(KMBN OM01) Unit 5: Supply Chain and CRM
Supply Chain and CRM
Supply Chain: The supply chain is like a big journey your product
takes before it reaches you. It starts with raw materials, goes through
manufacturing, and finally arrives at stores or your doorstep. Think of it
as the steps involved in making and delivering your favorite chocolate—from
cocoa beans to a finished bar you can buy.
CRM (Customer Relationship Management): CRM is like a notebook
businesses use to remember everything about their customers. It helps
companies keep track of who their customers are, what they like, and how to
make them happy. For example, when an online store suggests products you
might like, that’s their CRM system in action.
Linkage
1. Supply Chain Linkage: Supply chain linkage is like connecting the dots in a network to ensure a product reaches the customer smoothly. Imagine making a pizza:
- The ingredients (flour, cheese, veggies) come from suppliers.
- The restaurant assembles the pizza and bakes it.
- The delivery guy ensures it reaches your home.
In a supply chain, all these steps (suppliers, manufacturers, transporters, and retailers) are linked to work as one team. This ensures that products are delivered on time, in good quality, and at the lowest cost.
2. Customer Relationship Management (CRM): CRM is like keeping a diary to remember details about your friends. For a business, customers are their "friends." CRM systems help businesses:
- Remember customer preferences (like their favorite products).
- Track interactions (such as feedback or complaints).
- Build loyalty by offering personalized deals or solving issues quickly.
It helps companies keep customers happy and encourages them to return, like a shopkeeper who knows you by name and always offers great service!
IT infrastructure used for Supply Chain and CRM
IT Infrastructure for Supply Chain
IT infrastructure for the supply chain is like a digital toolkit that
helps businesses manage and track the journey of products from creation to
delivery. Key components include:
- ERP Systems (Enterprise Resource Planning): Like a master planner, it integrates all supply chain activities—inventory, production, and orders—into one platform.
- Transportation Management Systems (TMS): Tracks shipments, plans delivery routes, and ensures products reach customers on time, like a GPS for logistics.
- Warehouse Management Systems (WMS): Manages storage and movement of goods in warehouses efficiently, like a smart organizer.
- RFID and Barcode Scanners: Track goods in real-time, ensuring nothing is lost, like scanning items at a grocery store.
- IoT Devices: Sensors that monitor products, such as temperature-sensitive items, during transport.
IT Infrastructure for CRM
IT infrastructure for CRM is like having a digital assistant to manage
customer relationships. It includes
- CRM Software: Tools like Salesforce or HubSpot store customer data, track interactions, and schedule follow-ups, like a digital diary for customer info.
- Cloud Storage: Keeps all customer information safe and accessible from anywhere, like storing files on Google Drive.
- Email and Communication Tools: Automates sending newsletters, offers, or updates to customers, like a bulk messaging app.
- Data Analytics Tools: Analyzes customer behavior to suggest products or services they might like, similar to Netflix recommending shows.
- Mobile CRM Apps: Allow employees to access customer details on the go, ensuring quick responses to queries or updates.
Both infrastructures ensure businesses run smoothly, save time, and
deliver better customer experiences.
Functional Components for CRM
- Sales Management: Helps track and manage all sales activities, like keeping a to-do list for potential and existing customers, following up on deals, and making sure no opportunities are missed.
- Marketing Automation: Automates repetitive tasks like sending promotional emails, SMS, or targeted ads. It’s like setting up reminders to tell customers about your offers without doing it manually every time.
- Customer Support: Keeps track of customer complaints, feedback, or questions. Imagine having a notebook where you write every time a customer asks for help so you can respond quickly and keep them happy.
- Contact Management: Stores all customer information in one place, like a digital address book. It includes names, phone numbers, email IDs, purchase history, and preferences, making it easy to know your customer better.
- Analytics and Reporting: Helps analyze customer data to understand what they like, what they don’t, and how they behave. Think of it as getting a report card that shows how well your customer relationships are working.
- Workflow Automation: Streamlines tasks like assigning customer queries to the right team or sending a thank-you note after a purchase. It’s like having a virtual assistant to handle small but important tasks.
- Integration with Other Tools: Connects with other systems like email, social media, or payment platforms, so everything works together smoothly, like plugging all appliances into one power strip.
These components make managing customer relationships easier, more
organized, and effective!
Green Supply Chain Management
Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) means managing the supply chain in a
way that helps protect the environment. Think of it as doing business
while being kind to nature. Here's how it works
- Eco-Friendly Materials: Using materials that are less harmful to the planet, like recyclable packaging or biodegradable products.
- Energy Saving: Reducing energy use in production and transportation, like using fuel-efficient vehicles or solar-powered factories.
- Less Waste: Recycling or reusing materials instead of throwing them away, just like turning old paper into new notebooks.
- Partnering with Green Suppliers: Working with companies that follow environmentally friendly practices.
Imagine you’re making and delivering products, but you:
- Use eco-friendly materials (like recyclable packaging).
- Save energy in production and transportation.
- Recycle or reuse waste instead of throwing it away.
- Work with suppliers who also care about the environment.
The goal is to deliver products to customers while reducing pollution,
saving natural resources, and leaving a smaller carbon footprint. It’s
like doing business in a way that’s good for both people and the planet!
Supply Chain sustainability
Supply chain sustainability is about doing business in a way that helps the environment, society, and the economy. Supply Chain Sustainability means running a supply chain in a way that helps both the environment and society, while still making a profit. Supply Chain Sustainability means running the process of making and delivering products in a way that takes care of the environment, people, and resources for the long term.
Example: Imagine buying a chocolate bar:
- Environment-friendly farming – The cocoa farmers grow crops without harming the soil or cutting down forests.
- Fair treatment of workers – Farmers and factory workers are paid fair wages and work in safe conditions.
- Eco-friendly transport – The chocolate is delivered using methods that reduce pollution, like electric vehicles or efficient shipping.
- Minimal waste – The chocolate packaging is recyclable or biodegradable, reducing trash.
Sustainable supply chains ensure products are made and delivered responsibly, so future generations can also enjoy the benefits without harming the planet.