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3 Signs You're Running an Unsustainable Supply Chain, and How to Fix ItIdentifying these problems can retain customers and keep your business running smoothly.

ByTom Popomaronis

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Busakorn Pongparnit | Getty Images

It doesn't matter what you sell — if your business produces physical goods of any kind — few things are more important than your supply chain. The supply chain encompasses so much more than just shipping a finished product to a customer. It includes obtaining raw materials needed to manufacture your products, maintaining adequate supplies in a warehouse and more.

Needless to say, it requires a complex web of several interconnected activities — one that can involve several different entities. With so many moving parts, however, it can become all too easy for inefficiencies to slip in.

As the supply chain starts to falter, so does the customer experience. In fact, asurvey by Voxwarefound that 69% of consumers would be less likely to buy from a business again if shipments were two days late. By identifying supply chain problems early on, you can avoid losing customers and keep your business running smoothly.

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