Manufacturing and Supply Chain Expert,  Lisa Anderson, MBA, CSCP, CLTD, President of LMA Consulting Group Inc., predicts that manufacturers will realize breakthroughs in eCommerce with the use of technology and data. LMA Consulting Group works with manufacturers and distributors on strategy and end-to-end supply chain transformation to maximize the customer experience and enable profitable, scalable, dramatic business growth.                                                      

Manufacturers and distributors are seeing record gains in eCommerce. Expanding beyond the consumer market, eCommerce is growing exponentially for manufacturers and distributors. eCommerce engines and customer portals are enabling customers to receive 24/7 access, service and attention, and they are providing manufacturers and distributors with critical data. "With the explosive growth of eCommerce, it is critical that manufacturers and distributors use data to assess their supply chain and leverage the predictive analytics that can drive customer growth and profitability," commented Ms. Anderson.  Manufacturers have many sources of data. These include internal systems, suppliers and customers. "Manufacturers who have invested in and managed their ERP systems should be using those systems to garner critical information. An ERP system is the heartbeat of the organization. It interconnects everything from sales and customers to suppliers and production. If used properly, it can provide a wealth of information and analytics to support growth, predict demand and evaluate and streamline inefficiencies. When coupled with data from suppliers and customers, we can see an entire landscape. Organizations with less sophisticated systems should not be discouraged.  They can still use their data to support growth. It will just require manual effort to extract and utilize the data," she continued. 

The challenge is always the quality of the data. The adage, 'Garbage In is Garbage Out', still rings true today.  Ensuring the accuracy of data is the first step in being able to use data to make critical business decisions. "As eCommerce grows, companies are assessing everything from suppliers to transportation costs, along with their management of order fulfillment.  Many are considering the option of outsourcing order fulfillment to a third-party logistics (3PL) company. This requires careful and thoughtful analysis. In some cases, one basis point can make the difference.  So, it is critical that the data is accurate and timely. As we continue to celebrate October as Manufacturing month, let us remember that manufacturing is much more than tangibles like machines and freight.  It includes the intangibles like data that can make or break even the best of decisions," she concluded.

Ms. Anderson recently added the topic of eCommerce to her video series, What's Happening in Manufacturing and Supply Chain: eCommerce. She recently published an eBook, Future-Proofing Manufacturing & the Supply Chain Post COVID-19  that provides insights, advice and experiential value for creating the customer experience.