5 Essential Logistics Tips for Small to Medium Sized Businesses
Irrelevant of size and industry, every business needs a good logistics service. Smooth and effective logistics prevent supply chain breakdowns, protect your business’ reputation, and ensure that you have a partner that you can trust when it comes to deliveries. The difference between great and ‘below par’ logistics is wholly dependent upon what company your business decides to partner with.
Logistics management and a streamlined supply chain go hand in hand when done properly. There are a lot of elements to consider, and when all parts work together it is like a well-oiled machine. In the same way that effective logistics ensure a smooth supply chain, while incoherent, and poorly organized logistics create the opposite. And, when it comes to small and medium sized companies, a broken supply chain can be fatal.
We have put together a list of five logistic management tips to help small to medium sized business owners navigate this minefield:
#1. Plan your Transportation Needs
Planning your transportation needs in advance is a crucial starting point to good, effective logistics management. Once you know the origin and destination of shipments, you can begin to plan your transportation requirements. There is a likelihood that the origin and destination will often be similar, such as sending samples from suppliers to an office, from manufacturers to a warehouse; whatever the journey, once you establish what transportation is needed, you can plan ahead (Click here to learn more about clothing shipping in the apparel industry). This simplifies the transportation of goods in the future, ensuring a smooth, streamlined supply chain.
#2. Coordinate with Suppliers
Supplier coordination is also a crucial ingredient to maintain an uninterrupted supply chain. Your suppliers are crucial in ensuring you have whatever it is your business deals in. No matter what that is, without supplier synchronicity, the whole process breaks down. Communication is key and can help you and your suppliers align with one another when it comes to logistics.
One of the best ways to ensure this is to use the same logistics partner as your supplier. Once you find a company you work well and gel with, encourage your supplier to use their services also. This will help make everything smoother and will make planning and organisation much more straightforward. Many logistics providers can help with arranging deliveries for the businesses they partner with, simplifying the logistics process.
#3. Minimising Inventory
When you partner with an experienced logistics provider, your business inventory storage habits are likely to change. Successful logistic management can totally revolutionise the way you hold stock and surplus inventory. When you hold high levels of stock, you need somewhere to store it until it is needed. If your business goes through peak seasons, you need even more space, which results in higher costs. Effective logistics means that you have a delivery service you can trust, and get what you want when you need it, keeping only back-up inventory in case of an emergency. This will significantly reduce outgoings; while large businesses can handle such costs, for small to medium sized businesses, this can and does make a huge difference.
#4. Professionalism over Price
The larger the business, the more employees there are – this is a fact. That’s why larger businesses and organisations will likely have someone who specialises – and is therefore responsible for – logistics. Small to medium sized businesses do not have this luxury. Therefore, they tend to opt for the first logistics provider they encounter.
It is important, however, to thoroughly research the kind of company you want to partner with. Can they offer the services that your business needs? Can they provide a bespoke service that suits you? Do they provide account managers to handle difficult intricacies of logistics? The answers to these questions should be the main things to consider when choosing a company. While price is a key factor, a cheap service could often mean sacrificing reliability and quality.
#5. Use Technology
Not only is the internet a great way to find the logistics company your business will want to partner with, but it can also help you keep track of multiple deliveries and their progress. Top-tier logistics companies will be able to provide you with ongoing updates through every part of the delivery. Getting regular updates from your account manager (assuming you partner with a company who assigns account managers) about your delivery removes an element of stress that can come with tracking an important delivery. But the knowledge that you can track the status of your delivery online is also a huge plus.
A smooth supply chain and successful logistics are essential for any business, regardless of the size, your logistics need to be well considered and optimised to benefit your company, and nothing is so important as choosing the best logistic management provider for you.
Royale International, with 25+ years of unparalleled logistic management experience is an ideal partner for small to medium sized businesses. Small enough to offer individual, tailored service guaranteed to suit you, yet being enough to have a world-wide network to ensure fast, efficient, and reliable logistics; Royale International offers the best of both worlds. With a range of dedicated account managers and an impeccable reputation, they are the obvious choice for any small to medium business keen to settle for nothing less than the best. Find out more here: https://www.royaleinternational.com/services/international-courier/