Supply chain visibility is increasingly reliant on digital technologies that communicate product status updates in real time.
When it comes to monitoring how your business is performing, there are many production elements, delivery schedules and forecasting algorithms to juggle. An effective digital strategy is one that leverages the communication capabilities of hardware devices with software applications that can provide critical updates.
Continued consumer support for online shopping in the wake of the pandemic has resulted in an increasingly complex supply chain. Many Australian businesses are deploying a digital transformation strategy to keep pace and provide end-to-end monitoring and traceability for their products.
Unifying the inventory management, communication and tracking processes under a digital platform enables operators to oversee all aspects of what is being called ‘Industry 4.0.’ Defined by the World Economic Forum as smart and connected production systems that can sense, predict and interact with the physical world, implementation of these platforms affords your business the ability to make decisions and support production in real-time.
This article will showcase how to leverage new techniques and methodologies by digitising your supply chain workflows.
How digital technology can help your business
Inaccurate and outdated modelling creates pain points for both ends of the supply chain. Snapshot-based static models tell the story of your business at a moment in time – however, that moment quickly passes.
What your organisation needs is a solution that can trade spreadsheets for cloud-based inventory management platforms that can be updated from anywhere along the supply chain. From the warehouse floor to your customer’s front door, a digitised supply chain is fully traceable.
Brother
barcode and label printing devices easily integrate with your digital applications and softwareVulnerabilities across the supply chain
Supply risks caused by interruptions to the flow of your business processes can take a variety of forms. Everything from damaged labels to missed deliveries can impact your ability to get products to their destinations on time.
Demand risks require accurate inventory management and assessment tools that can effortlessly scale as your business grows. Manufacturers that fail to accurately forecast downturns in demand increase risk of ending up with obsolete stock, according to Supply Chain Brains.
These issues place a strain on cross-department communications and create challenges for operators who aren’t able to view data until it’s merged, usually at the 11th hour and from a variety of Excel spreadsheets and individual departmental datasets.
Adopting a digital-first approach can turn your reactive supply chain into a proactive, dynamic process that leverages connected hardware and software.
Digital transformation solutions
A connected platform offers end-to-end visibility for your properly labelled and barcoded products. Here’s how to deploy connected devices that can interface with your digital inventory management software.
- Brother thermal label printers provide seamless integration and long-term reliability for your workforce. Equip your warehouse staff and delivery drivers with convenient, durable and easy-to-use devices that interface with your connected platforms in real-time
- Labels printed on TZe tape are built to last and can easily withstand the harshest working conditions. Portable labellers like the Brother PT-P910BT support TZe tape, compatible with a range of label sizes to suit your operational needs
- The Brother range of Titan industrial printers can produce up to 10,000 high-quality shipping and receiving labels per day, ensuring your business can scale to match growing consumer needs. With every label created, you’re beginning a fully-traceable product journey, from the point of production to the moment of delivery
- Brother Software Development Kits (SDKs) enable you to easily integrate your portable print and label devices into your existing business applications
From mobile printers to scan and label technologies, Brother devices support your digital
transformationThe benefits of a digital transformation strategy
A monitoring and management platform can tie the devices in the field with the processing capabilities of your connected applications and software to give you the power that comes with end-to-end supply chain visibility.
Brother document and content management solutions offer a bespoke system for your digitised workflows. Once you’ve set up the connectivity of your software applications and deployed your print, scan and label devices, you can:
- Provide line-of-sight and collaboration opportunities for hybrid and remote workers
- Easily share digital documents over great distances
- Instantly update your workforce regarding necessary pivots based on real-time information from across the supply chain
- Create a repeatable workflow for personnel across the entire supply chain
Brother is proud to partner with today’s business leaders by providing hardware and software solutions that support the digital transformation process. To gain knowledge of your ideal deployment – from mobile printers and scanners to SDKs that track your products across the supply chain – contact Brother to learn more.
Together, we’ll create a digital framework that optimises your operational workflows while streamlining the visibility critical to understanding the needs of your consumers.
