Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/999236
56 FEDA News & Views Please contact Kevin Brink – kbrink@retransfreight.com or 1-800-426-8896 Ext. 390 to develop your customized program RETRANS FREIGHT HAS MORE OF AN IMPACT ON YOUR BUSINESS THAN ANY COMPETITIVE SOLUTION Committed Pricing without a contract to sign Transparency through a consultative approach Faster implementation Eliminate hassles to improve productivity Control freight costs Audit and freight bill administration Specialized services Multi-department efficiencies Scalable, Efficient, Integrated EDI and XML interface E-commerce integrations Vendor routing controls Customized reporting OPERATIONS 4. Create a Joint Improvement Team: Any opportunity that is pursued needs to have someone with ownership for accomplishing that initiative. e team should consist of personnel who are aff ected the most by any changes made in either company. is team can be very advantageous, both as the means ensuring the initiative is pursued, but also as a means for getting input and support from those impacted by the change. 5. Create a Joint Operating Structure: Simply put, how is the team going to operate? How often will it meet? How will it resolve problems that develop? What authority does it have to make changes and to secure resources? 6. Develop an Improvement Plan: Once the team is in place, they should look at developing an implementation plan. In other words, create a step-by-step determination of what they are going to do and how. 7. Manage the Change: In many cases, people will resist the change. e team should be responsible for helping to implement the improvement and overcome any obstacles during implementation. 8. Evaluate the Results: Too often, changes are made without determining their eff ect on the organization. e team should perform a cost/ benefi t analysis to ensure the change is an improvement, and to adjust the implementation accordingly. Working together to reduce costs and improve operating effi ciencies in this way may take time. Yet, as more and more of the products and services provided by distribution are being treated as commodities, making it harder for companies to distinguish themselves, the need to pursue these opportunities will only increase. And working the supply chain to make it the most eff ective channel for our customers can provide both the distributor and the manufacturer a competitive distinction-- lower costs and great responsiveness. Is this just pie in the sky? Ask your customers. ey're fi nding supply chain customer satisfaction. It is one of the reasons you are seeing so much attention from them on this. Shouldn't you be looking at these opportunities, too, and helping to shape the direction these changes will take? ■ About the Author Tim Underhill, the author of Strategic Alliances: Managing the Supply Chain, specializes in hands-on training of companies, such as Exxon, Dupont, and Wisconsin Electric, in the methods of strategic alliance, ISO 9000, and total quality management. To reach him at Underhill & Associates, call 918-494-8085.