Transport planning managers must strike a "delicate balance" between oversupply and insufficient availability of goods in order to avoid inventory problems, an expert has advised.
Geoff Dossetter, a logistics consultant for the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in the UK, said it is easy to mismanage a supply chain, particularly in the current climate.
This can cause problems in terms of oversupply and subsequent wastage or through lack of availability, which prevents managers from reaching customers and meeting demand.
In order to avoid such a scenario, Mr Dossetter said transport planning bosses must keep a close eye on the logistics chain to ensure they are able to operate "in an agile manner".
"The trick is to have the availability of a swift delivery system that is neither overgenerous, in terms of too much availability, nor insufficient in terms of getting goods to the customers," he advised.
Mr Dossetter added that the other option for those looking to improve the efficiency of their supply chains is to hand over the logistics side of their business to a third party.
His comments come after the latest index of the semiconductor industry from Gartner showed that inventories are still running at too high a level, even though sales are down.
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