Improving Communication with Internal Public and Customers of an Industrial Company: A Major Challenge along Supply Chain

Introduction

The general purpose of this chapter is to show the important role of communication with its internal public and its customers of companies from industry area, taking into account the continuous change of environment, of supply chain management, of markets, of competition and of human capital behaviour. So, business communicators become important for many reasons: to communicate effectively, to act strategically, to make effective and ethical decisions, to use new technology in order to meet business goals and customers needs, to cultivate trust and credibility among employees and other stakeholders, to embrace diversity, to build strong relations and strategic alliances along supply chain, and to implement best practices.

The main objectives of this chapter are:

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  To show that communication with customers suppose developing a strong supply chain relationship based on attracting and developing the best employees in order to know the customers’ needs and to satisfy them better, faster, and cheaper.

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  To show that attracting and maintaining high-quality employees, the industrial organizations will obtain those unique technical skills, economical competences, behaviours and attitudes, using the competition principles and being aware of the industrial consumer’s profile.

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  To show that motivating the employees organizations is offering a clear vision, training for achieving individual and organizational performances, developing their team work spirit.

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  To show that improving internal communication will be avoided redundant flows, encouraged creativity, harboured conviviality, decreased the number of conflicts and implemented some efficient plans for monitoring and measuring the causes, for rewarding employees’ positive behaviours and creating a positive image in the internal and external environment of the industrial organization.

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  To show that using new internal practices and new technologies the industrial organizations will obtain performance and satisfy customers’ needs.

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  To show that using simulation and modelling technics organizations will may predict risks and benefits for employees, for customers and also for organization.

Also, we shall analyze several tendencies present in the organizational culture, in the area of industrial communication on the labour market, which influence the future evolution of the development of communication management and the human capital contribution to obtaining performance and creativity.

Background

A major challenge in supply chain management is developing and maintaining information and communication systems. This means more than implementing information technology, means: making strategic plans, customer and supplier evaluation, developing joint objectives or project review (Lambert, 2008, p. 242). Once a supply chain management process is implemented, there is the need to continuously improve it (Lambert, 2008, p. 253). An important aspect of implementing supply chain management is the formation of appropriate linkages between members of supply chain. The main challenge is to find effective methods for developing tha right type of relationships, alliances and partnerships. In an environment characterized by scare resources, increased competition, higher customer expectations, and faster rates of change, managers must stregthten supply chain intehration and provide sustainable competitive advantage. Partnerships provide new skills, experience, knowledge, information, and may decrease costs

To obtain performance organizations must discover, analyse and satisfy customers needs, and to do so along supply chain it must implement best internal practices. John Gattorna said “Supply Chain is a combination of processes, functions, activities and relationships between products, services and information and financial transactions move within and between organizations.”