How to Avoid Bottlenecks in Shipping
Much like morning commuter traffic, bottlenecks along the supply chain are inevitable. Unexpected hurdles can play havoc with the smooth flow of goods throughout a supply chain. Extreme weather impacts roads and rail and presents hazards to employees. Bridge or overpass failure, as well as catastrophic accidents, can prevent goods from arriving at their destinations on time. Even known events can cause delays, such as a staff shortage during busy seasons.
Being prepared for the unexpected helps reduce the impact of delays, allowing your shipments to be delivered expediently and safely, keeping customer satisfaction high.
Consider these strategies to help you prepare for the unexpected:
Four Steps to Avoid Supply Chain Bottlenecks
These four steps will help your business prepare for unexpected challenges or busy periods, keeping your deliveries on track.
1. Plan Ahead
Plan your shipping schedule well in advance. Ensure you have access to sufficient transportation and storage capacity so your goods won’t experience any delays. Account for busier periods in the calendar, such as over holidays, and ensure your motor carrier is equipped to cope with extra demand.
Use historical data to understand demand peaks and valleys for your products. If you saw a surge in orders at specific points in the year, be prepared to ship and stage extra stock at your final distribution point to avoid waiting for inbounds to complete orders.
2. Cross-Train Employees
Whether you’re handling your own shipments or partnering with a 3PL provider, it’s a good idea to provide employees with additional training across several areas of your operations. Training team members to handle multiple tasks (such as order processing, inventory management, production planning, and deployment) means you can allocate employees to different roles as needed.
Avoid interruptions during busy periods by hiring temporary employees who can help manage sudden increases in demand.
3. Partner With a 3PL Provider
Working closely with your transportation company will help you avoid delays and unexpected hurdles along the road. Distribution companies like Colonial Cartage are experienced and flexible, providing quick solutions to sudden changes in transport demand, whether in aggregate or in specific lanes.
Transparent communication with customers sets expectations regarding shipment volumes and expected pickup and delivery schedules. Experienced drivers are trained to anticipate potential problems, keeping freight safely on the roads and deliveries on schedule.
Research the services offered by potential carriers. A wider service offering provides more flexibility when needed. Colonial Cartage provides full-service less-than-truckload (LTL) and truckload (TL) distribution so customers can adjust their transportation needs as necessary.
4. Review the Data
Regularly reviewing shipping data will help you identify patterns or pitfalls that impact your supply chain. Flagging the events, and sometimes locations, that cause bottlenecks is essential for future prevention. Examine your company’s role in any delays, such as production delays, inaccurate forecasting, or deploying the right product to the wrong location. Also, review your carrier’s performance and review it with them, as well as the scorecard of KPIs that are most important for your success.
If your transportation provider misses appointments, is poor in tracking and communicating the progress of your deployments or orders, and continues to have claims for damaged or short products, it might be time to change carriers. When choosing a new logistics partner, prioritize on-time reputation, transparent communication, and industry expertise. Your supply chain’s success will be defined by its performance.