One of the issues many companies in a supply chain need to consider, is how to ensure supplies are always available to their customers. This applies whether you are supplying parts for production as a wholesaler, or have goods for direct sale to the consumer for same day delivery or next day delivery.
In the old days, customers were happy to wait for the product they wanted, to be manufactured to order and then be delivered. While this is still the case for some products, such as bespoke finished soft furnishings, in many other situations, the customer has become more impatient.
For those supplying industrial customers, often a delay in providing raw materials can have a significant knock-on effect with substantial cost implications, should a major production line come to a halt.
With Amazon and Argos now offering same day delivery on some items, and next day delivery becoming the default, expectations have been raised. And that impatience means customers will simply look elsewhere, if you cannot meet their delivery expectations. Loyalty may still be worth something, but in many cases it is worth less than it was.
If you are a business that handles products for delivery, how can you cope with this situation? Holding stock can be expensive, due to the cash tied up in owning that stock, plus there is a further expense of holding it in storage or a warehouse, keeping it safe and secure.
There are several things you need to look at, if you want to be in a position where you minimise the cost of holding stock.
First, take a look at your logistics plan. How robust is it, and where are the weak points? What are the worst case scenarios that will upset your supply chain – bad weather, political upheaval, or simply a missed pick-up? It is worth discussing these issues with your logistics provider, in order to review your options, and to consider having a back-up plan should there be a problem. For example, it may be possible to ship goods by air freight rather than road or sea, to make up for a delayed consignment.
Second, it is worth considering your options for keeping a buffer stock. You don’t need to set up your own warehouse, if you don’t need to. Often, logistics companies can provide interim storage, in their premises, ensuring you have stock or goods to call off, at a moment’s notice. Such an arrangement does not need to be expensive, as you can pay by the pallet space – and remember the logistics company will automatically keep the goods safe and secure, and may also provide insurance cover too.
A discussion with our Logistics Experts at Smart Directions provider is the Smart thing to do, we could help you to reduce your storage costs, while ensuring a greater level of reliability in your supply chain – and that makes for a less stressful business! Call us today on 01442 507240 or contact us here.
You might even want to get an online quote for Same day delivery or Next day delivery too.