How Supply Chain Talent Can Impact the Customer Experience – the Bastian Consulting Perspective
Written by: Stephanie Martinez and Tony Richter, Partners at Bastian Consulting
Consumer behaviour has changed the retail paradigm. To meet customer needs and to discover untapped revenue, modern retailers are rapidly investing in their supply chain capabilities to stay ahead of the curve. By managing supply chains effectively, businesses can stay ahead of competitors and directly dictate two key parts of customer satisfaction – price and delivery.
Customers expect to be able to get in touch with businesses quickly and easily to get issues resolved. They also have heightened expectations of product availability, ranges, delivery options (including price and speed) which are all major factors when making a purchase.
Customers want to make an order knowing that stock level availability is in real-time. In Australia especially, we’re seeing a lack of skills around digital and order management systems (OMS.) Many businesses are still using Excel spreadsheets to manage their inventory, which just doesn't work anymore. Businesses need to have real-time visibility into their inventory levels to ensure they always have enough product to meet customer demand. Adopting automated systems to improve order and inventory management is a must.
We’ve also seen a rise in the number of roles in the warehousing space. You can have the best technology in the world available, but if you don’t have the people to manage fulfilment or get your order delivered on time, this will negatively affect the company and the brand. On the employment website SEEK, there are more than 32,000 unfilled vacancies (July 2022) which is a big challenge for us as an industry to solve. The warehousing sector is crying out for talent, and the widening gap is causing salaries in this space to increase exponentially. In fact, not long-ago general warehousing staff salaries were around $65,000 plus superannuation on average. Right now, it’s very common to see these same roles being advertised for $75,000 - $85,000, if not higher.
Skills such as Warehouse Management System (WMS) integration, OMS configuration, and knowledge of working with robotics and automation can make or break your supply chain right now, directly resulting in a customer experience that strengthens or weakens your brand.
In 2010 industry talk focused on the issue of the “perfect order” and being able to track and measure all the links in the chain. Today the focus is on the customer, their experience, the perceived value in your service, the digital feedback they provide and whether or not they come back.
Ensuring you have a positive impact on your customer experience through effective supply chain management requires careful planning, coordination, and execution. Having the right people in place to manage this ensures a smooth experience and repeat business.
