The Importance of Supply Chain Management in Customer Service
The Importance of Supply Chains The role of supply chains is a fundamental feature in the steel and construction industries. Any manufacturer of construction materials, such as Bulldog Steel, is affected by them and any shocks therein. The greatest impact, however, is on customers of these products. Supply chain shocks that happen near the production end of the spectrum can have a massive impact on those who actually build things. Put simply, if you can’t get what you need, you can’t finish your project. The goal of any manufacturer should be to reduce supply shocks and other logistical nightmares that might affect customers. As a manufacturer who focuses our energy on reducing risks in production to yield faster and better results for our customers, we take this to heart. This brief article explains the significance of supply chain management – a sometimes boring, but incredibly important process that we deal with on a daily basis in the background of everything we do. It also explains why we feel there’s a huge advantage to manufacturing custom materials instead of just reselling. What is a Steel Supply Chain? In the big picture, a supply chain is the process of converting raw materials into a commodity to satisfy customer requests. Raw materials are extracted and manufactured. Steel begins with iron and coke, raw materials which are turned into a commodity and then distributed for sale. In the steel industry, the process is typically simplified into a two-part process: downstream and upstream. Downstream refers to the distribution and delivery of finished products. This part of the process focuses on functions like order fulfillment and sales. Distributing the finished product is the only way the customer can…
