"Instead of thinking about technology as something to buy and maintain, think about hiring a technology partner to do a job and deliver value for your organization." - VP Partnerships Kaitlin Mercier
Key Takeaways in This Blog
- Why businesses need more than software solutions alone
- How to foster a strong relationship between your business and your technology partners
- How Routeique professional services support your team
We know that solving your supply chain problems is about more than just recognizing that there's an issue. As we've covered in previous blogs, adopting new supply chain software can be complicated, even for businesses that know it's necessary to stay ahead of the competition, ensure compliance with regulations, and keep customers and employees happy.
A recent article in McKinsey neatly sums up this struggle: "Modernizing can make supply chains more resilient and efficient. But it's a major investment—and success isn't guaranteed. According to executives we polled, 60 percent of supply-chain-planning IT implementations take more time or money than expected or don't achieve anticipated business outcomes."
At Routeique, we've worked with clients who have struggled with:
- Uncertainty about which solutions to invest in
- A mixture of solutions that didn't fit their needs
- Concerns about the cost and downtime associated with the implementation of new tech
This experience has driven us to create a solution that's more than an out-of-the-box piece of software.
Supply Chain Recommendations Tailored to Your Needs
From the first discovery call, our team focuses on addressing each business's unique supply chain needs. This lets us provide the recommendations that best fit their situation. Next, we carefully consider each client's existing processes and individual requirements. From there, we set up the software, so they get the most value out of it.
In-Depth Supply Chain Consulting
In addition to ensuring you get the most out of our supply chain software, our team provides dedicated consulting for problems and concerns that require a closer look.
Some examples include:
- Optimizing warehouse layout and processes
- Making decisions about expansions
- Determining which supply chain software and hardware solutions best suit your company’s needs
During this process, our team leverages solutions from our partners like MotionMiners, analyzes your current processes, models the different alternatives, and enables you to effectively make decisions with minimal downtime.
Stay tuned: Next month’s blogs will take a deep dive into warehouse optimization, with key insights from our consulting team.
Effective Onboarding And Support From Day One
In addition to configuring the software exactly as you need it, our team is dedicated to seamless onboarding, providing everyone from frontline employees to department leaders with confidence and the keys to success.
Serving As A Partner To Your Entire Organization
Our VP Partnerships, Kaitlin Mercier, has noted that, while every company is different, broadly, "we still see companies looking just to their IT department when deliberating on how much to invest and best fit solution."
However, every department should play a role in selecting a new technology solution. Our team members know how to work flexibly with departments including Sales, Operations, Strategy, HR, Finance and IT.
Our Tips
Whether working with Routeique or others, here's how you can foster a strong relationship with your technology partners:
- When looking for a new partner, create a well-thought-out job description, required skill set, and success criteria.
- Take the time to get to know the team you'll be working with before hiring them and make sure it's a good fit for everyone. This should be a lasting relationship!
- Keep them up to speed on your broader organizational goals.
- Invite them to have a seat at the table in your strategy sessions.
- Talk to them about your plans to hire and retain top talent.
- Lean on them for best practices, education and technology advice.
Supporting Your Frontline Team
Routeique was founded in one of the largest FMCG networks in North America. We know that technology is there to help empower your team to succeed, augment their existing efforts, and enable them to reallocate their time as effectively as possible. As we highlighted in our Roundup this month, "AI and ML are meant to augment and strengthen the right supply chain team, rather than replace it."
Because of this, we know that training and user-friendliness should never be an afterthought. There's nothing more important than making sure that your team members are comfortable and knowledgeable when using our tools. That's why we offer training videos, a robust knowledge base, and expert assistance when you need it most.
We're Invested In Your Success
As our VP of Client Success Sari Waldman puts it, "We care about how their business succeeds." Because of this, even once our customers are up and running with their Routeique system, we're dedicated to providing ongoing assistance.
After working with Routeique, one client stated, "Our partnership with Routeique has been absolutely incredible. The team at Routeique has been amazing. Basically, I feel like we work with them on a day-to-day basis, and I can call any one of them up, and ask for basically anything, which is incredible, and we feel very comfortable working with their team."
We meet with our clients regularly to stay aware of any changing business needs. This ensures we're helping them meet their success metrics and bringing value as we enhance the product.
Learn More
To stay up to date with our latest insights, including weekly roundups of exciting news ranging from new developments in supply chain software and IoT to newsworthy events in the field, you can follow us on LinkedIn.