When companies talk about improving their logistics operations, they’re mostly focused on making more money by improving product availability and distribution. However, what about the customers’ needs?
How does your supply chain influence your company’s ability to make clients happy?
If your goal is to get the right product to your customer at the right time in the right condition to ensure satisfaction, your logistics operations play a critical role.
To help you succeed, we have identified 4 easy ways you can meet your clients’ needs by improving your supply chain.
1. Define your logistical processes
Processes need to be established for logistical operations to be successful. According to the Kenya Institute of Supplies Management, logistics can be defined as:
The process of planning, implementing and controlling procedures for the efficient and effective transportation and storage of goods, from the point of origin to the point of consumption to conform to customer requirements.
It would be best to ask yourself if your logistics processes are documented and understood throughout your organization? Have team members been trained on these processes?
Team members also need to update these processes as business and customer needs evolve. This evolution of business and customer needs will require continuous improvement of your logistical operations.
Establishing these processes is a critical part of meeting customer requirements.
2. Link your back-end and front-end deliveries
Logistics generally involves the delivery of goods from your organization, but the company should also consider the pick-up of raw materials to minimize costs and improve delivery times.
Can the front-end, raw material deliveries be integrated into your back-end delivery of products?
For our clients, we always aim to identify ways in which raw material suppliers can be brought into our network. That helps in minimizing shipping costs for the client. All to make that sure that the customer is happy and their needs are met.
3. Measure your supply chain performance
Measure what is important to the business. Go through the process to determine what metrics are important to meeting your logistics objectives.
Set Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that enable measurement of performance versus targets. Your company’s KPIs need to be meaningful, relevant, visible, and understood. These KPIs will be used to drive performance improvement.
Good KPIs can include on-time final delivery, cost-per-pound, and order accuracy.
4. Pick the right transportation partners
Does your business have unique needs such as special trailers, trucks, or delivery requirements? If so, make sure you select partners with strengths that align with your business needs and customer requirements.
If not, your customers might not get what they are expecting when they need it.
For example, we work with a company that requires specially configured trailers to safely transport steel kitchen equipment. To fulfill these orders, we usually make sure the trucks we use are configured to fit the equipment as they usually come in different shapes and sizes.
We approach each client, new or old, with this level of care and personalization of service and we can do the same for you.
