2023: What Is Your Plan?

With another year about to end, your business has probably looked back to its respective accomplishments and failures concerning logistics. There might be some practices you can integrate into your supply chain management for 2023 that can improve your profits.

However, with the number of things involved in logistics management, this could be quite difficult to achieve. As such, we've compiled a few tips that you can follow to help you in preparing and plan a logistics strategy for the New Year to set you up for success:

DETERMINE YOUR KPIS

It is very imperative to know the elements of your plan that express what you want to achieve by when. You can do this by reviewing your customer order cycles, pick-to-ship cycles, or dock-to-stock cycles to determine how quickly and efficiently your business is fulfilling orders. You should also monitor your inventory daily to ensure your stocks are accurate. Lastly, take note of your expenses and regulate them accordingly.

Ultimately, by tracking all these numbers, you’ll be able to come up with the right practices for your company which makes it easier to plan an effective logistics strategy.

AUTOMATE PROCESSES

Humans are bound to make mistakes at the end of the day. This could badly affect logistics management and in turn, your overall business.

That’s why to minimize human errors, it’s best to automate your supply chain process. You should integrate innovations such as cloud-based technology, and track-and-trace systems. For instance, incorporating cloud technology can help you achieve visibility in the important areas of the logistics process. This lets you spot any problems regarding inventory or delivery which allows you to react faster.

Overall, automated processes can not only improve the efficiency and quality of logistics management, but they can also help increase your profits.

INTEGRATE A WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Through a Warehouse Management System, you can quickly identify and locate products in your inventory which allows you to ship them quickly to your consumers. Furthermore, a warehouse management system can also minimise the likelihood of errors when an item is already shipped out. It also allows you to solve problems instantaneously through trace-ordered products within the warehouse.

However, before choosing a particular system for your company, you need to assess your needs and goals first. Doing so helps you create a successful warehouse model that is scalable and flexible.

BUILD CONNECTIONS

To be successful in the logistics industry, you should build relationships with other people. Focus on building a supply chain process that helps you connect to potential suppliers, contractors, and manufacturers around the world.

Using automated technology like cloud-based software could also prove to be beneficial for this goal. As it offers consistency, enhances visibility, and streamlines processes, you can meet challenges and deliver solutions in real time to everyone in the supply chain

FOCUS ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

Nothing is more important than your customer, aside from the people involved in the logistics industry, this relationship needs to be nurtured and strengthened.

By implementing a logistics strategy with the end-user in mind, you can increase brand awareness as well as business reputation. And as more people would see the quality of service that you provide, they’ll be more likely to gravitate towards your company—resulting in higher profits.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT SHIPPING METHOD

The right shipping method is also a major element in making sure your customer is satisfied with your logistics service. For instance, if they want to receive their packages immediately, air freight is the best choice. However, if their items are considerably bigger in size and heavier in weight, using sea freight is just logical. Or if you found out that they want to ship via land but with budget concerns, you can opt to combine rail and truck freight to meet their demands.

Besides customer satisfaction, using the right courier service also increases supply chain efficiency while keeping expensive transportation costs at bay.

CONSIDER OUTSOURCING YOUR LOGISTICS

Managing your logistics and keeping them at optimum working conditions could be very difficult to do alone. There would also come a time when the customer demand is so high that your business needs to improve efficiency. However, this is almost impossible to achieve with just an in-house logistics team.

It’s best to outsource your processes and partner with a reliable courier company you can depend on. Doing so can cut your business spending as you don’t have to oversee expenses in warehouses, order fulfillment, and delivery.

If you're looking for a reliable and trustworthy global logistics partner then call +61 2 9773 1378 or email Image International Freight today, we will work together in partnership with you to ensure your business can execute your logistics strategy in 2023.