reduce compliance risks, to avoid overpaying duty, and to expedite the clearance process. This kind of system contains the data needed to improve customs entry workload planning and to ensure timely filing. It can be used to create digitized documents and service providers or other trading partners can
upload document images or files to the system. It can also automate both pre-entry validation (comparing HTS codes from the PO with those on the item master) and post-entry validation (HTS, Value of Goods, and Country of Origin). Visibility technology also provides a base from which companies can quickly comply with regulatory changes, whether they are minor tweaks or major new rules. 5. Tracking actual landed costs as they accrue In an extended global supply chain, unexpected costs can damage margins, sometimes wiping them out altogether. Controlling overall cost escalation and accurately understanding landed costs the total cost to purchase an item from an overseas supplier and get it to market is critical in protecting profits. Most companies have a predictive approach to calculating landed costs (see Figure ). In contrast, the visibility platform captures actual costs as they are incurred, so they are able to compare actual costs, in real time, with previously set targets. Early visibility into the difference between target and actual costs allows organizations to modify plans for downstream product pricing and marketing campaigns. They can also identify chronic problem areas. The integrated global cost control system also supports key processes that underpin accurate total cost management. These include: Cost allocation: Costs can be automatically allocated by the system in the proper proportion to the right shipment, order, product line item or SKU. Cost audit: Costs can be automatically audited in the system. Freight costs can be matched against transportation contracts, duties against item classifications, and first costs against commercial invoices or original purchase orders. Cost timing: The time in which a certain liability was incurred can be audited or matched by the system against a corresponding event in the physical supply chain. For example, transfer of title to goods (and resulting payment) can be associated with or triggered by related events in the physical supply chain, like Forwarder Cargo Receipt, Vessel On-Board or Vessel Arrival. The benefits of visibility are clear, but how are they to be achieved? The processes described above are complex and involve multiple recipients both within and without the four walls of the enterprise. Thus, companies need both access to internally- and externally-generated data and systems that can turn that data into useful information. Margin Loss "Overhead" Duties Freight First Cost Typical Cost Recap Agent Fees Deconsolidation Fees Consolidation Fees Drayage Duties Freight First Cost Actual Costs FIGURE : The traditional approach to determining landed cost often uncover hidden costs too late to make corrective adjustments. 5
The Game-Changer: Visibility on a Cloud-Based Supply Chain Network Traditional business software was designed for the single enterprise. But the success of supply chains today is defined by their focus on intercompany collaboration and commerce across business networks that span the globe. To enable the massive levels of information sharing and process automation that these business networks require, a new technology approach is needed. A cloud-based platform that brings all of the stakeholders in a supply chain onto a single network. For years, supply chain managers have had to make do with a best guess of what is in the pipeline and have suffered the consequences of uncertainty in the form of excess costs and degraded customer service. Today, companies can quickly and cost-effectively connect a widely dispersed, rapidly changing community of business partners in order to exchange crucial, timely data in the cloud. Companies with supply chain visibility have a critical competitive advantage they are able to make changes that drive costs down and performance up. This transforms them into agile, responsive organizations that run consistently ahead of the pack. 6