For any business reliant upon the movement of goods, a strong logistics strategy is essential. But moving freight is fraught with uncontrollable variables, which can mean that even the simplest processes can be extremely complicated to manage. So, what can you do to ensure that you have the best logistics strategy for your business?
Six Tips for Enhancing Your Logistics Strategy
Identify your KPIs
Before you can build a better logistics strategy, you need to understand what you want to achieve. So, spend some time working out your most important key performance indicators (KPIs). These can include a range of factors, from cost management and inventory management to pick-to-ship cycles. You need to know how your business is working, and what you can do to improve its performance. That way, you’ll be able to track the success of your strategy once any changes have been implemented.
Consider automation
Artificial intelligence and automation are everywhere now, and they hold a lot of potential in the logistics sector. The problem is, one of the greatest reasons for mistakes and overspending in logistics is human error. So, whether its simple admin, ordering, compliance, or workforce management, if you can automate it, do. It can save you a lot of time and expense in the longer-term.
Select a reliable freight forwarder with a broad range of shipping solutions
When choosing a freight forwarder, your main priority is to find a provider who can reliably answer your typical needs on a long-term basis. Perhaps, handling sea freight to a number of European destinations on a fixed schedule. But there are times when your usual systems and services just won’t meet your requirements. You may have a customer who needs their delivery expedited. And that’s where express freight might be an option. You might have a client who needs to reduce their order, so groupage or part-loads may become a more viable solution for their delivery. Or you might wish to expand into another territory. And that’s where air freight could come in. Selecting a freight forwarder able to accommodate all of the potentially changing needs of your business, can help to future-proof your logistics strategy.
Refine your warehouse management
The right warehouse management system can transform the way you work. It can build flexibility and scalability into every aspect of your operations. So, put time into working out which is the best for your business’ needs.
Order trackability
One of the best ways to reduce loss and increase customer satisfaction is to ensure that you can track your shipments from door to door. This not only allows you to ensure the safety of your goods and provide you with evidence in the event of any customer or carrier conflicts. But it enables you to enhance your service by providing your customers with live shipment updates.
Focus on customer needs and transparency
You don’t need us to tell you that your customers are the most important part of your business. So, your aim always needs to be to give them what they need. That’s one of the reasons why it’s so important to choose the right freight forwarder. But you need to look at other considerations too – the simplicity of your ordering system, the accessibility of your customer support, your digital services, and your overall flexibility. Contemporary customers also increasingly value transparency in business. They want to know what they are paying for and why. They want to be certain that they are not going to encounter any hidden costs. And they want to know that they are gaining the right products and services for their needs. By implementing an ethos of transparency, it not only helps to build trust in your business. But it allows you to see exactly and clearly how your business works, how much every process costs, and how they can be improved.
A good logistics strategy will take all of these areas into account, and provide you with the goals and systems you need to improve your business in the longer term.
Are you looking for a reliable, flexible logistics partner? Get in touch with Plexus Freight to discuss how our freight forwarding solutions could support your business.
