Supply Technologies is a global partner in Total Supply Chain Management™ and specialises in a proactive approach to managing efficiencies in all aspects of supplying parts and materials that ultimately are delivered to a production floor.
In 2017, we experienced significant differences in spend volatility from the first half moving into the second half, with the second half finishing much stronger. Some key market sectors exceeded demand expectations, which tested the flexibility and responsiveness of our supply chain. This enabled us to measure how our current supply chain reacted to the increased changes in demand.
As a supplier, this presented us with an opportunity to further strengthen the confidence our customer base has with us, as our service couldn’t be sacrificed when their demand exceeded all our expectations. It was imperative that we kept our customer’s lines producing. When business takes off, there also tends to be less available floor space, which requires more frequent replenishment and in some cases with smaller bin sizes. These adjustments in layout are also a taxing measure during spikes in demand. In some market verticals, we are also seeing the transition of accounts still shifting production to Mexico.
As we move into 2018, we are continuing to see web portals and data analytics becoming more of an integral part of the business, while demands for increased communication and new metrics continue to ramp up. Speed of seamless communication is key both to our supplier and customer base. RoHS conversions in the US are ramping up, quality expectations are increasing with fewer individual incidents, and lower PPM expectations for major OEMs, all require increased communication and progress reporting.
We expect to see the economy continue to grow into 2018 but with ongoing volatility by market. The Mexican Peso is slowly recovering after the steep drop with the 2016 November US elections. North America may also experience some global supply chain capacity issues with increasing lead times and rising capacity utilisation. We anticipate these effects and the effects of ‘Mother Nature’ with rebuilds in areas like Texas, Florida, and California due to some industries in which we participate.
We continue to invest in our business in the form of systems, working capital, supplier development, and human resources as our forecasting is indicating persistent growth and the volatility by industry that comes along with it. Our main goal, as with any supplier, is to demonstrate to our customers our true value proposition and to exceed their expectations.
Biog
Will joined Fastener + Fixing Magazine in 2007 and over the last 15 years has experienced every facet of the fastener sector - interviewing key figures within the industry and visiting leading companies and exhibitions around the globe.
Will manages the content strategy across all platforms and is the guardian for the high editorial standards that the Magazine is renowned.
