Managing your small business logistics is a complicated process. In addition to making your team feel overwhelmed, these complications will hinder your company’s overall efficiency. In other words, it is costing you money and ultimately obstructing your company’s ability to grow.
Fortunately, you can overcome the challenges of logistics with the right solutions. To help you improve, let’s take a look at the best small business logistics solutions to invest in.
Supply Chain Management Resources
Moving your company’s products through production and distribution is a strenuous process. You need to manage the cost, efficiency and volume of your supply chain while still managing other business processes. That’s why supply chain management is one of the best small business logistics resources that you can invest in.
In order to effectively integrate a strong supply chain management resource into your logistics process, you need to understand how these resources will help you. Once you understand this, you should make improvements where necessary.
Getting a Supply Chain Analysis Done
The first step towards enhancing your supply chain approach is to understand its deficiencies. To this end, you will need an objective, experienced analysis of your supply chain’s cost and performance weaknesses; there should be no guesswork here. The supply chain auditing service that analyzes your approach should work hand in hand with your finance department in order to ensure totally accurate data.
Getting Improved Supply Chain Solution Services
Once you know the elements of your supply chain that need improvement, it’s time to gain the resources that you need to make those improvements happen. A good supply chain solutions company is perfect for this, as they will be able to provide you with a straight path to supply chain enhancement. Even if you already have supply chain solution provider, you should consider how well their offerings align with the changes mandated by your analysis. Compare your current supply chain services with other companies to gain a better picture of what steps you should take.
Warehousing and Distribution Resources
Figuring out where to put your goods and how to distribute them isn’t easy. Although it sounds simple, this can be one of the most complicated elements of your small business logistics endeavors. You should be investing in warehousing and distribution resources such as small package forwarding, cross-docking operations and customs brokerage services. This will enable you to manage the movement and storage of your goods in a more cost effective manner.
Multiple Transportation Solutions
In order to get your goods to where they need to be efficiently, you’re going to need more than a few cars. You’re going to need a fleet of transportation resources that moves across land, air and sea.
The more diversified your transportation solutions are, the more effectively you will be able to move your goods around. For example, intermodal transportation that combines train services and the directness of truck transport will avoid typical holdups in the shipping process.
International Logistics Solutions
Even if your company is located near a border, moving your goods across international lines isn’t as simple as making a delivery to another state. You will need an expert team who can manage the unique cost, warehousing, taxation, insurance and depreciation costs for each country that you do business in.
Don’t Let Your Logistics Drag Down Your Business
In order to sustain its growth, a small business like yours should be flexible and adaptable. Make sure that your logistics operations can keep up by investing in the right small business logistics solutions for your company’s unique needs. For more information on logistics services, contact us at 3PL today!
