It is not uncommon to see the dynamic E-commerce landscape experience fluctuations in consumer behaviour, purchasing patterns, and overall market activity. These factors can cause a spike in demand for products and services during peak seasons, such as holidays or special promotions. Supply chain customers must cope with these uncertainties to minimise disruptions during their order management and fulfilment processes. This article dives into the three key strategies supply chain customers can leverage to effectively handle high demand, backed by FairPrice Group Supply Chain Business (FPGSC).
1. Scalable Infrastructure and Capacity
Low production levels can translate to limited stock availability, impacting order processing systems and potentially delaying the e-commerce fulfillment process. This shortage affects not only effects inventory management and order processing but also shipping operations. As a result, supply chain customers must prioritise developing a scalable infrastructure and capacity to address these challenges effectively. These are some strategies to bolster the supply chain:
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Optimised Storage Operations
While implementing flexible storage solutions maximises space utilisation, optimising storage operations helps to improve quality assurance processes. FPGSC has the capability to tailor storage configurations to meet the specific requirements of food products and fluctuating demand patterns, with a focus on licensed and temperature-controlled storage facilities. In the food sector, licensed storage facilities must adhere to strict standards imposed by health authorities, covering hygiene practices, sanitation protocols, temperature control measures, and proper handling procedures to ensure food safety and prevent contamination. Concurrently, temperature-controlled storage preserves the freshness of perishable food items. Maintaining precise temperature and humidity levels within storage facilities is crucial to prevent spoilage, bacterial growth, and deterioration of food products, thus reducing the risk of compromised food quality.
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Automated Technologies
Automated technologies, including order management systems (OMS) and warehouse management systems (WMS), streamline routine tasks like order processing, inventory tracking, and robotic packing. By reducing the need for manual intervention, these systems significantly minimises reliance on human resources, leading to greater efficiency and cost savings. Additionally, they mitigate the risk of errors while accelerating fulfillment operations.
Learn more: The Importance of 3PL in Supply Chain Management
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Adjustable Workforce Strategies
Adjustable workforce strategies keep human resources aligned with business requirements by enabling customers to adjust their staffing levels. For instance, during peak periods, reallocating tasks within the permanent staff to focus on process-centric scopes while assigning temporary staff to bridge roles, which involve less process-driven tasks. This flexibility prevents understaffing or overstaffing issues to achieve operational excellence.
2. Accurate Demand Forecasting
A successful e-commerce fulfilment can also be made possible with accurate demand forecasting. The precision of these forecasts significantly slashes processing times for better inventory management and elevated customer satisfaction. Customers can harness advanced analytics and data-driven insights to fine-tune demand forecasting models, better-predicting consumer behaviour and market trends. In addition, understanding historical sales data, monitoring market trends, and assessing external factors prepare customers to meet their customers’ needs.
3. Optimised Order Processing Workflows
Integrating technologies like order management systems (OMS) and warehouse management systems (WMS) promotes optimal order processing, simplifying routine tasks to improve the entire order fulfilment process. Specifically, OMS centralises order handling across sales channels for precise real-time order tracking. On the other hand, WMS optimises warehouse operations by automating inventory management, order picking, and packing processes. Through evaluation and refinement of different stages in the process, WMS helps to determine and mitigate bottlenecks, facilitating continuous workflow improvements.
Amidst the evolving ecommerce industry, customers face the challenge of managing increased demand effectively. FPGSC helps them to address this by providing robust fulfillment processes tailored to meet the dynamic needs.
FairPrice Group Supply Chain Business (FPGSC) operates as the supply chain arm of the largest supermarket operator in Singapore. We focus on designing, managing and operating end-to-end supply chain solutions. Contact us now to find out how we can meet your daily logistics needs.