There are two things that are the biggest pain-points for just about every business: their supply chain and cash flow. Without the proper logistics, your cash flow is usually not looking good.
And the contrary is the same.
There are a lot of moving parts, especially now with just in time delivery being more and more prevalent to streamline processes. Having everything running smoothly and efficiently is essential to your business.
Whether you are using a freight delivery service or you have your own fleet, you need to have a plan in place to keep the supply chain running smoothly.
In this article, I will go over several ways to keep your logistics on point so you can grow your business. And, if you haven’t started your small business yet, then take note as you can set things up efficiently from the start.
Have an objective
Think about your logistics process as a destination. To get started on the right road, not only do you need a roadmap, but you need to know the destination. Then when you know where you want to go you can find the best route to get there.
What that means is clearly define your objective. Do you want to beat the competition on price? Then you need to find ways to cut costs from your supply chain. That can come in the form of sourcing cheaper materials or products, or finding the cheapest way to get the product to the market or your warehouse.
If your objective is to beat the competition on faster delivery time, then that part of your supply chain needs to be the focus. Don’t forget the importance of GPS fleet tracking too.
Understand your customer
What is it your customer or client wants? This highly depends on what it is your business is centered around, but in many cases, your customer will be the defining factor of what your objective is.
Making more money isn’t an objective, that is a goal. So, to make more money, you have to give the customer what they want. If that is to get their product as quickly as possible then that will determine your approach. For example, it may be prudent to consider supply scheduling to optimize factory resources.
If they want the least expensive option, then you need to find ways to lower your costs and pass it on to the customer.
Responding quickly to your customers needs will give you an edge on the competition and how you handle your supply chain is the key to that.
In house or third party?
Does your company have what it takes to make the changes necessary to your supply chain? Is logistics your strong suit? If the answer is yes to either one then you can just focus on reorganizing your supply chain by working with your own team.
If this looks like too big and expensive an undertaking, then outsourcing that to a third party may be your best option. Using a company who only handles logistics could save you money in the long run.
Photo Credit: stock photo
Too bad a lot of supply chains are broken right now. Nobody appreciates them until their gone. Some may never come back.
Very true, Kenny.
I appreciate blog posts such as this one. Some great ideas here.