You're facing supply chain disruptions. How do you inform clients about potential delays?

The first step is to grasp the nature of the disruption and quantify its potential impact across the supply chain. You need both quantitative and qualitative assessments of the problem’s scope, scale, source, drivers, and potential solutions to mitigate or cope with the disruption. This initial stage is crucial as it sets the tone and expectations for your clients, helping to prevent panic. Ensure the problem is thoroughly understood and communicated to your clients promptly. Identifying the issue, assessing its impact, and communicating clearly are vital components in solving the problem.

Accessing impact is a very crucial step and here is what I would do - 1. Identify Affected Orders 2. Determine Delay Duration 3. Understand Root Causes 4. Assess Client Impact 5. Communicate Proactively 6. Offer Solutions 7. Provide Regular Updates

Es de vital importancia conocer a tus clientes y a tus proveedores, comunicar a tu cliente el no cumplimiento con la fecha de entrega puede ser motivo suficiente para perderlo, por lo tanto se debe tener claro que se dice, como se dice y cuando se dice a fin de salvaguardar los interés de la empresa y no perder al cliente, mucho tino y tacto con el cliente

Adote uma abordagem clara e proativa. Envie uma comunicação formal via e-mail, explicando a situação de forma transparente. Detalhe a causa da interrupção e forneça uma estimativa realista do novo prazo de entrega. Expresse empatia pelas possíveis inconveniências e ofereça-se para responder a quaisquer dúvidas ou preocupações. Disponibilize canais de comunicação dedicados, como uma linha de atendimento especial ou um endereço de e-mail exclusivo, para tratar dessas questões. Mantenha os clientes atualizados regularmente, mesmo que não haja novas mudanças significativas. Isso demonstra comprometimento e mantém a confiança. Garanta que sua equipe de atendimento ao cliente esteja bem informada e treinada para lidar com essas situações.

En mi experiencia los impactos más comunes por motivos de retrasos en la cadena de suministro son: * Pérdida de confianza: Los clientes pueden dejar de confiar en la empresa si no reciben sus productos a tiempo. * Cancelación de pedidos: Los clientes pueden optar por cancelar sus compras si los retrasos son muy largos. * Daño a la reputación: La imagen de la empresa se puede ver afectada por comentarios negativos en redes sociales y otras plataformas. Impacto financiero: * Menos ingresos * Costos adicionales * Menor rentabilidad Impacto operativo: * Desorganización de la producción * Mayor estrés para los empleados * Dificultad para cumplir con los plazos

Truly agree…in case of mess you always must be honest on what’s going on with the delay or related, and even important you must have the plan on what’s next…The customer must know what happened and what we need to do to solve It ASAP… this last is crucial to attend the comunication well, always taking care on the details to expend a good massage for sure.

As you are communicating with client, keep it breif, straightforward and simple. You should adress his concern and keep client engaged with new developments in situation. If situation is going to worsen, inform the customer in lighter tone and if you see that you can manage delivery even within due time, inform but dont make any promises.

You should always provide the client with what actually happened and give him/her an explanation of the steps being done to make up for the disruption.

I agree. Your message must be clear and concise. Be honest and empathetic. Talk about the cause of the disruption and show you understand the impact on their operations. Finally, talk about the efforts you're currently putting in to find a solution.

I agree, you should also show empathy in the way you communicate, ensuring that you provide alternative solutions and realistic time lines, whilst avoiding making unnecessary and unrealistic promises. Also, give timely feedback to customers if possible on the status of the process of correcting the disruptions Customers prefer honesty and regular feedback , than anything else in such situations.

The best way to communicate a major disruption is through a telephone call followed by an email detailing the steps to be followed, the new time-line that will ensure the delivery of products/parts/etc.

Me ha sido útil mantener informado a los clientes sobre la situación por medios múltiples de comunicación, primero enviando un correo a todos los clientes afectados y luego reforzar esa comunicación por llamada telefónica, esto generará confianza y empatía con los afectados. Importante mantener informado de manera periódica sobre el avance de la situación a todos los clientes afectados mediante estos medios.

Gather Accurate Information Confirm Details: Before notifying clients, confirm the details of the disruption, including the cause, affected products, and estimated resolution time. Internal Coordination: Coordinate with your internal teams to gather all relevant information and ensure everyone is on the same page. Develop a Communication Plan Craft the Message: Prepare a clear and concise message that explains the disruption, its impact, and the steps being taken to resolve it. Identify Key Contacts: Identify the key contacts within each client organization who need to be informed.

Adicional a una oportuna comunicación del agotado, ofrecer alternativas de productos sustitutos, para evitar perder la venta, puede ser una alternativa ganadora tanto para el cliente como para el proveedor.

El tiempo es oro. Relevar información del problema y el tiempo que llevará para solucionarlo es fundamental, además tener en claro el tiempo real en que los productos estarán listos para su entrega son los datos que se necesitarán para informar a los clientes del nuevo plazo de entrega de sus pedidos.

La comunicación en estos acontecimientos es clave, es decir mantener a los clientes informado sobre la situación, del avanza en la resolución del problema y el plazo estimado de la entrega de sus pedidos demostrará interés y empatía de nuestra parte hacia el cliente y generará confianza.

Es importante preparar una base de preguntas y respuestas frecuentes de fácil acceso para que pueda descongestionar los canales de comunicación con preguntas masivas o recurrentes. Esta base debe revisarse y actualizarse periódicamente ( siempre debe tener la fecha - hora de última actualización)

After Action Reviews and implementing any improvements to prevent this situation from happening again demonstrates to your clients that you are taking the disruption seriously and are looking for ways to improve, this helps to build confidence in your services

It is always important to have a root cause analysis for every incident that affects the normal business operations to ensure a repeat is averted in the future