Many of us are working remotely or virtually during the coronavirus pandemic. Yet, have you considered the multiple benefits of continuing these practices once this crisis has ended? That’s why this is a good opportunity, like a learning laboratory, for supply chain professionals to contemplate new workflows, practices, and technologies to optimize their supply chain processes when your supply chain operations get back to normal.
Five Benefits of Remote or Virtual Work & Distance Learning
Now, and in the future, supply chain professionals can take advantage of the following five benefits of remote/virtual work and distance learning to improve your department’s operations:
1. Productivity: Teleworkers are up to 40% more productive than their office counterparts and have measured an output increase of at least 4.4%.
2. Performance: Remote workers produce results with 40% fewer quality defects.
3. Engagement: Higher productivity and performance creates stronger engagement and 41% lower absenteeism.
4. Retention: 54% of employees say they would change jobs for one that offered them workplace flexibility.
5. Profitability: Organizations save an average of $11,000 per year per part-time telecommuter.
(Source: www.SupplyChainBrain.com)
In utilizing supply chain enterprise resource software, RFP software, chat apps (Slack, Microsoft Teams, Workplace by Facebook), video and teleconferencing (Skype, Google, WebEx, Zoom, etc.), and/or data sharing (i.e., Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.), supply chain departments have everything they need to continue to have some of their workforce’s work done away from their office or to attend internal or external meetings.
There Has Never Been A Better Opportunity to Re-Engineer Your Supply Chain Operations
We in the supply chain business know that the coronavirus pandemic will change how we do business forevermore. Why not make it an opportunity to also re-engineer your supply chain operations by employing more remote workers and conducting more virtual meetings and distance learning. For instance, we have been promoting virtual value analysis meetings with our clients for years because most of their team members are in different buildings, various counties, or even in multiple states. Virtual meetings save on travel time, labor cost per meeting, and downtime from team members’ primary jobs.
Now that you know the multiple benefits of working, meeting, and learning remotely, why not put a plan in place to pilot some new workflows, practices, and technologies you now see beneficial to your supply chain operations. We know these ideas will work for you, since my firm has been employing most of these remote workforce technology advances now for 36 years. Trust me when I tell you that they have made our jobs easier, more connected, and more effective than ever before.
Naftanaila, Alina. “How to Manage Your Procurement Department Remotely.” SupplyChainBrain. 8 April 2020.
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