We know this is an unprecedented time of uncertainty in your business, which is why Syncron is committed now more than ever before to empower our customers to deliver exceptional after-sales service experiences. In order to provide specific guidance on how you might respond to the aftermarket effects of the current Coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak, we have summarized key scenarios that might impact your supply chain and pricing in the short term.
With drastic changes in demand, it’s of paramount importance to review settings related to daily operations, such as orders, redistribution, and schedules. We also acknowledge that this situation might lead to resource challenges when members of your team might need to take time off from work.
Here are the key areas of aftermarket impact you might face, and how Syncron can help you respond:
Are you experiencing staff shortages?
With more people working remotely or needing to take time off, as well as unforeseen additional work that may come up, some of your teams may experience staff shortages. In such cases, Syncron would like to offer additional services to help mitigate the risk of business disruption. We are happy to assist you with time-consuming manual tasks, tasks needed to be run outside of normal business hours, or a consultation on how best to approach the current situation.
Are supply chain disruptions affecting your operations?
Some countries have decided to close their borders. Due to this fact, you may not be able to reorder goods internationally. Our Inventory optimization solution still foresees shortages that you cannot refill. In order to reduce the additional work for your staff, it is possible to turn refill orders into suggestions (do not auto approve/block order suggestions).
Can you see or foresee a drastic change in demand from your customers?
Due to COVID-19, your customers may reduce the number of goods that they order from you. In some cases, your customers may decide to increase their stock levels. In some businesses, you may foresee an increased fluctuation of demand. We can help you by fine-tuning the forecast that our system produces.
Are your suppliers underperforming?
In these times of uncertainty, you may face reduced performance of your suppliers as they face similar disruptions in their operations. For example, staff shortages can cause the inability to deliver goods within the necessary lead time. We can help you with building up stock to cover expected needs.
It’s also possible that you might be missing items in one location while it is still available in another location. We can adjust redistribution parameters to address this issue.
Do you have an issue in delivering goods to your customer-facing locations?
We can help you with planning deliveries and replenishing the stock in your customer-facing locations.
Do you foresee issues in collecting returns?
Due to recent disruptions, your dealers may not be able to return goods to your distribution centers. We can adjust returns to address this situation and prevent your supply chain from being overloaded.
Do you foresee that your customers are going to need different parts than in the past?
We can help you with correct planning for this situation. Build a stock of new parts and reduce replenishment of parts that will not be needed in the future. Syncron is committed to our customers and would like to offer assistance if any help needed. We will do everything possible to help your business to continue to thrive.
Are you experiencing connection issues to Syncron services?
Many companies are currently experiencing issues with internal network usage, causing delays within integration as well as during application usage. Please contact Syncron support if you see delays or issues in file transfer. We will help you work out a way to make sure all files arrive on time. Similarly, if you experience any issues with logging into our application, please let us know, and we will investigate temporary setup changes to overcome those issues.
Are you planning additional pricing activities due to changes in sales?
We believe that the best way to mitigate problems is with quick and decisive actions early on. Currently there is no need to do deep analysis yet, but it’s best to start preparing now. We can help you analyse sales data and prepare any reports that can help you better understand where you are. We are also happy to assist in any revision-like activities, if you decide that you need to change validity dates for prices/price lists, or block certain items to not be priced at all for the time being.
Are your dealers drastically changing how much they order from you?
Due to disruptions caused by COVID-19, your dealers may stop accepting order suggestions. In some cases, they may want to build up their stock significantly. Due to shifting sales, you may need significantly more or less goods in your distribution centers. Our consultants can help you with monitoring your dealer network and adjusting forecast and replenishment in your distribution centers.
How do you believe you will be affected? Don’t hesitate to contact your Syncron Customer Success Manager, Service Manager, visit the Syncron Support website, or send an email to [email protected] so we can partner with you to address your business challenges together.