Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1477844
44 SMT007 MAGAZINE I SEPTEMBER 2022 • We are working to create better trans- parency between the Axiom and customer supply chain teams. We are not afraid to ask for help including: › We have a very short internal escalation process where we get our customers involved early in the shortage process. It is better to get them involved to help us get a solution sooner, rather than when it is too late. › Asking the customer to help us by leveraging their relationships with MFRs and suppliers on our behalf. • Increasing the need for digitalization of the supply chain. We are utilizing customer self-service capabilities on our supplier's websites. › is allows our buyers to see availability, pricing, lead times, and alternates; review our open PO reports for completeness; validate commit dates, all in real time. • We are incorporating the use of applica- tion programming interfaces (API) for real time M2M (machine-to-machine) data exchanges, used in place of or to comple- ment the use of the traditional EDI or B2B. › Purchase order management: e ability to pull directly into our ERP system the appropriate data that the buyers are currently doing "manually" through emails, or the supplier's portal. is could include line item requested date, line item commit date, line item pricing (to see if any changes were made), etc. › Provide a validation that all POs and line items are acknowledged. (How many times have you had a supplier say, "We do not have that PO, can you send it to me?") › Provide real time inventory status/ availability, LT, and other critical attributes directly to the buyers and/or our ERP system › Provide a means for online order placement directly from our ERP system to the supplier, and the results back into our ERP (with human review). › Provide any changed/updated commit date back into our ERP system. › Provide ship notification of materials directly back into our ERP system for review by planning, receiving, etc. • Axiom workforce challenges › Our Axiom HR team is busy attending career fairs. › We have turned the labor market constraints into the opportunity to promote from within. We recently promoted two long-term Axiom team members into supply chain roles. ey are both working out very well and it was definitely the right action to take. Conclusion Look at your own supply chain operations and see what has been transpiring over the past two years. You will most likely see that you have new pinch points in your supply chain and the way you used to do business may no longer apply in today's world. I challenge you to look at how technology can help you with the daily changes that affect you, and what can be done to help. You will be surprised at what your suppliers can do for you. ey are faced with the same issues we are faced with and many of them may already have solutions that will help—but you may not know unless you ask them. SMT007 Michael Schindele is director of supply chain at Axiom Electronics.