The Importance of Feedback Loops in Supply Chain Transparency

𝗜𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗽𝘀, 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀, 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗚𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴. In service design and journey management, we talk a lot about touchpoints, channels, and experiences. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵: - No journey gets better without feedback. - No system evolves without learning loops. A feedback loop is the engine that turns friction into insight, and insight into action. In great systems, feedback loops are: 1. 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 – Customers, brokers, employees can see the impact of their feedback 2. 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝘆 – Data isn’t stuck in a quarterly report, it’s now 3. 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 – It doesn’t just inform, it drives change 4. 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 – People know they’ve been heard 𝗜𝗻 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀, 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻:  🚫 Static maps and surveys nobody reads  🚫 Call logs without analysis  🚫 Dashboards with no ownership  🚫 “That’s just how the process works” 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁: - If a customer hits the same billing error twice, that’s not bad luck, it’s a broken loop. - If frontline staff keep hacks and workarounds to themselves, that’s a missed loop. - If leadership only hears what’s escalated, that’s a distorted loop. 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿. 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆? ✅ Embed feedback into your journeys—not after them ✅ Make insights operational, not optional ✅ Connect customer data to employee experience ✅ Design loops at every level—from micro-interactions to org-wide transformation 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺. #ServiceDesign #OrganizationalDesign #BusinessDesign #SystemsDesign #Research

I don’t know what all those gauges and readouts on an airplane dashboard mean, but I do know that I want the pilots flying the aircraft to see them. Otherwise, they’d be flying around the globe pressing buttons and throwing switches on hunches and guesses. It’s the same with change activation. If a business wants its initiatives to actually, you know, work, they need the gauges and readouts of change: two-way feedback loops. Too many transformation strategies stall mid-air because they're missing one critical piece: live feedback from the ground. 🚫 Not the kind that comes 90 days later in a spreadsheet from HR. 🚫 Not the kind that’s missing in a thousand unanswered surveys. 🚫 Not the kind that's too late, showing up in exit interviews from disgruntled employees already moving on to greener pastures. I’m talking about real, instant, interactive, informal feedback. The kind that can be used to course-correct in real time. I call this the “Triple I” strategy: Instant  Interactive  Informal Here's the thing about feedback: 🧭 It’s a compass. It surfaces what people are thinking right now — what they’re confused about, excited by, or flat-out resisting. 📈 It’s a growth engine. It helps teams learn faster and build smarter next time. If they already know that job security is a major concern for one group, why go through the pain of rediscovering that from scratch during the next initiative? 🧠 It’s organizational memory. A well-run feedback system captures insights that can be used again and again. No need to keep asking the same questions if the answers have already been documented. But here’s the challenge: Most companies don’t have the time, tools, or energy to conduct 1:1s, focus groups, and in-person interviews across tens of thousands of people. And survey fatigue is real. You can only send so many Surveymonkey forms before people start auto-clicking “neutral.” Instead, tap into an activity people already do several times every day: interacting with content. When change comms or capability building initiatives are embedded into a change activation platform with built-in interactive functionality, something magical is unlocked: ✅ Questions get asked  ✅ Concerns are shared  ✅ Colleagues respond to each other  ✅ Change champions emerge organically  ✅ A real-time pulse on what is and isn't resonating emerges  Even better? The data is captured automatically. Comment data becomes reports visualized in-platform with sentiment analysis layered on top. Visibility into what’s trending by audience, location, and job level — across the entire organization — without running a single survey. Access to 24/7, large-scale feedback *that doesn’t feel like feedback.* No forms. No follow-ups. Just natural interaction with change content and powerful data to guide your next move. That’s the kind of loop that fuels real agility and speed. Because strategy without feedback isn’t agile - it’s flying blind. 

I’m a firm believer that regular check-ins are the key to project success. Are you checking in enough? Ever been part of a project that suddenly veered off track without warning? You’re not alone. The truth is, projects rarely fail because of one big mistake; they fail because of small issues that go unnoticed until it's too late. That’s where regular check-ins come in. When I was managing projects with multiple suppliers, we established a game-changing routine: monthly supplier progress review meetings. Each supplier would submit reports highlighting all open items, supported by a three-month rolling KPI for each. This simple process was a game changer for four key reasons: 1️⃣ Proactive Problem-Solving: Instead of scrambling to fix issues at the last minute, we could see which items were stalling and tackle them head-on before they became bigger problems. It wasn’t just about reacting; it was about staying ahead. 2️⃣ Accountability & Transparency: Regular check-ins meant everyone knew their performance was being monitored. Suppliers had a clear platform to raise concerns, and we could address them collaboratively. It drove accountability and created a culture of transparency. 3️⃣ Stronger Partnerships: Communication isn’t just about managing; it’s about connecting. These monthly sessions allowed us to build trust and work together as true partners, not just client and supplier. Problems were solved faster, and relationships grew stronger. 4️⃣ Continuous Improvement: With regular data and feedback, we could spot patterns and make adjustments. We weren’t just tracking progress; we were optimizing it. Over time, this approach led to significant improvements and fewer roadblocks. Consistent communication, like these check-ins, can be the lifeline of any project. It keeps everyone aligned, proactive, and focused on solutions. So, whether you’re managing suppliers, a team, or an entire organization, don’t underestimate the power of regular, open dialogue. How do you keep projects on track? Drop your thoughts below, and follow me for more insights on leadership, contract management, and strategic collaboration. #Leadership #ProjectManagement #TeamCollaboration #SupplierManagement #ContinuousImprovement #CommunicationMatters