If your supply chain is not meeting your needs, then it is time to find alternatives. At a time where price increases, stock availability and disruption are causing a negative impact, it is more important than ever that we secure and maintain a trusted supply chain.

Having an efficient and effective supply chain is not only key to reducing time wastage and costs but above all else it protects your reputation. Your supply chain should never compromise the effectiveness of the services and products that your customer expects to receive.

Supply chain headaches require action, here are some ways that you can get back on track:

  1. Moving to a centralised supply chain with central headquarters and warehouses based in one or two key locations is a way of adding more control. With this traditional model, all supply chain operations are managed in-house which can help with monitoring maintenance and storage costs, stock levels and in-house decision making, which lends itself to an efficient supply chain model. This is particularly effective for businesses who require tighter controls and prefer larger, scheduled deliveries.
  2. The alternative option is a decentralised supply chain, where suppliers are spread across more locations, there may still be a ‘central’ headquarters and warehouse, but these suppliers tend to be more local and offer more of a support role for their clients. This model can offer lower costs at a local level, more flexibility around short notice orders and can have quicker delivery windows.

There are pros and cons to both centralised and decentralised models, centralisation can drive greater efficiencies, give higher product availability, and lower delivery charges whilst decentralisation gives better flexibility, lower product costs, and quicker disaster recovery.

Whichever option you choose cost should not be the only factor. There is still the need to ensure that trust is maintained, and most clients want to ensure that suppliers can prove their due diligence in providing quality, safe products. Choosing suppliers that are accredited over those that are not will only benefit your business and is an incentive for more suppliers to gain certification.

At EF-group, we work with accredited suppliers and have our own accreditations to show our commitment to due diligence and the safety of our customers. We have retained our BRCGS Agents and Brokers Certification for five years, providing us with a framework to manage product safety and quality, whilst maintaining an effective chain of traceability.

And with a network of over 2000+ national, regional, and local suppliers EF can help with the current supply chain issues you are facing. Additionally, if there are specific suppliers you want to work with that we do not have on the books, we can accommodate this easily by signing the supplier up to our network.

To find out more about EF and our innovative industry-leading procurement solution, check it out here or call or email our Group Sales Director, Steve Walker: stevewalker@ef-group.co.uk, 07837 212719.