Expert Opinion

5 ways to improve logistics operations for your business

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Logistics refers to the way in which resources are procured, stored and moved to the right destination. A logistics management process includes finding the most suitable suppliers, and the best distributors. The process seeks to examine the effectiveness of these suppliers and distributors ongoing. To improve your logistics operations, there are several steps you can take.

1. Focus on order to delivery

Customer satisfaction relies on a successful logistics chain, and you’ll need to improve your order to delivery times to improve customer satisfaction. Improving leading times can be achieved using the following ideas:

● Better communication: When you seek to improve your communication, you’ll improve the collaboration between everyone on the supply chain, and minimize mistakes.
● Work with local suppliers: To save yourself time, it can be advisable to work with local suppliers.
● Consolidation: Using a smaller number of suppliers can also save you time in terms of your organization, collaboration and comms.

2. LM Software

To enhance the efficiency of your logistics processes, you can try using logistics management software. There are a few different software options which may be appropriate, including:

● Logistically: This is one of the leading logistics management solutions. It’s a transportation tool designed for 3PLs and brokers and shippers. Features of the software include load management, shipping management, order management, routing, and scheduling.
● BluJay: The BluJay platform supports shippers to manage their freight, including various transportation methods. The platform includes logistics management, warehouse management, and yard management.

Technology has plenty of options to improve the efficiency of your processes, save you time, boost productivity and improve your ROI.

3. Improve your warehouse management

Warehouse management is a key part of your logistics procedures; the warehouse operations have a direct impact on lead time, product quality, inventory and so on. To enhance your warehouse management, you should use lean principles. These principles focus on reducing waste, and the idea is that waste is a potential in seven different areas. These areas include inventory, overprocessing, overproduction, motion, transportation, defects and waiting. Companies need to focus on reducing waste across all areas of their warehouse operations. To boost productivity in manufacturing, lean principles are essential.

4. Invest in high quality equipment

In addition to this, it’s important to invest in high-quality warehouse equipment including your racking, shelving, trolleys and trucks. For a range of top-quality warehouse equipment, take a look at A & B Industrial. Once you’ve got the perfect equipment, you should ensure that you conduct effective risk assessments, to make sure that your equipment is safe, ongoing.

5. Use an effective logistics risk management procedure

It’s important to adopt an effective logistics risk management procedure. You can make a start with the following ideas:

● Determine supply chain risks: You should determine all the risks which could affect your logistics processes, when you are well aware of every potential risk it’s far easier to improve your supply chain.
● Evaluate risk impact: Next, you should evaluate the impact of these risks, including which risks are more likely (or more deserving of attention).
● Risk treatment: decide a solution for each risk, and work out the costs and strategies, so that you can put these actions in place.

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