Essay Sample on Improved Customer Relationships and Supply Chain Management

Introduction

The strategies used in the supply chain management have the capacity of enabling the firms to ensure that there are financial, material, and information available for the same firm. These resources are utilized in the production of quality services and goods and on time. The practical techniques in the supply chain management help in the reduction of the extent of the flow of work from the manufacturers and the vendors. This practice is also essential in the ensuring of the flow of resources from the distributors to the retailers. The management of the relationship between the customers is significant in the securing of the reach of the services and parts to the customers whenever there is the need. This process is achieved once the completion of the sales has been attained through the automation of the procedures used in the business.

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Such automation processes could be used in the service, support, and the sales departments. Therefore, the integration of the customer relationships and those of the supply chain are significant in the maximization of the operations of services in the sector. There is the need to address and understand the difference between the two phrases. The supply chain employees make sure that all the departments within the organization get the relevant raw materials that are needed for the completion of the work in their plight in a much-organized manner (Zhao, Huo, Flynn & Yeung, 2008). On the other hand, customer relationship services deal with the customers in a direct mechanism to help ensure that these clients get the right services and support based on their needs.The supply chain personnel work with the vendors while on the other side, the customer personnel is concerned with the plight of the customers in a better manner to help give the best services in the overall chain system. For instance, a small veterinary hospital would have the supply chain management ensure a constant supply of medical resources meant for the daily investigations in the facility. They could also be bestowed with the responsibility of performing surgeries, treatment of medical problems on the animals (Homburg, Jozic & Kuehnl, 2017). At the same facility, the customer relationship management would liaise with the clients to ensure that these clients get the right information regarding the treatment and management of the conditions on their animals.

Based on the process of product flow, the supply chain personnel ensures that there is a free flow of resources from the suppliers right to the manufacturers in a manner that is likely to help create a smooth and harmonized transition of services in the chain. For instance, a small printing press would then utilize the supply chain in the purchase and distribution of the paper products and the ink needed in the running of the business (Mohan & Deshmukh, 2013). The customer relationship personnel on the other hand function to take and transmit the orders to help in ensuring that there is a constant return and the needs of support are keenly taken care of in a broad manner (Zhao, Huo, Flynn & Yeung, 2008). Within the same brochure firm, customer relationships would then take the orders from the customers who would want their brochures printed by the firm.

The supply chain personnel utilize the software available in the technology sector in the facilitation of the tracking and the planning process of the materials needed by the management of the organization. The applications used the supply chain management are significant in the sharing of data within the several departments in the organization. Such shared data would be obtained from the business partners and the suppliers in the process of ensuring a smooth running of the business (Homburg, Jozic & Kuehnl, 2017). In the case where the customer relationships take the orders, there would be the need to understand the need for the perfect match in the program in the overall chain in the business. The whole process, in this case, expedites the service delivery program to the customer.

Conclusion

In summary, the data obtained from this process is then used in the dissemination of information across the organization. The details on how to locate and retrieve the raw materials used in the production of goods could be accessed through the development of the IT department. The process of strict and accurate analysis of the chain would then be necessary for the improvement of the schedules of production, plan for future work, reduction of the costs, and the elimination of problems along the chain on the supply path. Customer services department would also be significant in the access of the relevant data to be used in the entire process of supporting the clients. The supply chain sector has the role of informing the customer relationship of any problems that would arise when obtaining the desired and required products such as sugar, fresh produce, and flour in the bakery industry.

Topic Question

Does the supply chain utilized in your organization help in the minimizing of the number of touches and the touch time in the supply chain transactions to help in the reduction of potential points of failure?

References

Homburg, C., Jozic, D., & Kuehnl, C. (2017). Customer experience management: toward implementing an evolving marketing concept. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 45(3), 377-401.

Mohan, A., & Deshmukh, A. K. (2013). Conceptualization and Development of a Supply Chain-Customer Relationship Management (SC 2 RM) Synergy Mode. With the Journal of Supply Chain Management and Systems.

Zhao, X., Huo, B., Flynn, B. B., & Yeung, J. H. Y. (2008). The impact of power and relationship commitment on the integration between manufacturers and customers in a supply chain. Journal of Operations Management, 26(3), 368-388.