Merriam-Webster defines collaborate as a verb meaning, "to work jointly with others or together, especially in an intellectual endeavor."

In Supply Chain Management collaboration is essential for the seamless transfer of property, paperwork and accountability from the shipper to the receiver. Why would this process be compromised by anyone within the sequence?

Think about the phrase, "supply chain management." The word chain has two distinct meanings; the first is, "a group of enterprises or institutions of the same kind or function usually under a single ownership, management, or control." This is the meaning we generally accept when referring to supply chain management.

However, the other meaning of a chain is, "something that confines, restrains, or secures." You've probably heard the phrase, "a chain is only as strong as its weakest link." This is also an appropriate description to apply to the delivery of goods.

What is your weakest link? What part of the process is confined or restrained? Is it the result of the driver, the shipper, and the 3PL or is your process to blame for disruptions? Could it be the communication between the partners? Is the information accurately transferred between each link in the supply chain?

There are two things to consider in how you communicate from the initial transaction to the completion of the order. First, what is the medium and secondly, what is the message? Both are important to ensuring the continuous transfer of information and a broken link in either one could hinder the process.

Depending on which part of the supply chain you control, the medium could change. The load could be placed on the internet by a shipper, faxed to a broker and then relayed to a driver over the telephone. Different modes, same message…. at least that's the goal.

Mistakes occur when the transfer of information is disrupted because of human error. The Encyclopedia of Business taught us that our choice of words control the effectiveness of the message. Your definition of "urgent" might be different than mine, or your city of Columbus might not be the one I'm thinking of right now. The message gets lost when information is missing and we fill in the gaps with our own assumptions.

More recently, communication experts have changed their theory of communication to embrace the medium as the basis for effectiveness. Choosing the best medium to deliver your message is even more difficult due to all of the choices we have today. Making the best decision for you might not be the same for others in the process.

Taking into consideration the need for feedback is crucial. Can you tell if someone has opened your email or received (and read) your fax? A phone call offers immediate feedback and is the best choice when a response is required. A fax could be lost in a pile of papers and an email could be held captive in a spam filter. Selecting the communication chain should consider the need for a response.

By using one method to record all of the information you lessen the chance of a broken link in the relay. If the shipper posts the load online and the broker records the information online and the carrier (or carriers) accesses the same information online, the chance of error is greatly reduced. Technology to the rescue! Everyone is on the "same page" and is getting the same message. The links are intact.

When you experience a break in the supply chain continuum, go back and determine where the problem occurred. Was it a misunderstanding of the schedule or was the rate of pay the issue? Maybe the wrong piece of equipment was ordered or an inappropriate carrier was called. Where did the break in the communication occur?

Of course, this doesn't take into consideration breakdowns in equipment, which is something no one desires. It also doesn't allow for one or more of the links to suffer from less than principled individuals in the transaction. If you're dealing with unscrupulous people then your communication methods aren't your problem.

Collaboration means everyone is working toward the same goal; to get the product from Point A to Point B in the most appropriate manner. Where are you in the process and are you the cause of the broken chain? Using the proper mode and keeping consistency in your message will lessen the chance of failure. Remember, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, don't let that faulty connection be you.