When you're building a product, there are many moving parts to consider. Whether it's a simple phone case or something more complex like an automobile engine, designing and manufacturing any product requires the input of numerous teams. One of those teams is in charge of the efficiency of the supply chain, which takes charge of the supply chain & logistics involved in bringing a product to life (and ultimately into the consumer's hands).

While engineers have been traditionally thought of as the brains behind creating physical products and systems—and they certainly play an integral role—there's more than one way to look at what makes up this team dynamic. The best supply chain teams work closely with their engineering counterparts from day one: from first design stages until final production runs. This collaborative approach allows them to anticipate problems early on so that both teams can work together efficiently throughout the entire process instead of having "surprise" issues pop up later on down the line.

The best engineers and supply chain teams work closely together.

There are many benefits to having your engineer and supply chain ops teams work closely together. Engineers have the expert knowledge of how a product works, but they often don't know what it costs or if it can be made at all. Logistics transportation teams, for example, have a lot of experience with the logistics freight might need, but not as much knowledge about what makes people want to buy something.

Supply chain ops can help engineers design products that are affordable and feasible by providing insight into their processes, materials, and labor costs. Supply chain managers can also help engineers design products that are sustainable by helping them use resources efficiently and recycle materials when possible (just one more benefit of supply chain management). Finally, anyone on a logistics operations team should be able to provide valuable insight into consumer trends so that you know what kinds of things might sell well in the future—and which ones won't!

Working closely from the start means that supply chain and logistics management teams can rapidly determine whether or not designs are feasible.

Working closely from the start means that supply chain ops teams can rapidly determine whether or not designs are feasible. Increased knowledge of design intent, coupled with access to real-time manufacturing data/analytics supply chain and information about the availability of materials and subsystems, helps organizations make better predictions about how long it will take to produce a particular part or subassembly. Using software tools like Amplio, companies can have this information in hand and also advise on which parts should be produced in-house, which should be outsourced to an outside supplier, and which are best suited for a COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) product.

With supply chain global experts involved from the very beginning, they can ensure that there are no delays in building prototypes, which will save your project valuable time and money.

With supply chain ops teams involved from the very beginning, they can ensure that there are no delays in building prototypes, which will save your project valuable time and money.

Supply chain and engineer collaboration is an essential part of the production process. By working together with a qualified supply chain team early on, you can avoid costs by making sure that everything arrives at its destination on time or even before it's needed. You'll also make sure that you don't run into any problems as well as help avoid delays and failures down the road.

Modern management processes are essential.

Using BOM analytics management tools like Amplio, you can manage supply chain like a pro by enabling engineers to build the best products possible while also leaning on the secondary component and robust reporting features to never settle for low-quality components or late deliveries.