Maintaining a software tracking system for your business is no longer a luxury but a critical component that can keep you competitive in complex markets.
Fresh Market suppliers in Texas – from meat and poultry to seafood to produce to floral to groceries and other specialty foods – have learned the importance of software tracking systems to counter supply chain issues during the pandemic and ride out extreme weather events.
Pandemic Tests Supply Chain Resilience
“The pandemic has been especially disruptive to the logistics industry, exposing how vulnerable it is to shocks that ricochet across complex and global supply chains,” reports the Wall Street Journal. “Lockdowns and border closures led to shortages of critical goods, longer shipment lead times and delays. For many businesses it meant being unable to either predict or guarantee deliveries.”
Of course, Fresh Market suppliers and distributors make their living off guaranteeing on-time deliveries to customers.
“As a result, companies now realize how crucial it is to strengthen the resilience of their supply chains. Increasingly they are embracing location-technology solutions, such as real-time tracking and route optimization, to create efficient, smart, and dynamic supply chains,” said the Wall Street Journal article.
Emerging technology such as Fresh Byte Software, go beyond the traditional enterprise resource planning (ERP) software and offer an all-in-one solution which combines:
- Distribution Software
- Inventory Control
- Accounting Software
- Traceability Software
Maintaining a software tracking system for your business can provide your organization with data-driven, real-time visibility leading to:
- Ensure goods are delivered on-time and in a cost-effective manner
- Enhances security and compliance
- When problems arise, can provide accurate estimated time of delivery throughout the supply chain
- Monitor your supply chain for bottlenecks and other problems as they occur
Fresh Market distributors can utilize tracking software to manage and monitor everything from receivables to inventory control to traceability to purchasing to repackaging.
Extreme Weather Events Call for Business Continuity
Between Hurricane Harvey in 2017 or last year’s deep winter freeze, businesses in Texas have learned that their survival depends on a business continuity plan.
Software tracking systems such as Fresh Byte Software can help businesses during inclement weather, especially when their buildings and on-premises servers are affected by flooding, power loss and other damage.
Fresh Byte Software clients can be kept up and running with their data temporarily moved to the cloud where it can be accessed remotely to keep the business up and running.
Once the extreme weather has ended, and clients on-premises servers are fully operational, then the data is moved back to the client from the cloud.
5 Other Reasons to Maintain a Software Tracking System
Maintaining a software tracking system helps you manage the many moving parts of your business.
While taming supply chain issues and weathering the next big storm are two big reasons to take advantage of this technology, here are five more reasons:
- Enhanced Data Management Improves Operational Processes and Performance:
Productivity and performance will increase when you are able to automate and standardize processes in one easy-to-use platform. Enhanced data management allows distributors visibility and transparency along their entire distribution network. Management has access to real-time data which allows them to make strategic operational decisions. Sales teams can also benefit by utilizing data to understand your customers purchasing and buying habits. All this combined can add up to lower overhead costs, and increased production.
- Optimizes Warehouse Management and Makes Inventory Control More Efficient:
Real-time monitoring of goods is paramount for Fresh Market distributors as they inevitably are dealing with a multitude of vendors and supplies on one end, and multiple customers on the other end. Software tracking systems can help streamline supply chain management and ensure a steady flow of goods to keep your business running at peak efficiency. Your warehouse operations are optimized with receiving and inventory able to take advantage of hand-held scanners and mobile devices. Authorized personnel can instantly view details on items such as vendor name, receiving date, quantity ordered, costs incurred and other analytic information. Your warehouse can use the data to scale as needed to keep your customers stocked with needed items.
- Increases Business-Wide Agility and Visibility with Real-Time Information:
Agility is more than a buzz word in the business world today as companies need to take advantage of available real-time data to make informed decisions. A business tracking system allows your distribution network to have a clear picture of your current needs. Basing today’s decisions on yesterday’s information, or even information that is hours old, can lead to problems in your distribution network. Since your entire organization is utilizing the same tracking platform, all decisions, no matter what location or business channel, will be based on the same real-time information.
- Detailed Profitability Analysis Leads to Increased Profits: Investing in a business software tracking system pays off because it allows your company to understand your true operating costs. Profitability analysis based on your platform’s data ultimately will reduce your costs. Unprofitable aspects of your distribution network are easier to identify and rectify with a business tracking system in place. Profitability can be broken down by different metrics including by product, vendor, customer, and other options. Strategic decisions based on these data sets can provide your business with a competitive advantage.
- Most Importantly for Fresh Market Distributors, It Will Make Your Customers Happy: As a Fresh Market distributor your businesses success depends on the satisfaction of your customers. Investing in a business software tracking platform such as Fresh Byte Software keeps your customers happy as their evolving needs will be more easily met by your organization. Since you will be able to anticipate and respond to their needs in a rapid fashion, your relationship will be strengthened with your customers. A business tracking system can help your company build and maintain trust with current and future customers.
Contact Fresh Byte Software today to learn more about how a business tracking system can benefit your organization.