A short supply chain is important for a growing number of small business owners from artisans to various retail establishments.
When most people think of the phrase “short supply chain,” it’s in reference to a food supply chain. It’s an increasingly accepted idea that the closer you are to where your food was grown or produced, the better quality it will be. This is the concept behind many “eat local” and farmers market programs.
The concept of a short supply chain—a supply chain that has fewer and closer links to get products or services from supplier to customer—is now becoming increasingly popular for other goods and services. This includes business owners utilizing local and regional companies as much as possible to provide materials and other goods for their customers.
We at On Time Logistics agree that, in most circumstances, having a short supply chain is beneficial. We also realize that sometimes using only regional and local suppliers isn’t feasible. No matter how many links are in the chain, it’s increasingly vital for business owners to closely manage their own supply chain.
Questions they must keep in mind include: Where do their products come from? Where were they manufactured? Where do the materials come from that were used to make the products? How are these items delivered to the company? How do they reach the customer?
A closely managed, short supply chain:
- Provides more control for the business owner and in many cases, increases their credibility with their client base
- Decreases the likelihood of security breaches or other disturbances to the supply chain
- Increases efficiency, providing better quality service for the end customer and reducing overall costs.
At On Time Logistics, we are able to take part in several components of a supply chain. We can deliver materials that local artisans can use to manufacture their goods. We can then help those artisans or other small business owners distribute their goods to various store locations or to individual customers.