There are so many aspects of running a business that it can be difficult to write out a complete list. You’d have to have every department and function at the forefront of your mind to make sure you didn’t leave anything out. And once these responsibilities start piling up, it can be easy to accidentally leave something out.
This is where logistics solutions come in — to help your company juggle the ever-increasing amount of balls being thrown your way. A third-party logistics company (3PL) takes some of the nuts-and-bolts responsibilities off your hands so you can focus on your core business.
This includes considerations such as:
- Warehousing
- Shipping
- Order Fulfillment
- Inventory Management
So how do you know if your company could benefit from logistics solutions?
Here are 6 signs it’s time to work with a 3PL company:
- Your Business Scales Seasonally
- You’re Expanding
- You Experience Frequent Customer Complaints
- You’re Running Out of Space
- Your Team is Overworked
- Your Shipping Costs Are Too High
Your Business Scales Seasonally
A business that experiences significant rushes at one point of the year and a slower period at another point will have difficulty finding a happy medium for storage and order fulfillment. They will be forced to either maintain a storage facility too large for the slow point or risk running out of room in the busy season.
Logistics solutions are much more flexible than other storage and order fulfillment options. You can make use of as much room and help as you need at a particular time, and then change it as your needs evolve.
It’s difficult to keep up with increased demand if your business is structured for your slow period. A 3PL provider can help stabilize your output even when your needs fluctuate.
You’re Expanding
Moving into a new market is difficult. Not only do you need to find your customers and make a name for yourself, you need to figure out the logistics of getting your products to these new areas.
Storage and order fulfillment concerns can take up a lot of your time. This is made particularly difficult when you need to focus on core business pursuits to remain successful.
Logistics solutions greatly reduce the amount of risk involved with courting a new market. The physical process of getting your products to these locations is also streamlined.
You Experience Frequent Customer Complaints
One of the most common stages for customer complaints is upon receipt of the product. Perhaps they receive a damaged product, or the wrong item, or maybe the shipment gets lost altogether.
These complaints are unfortunately all too common when a company is stretched beyond its means. Inventory issues and rushed processes can lead to incorrectly-fulfilled orders. Working with an inexperienced shipping company can result in damaged goods. And all of these scenarios leave you with unhappy customers.
Professional 3PL companies like M&W Logistics can provide expert service in most stages throughout the supply chain processes.
You’re Running Out of Space
Are your current storage solutions starting to look more like problems? Expansion is great for your business but can put a strain on your current processes.
Logistics solutions help solve these problems. It might seem impossible to move to a larger storage facility, but 3PL warehousing gives you access to exactly the amount of space you need. There’s no need to worry about spending large amounts of money to rent out a much larger space than you actually need.
Logistics solutions address the basic functions of making your business operate smoothly and efficiently. Ample storage space is a giant part of that equation.
Your Team is Overworked
Are you and your team members taking on more than normal? Are people working long hours just to keep up with demand? This can lead to exhaustion and burn out within your staff, but it can also lead to mistakes.
Employees that are too focused on trying to accomplish large amounts of work don’t have time to make sure they’re performing these tasks correctly. This can be another source of customer complaints. It can also be a source of employee complaints.
3PL companies help take this extra work off of your employees’ hands. It frees everybody up to perform at the level of expertise that got your company to this point in the first place. The ability to focus on your core business is perhaps the greatest benefit of making use of professional logistics solutions.
Your Shipping Costs Are Too High
Freight consolidation allows 3PL companies to combine smaller deliveries to save trips and lower costs. Are you noticing your shipping costs are cutting into your bottom line? Maximize your potential earnings by reducing overhead costs with the help of logistics solutions.
Every shipment is going to involve some level of risk. Accidents happen, and they can lead to loss of product and unhappy customers. 3PL companies like M&W Logistics in Nashville, TN have the necessary infrastructure to mitigate this risk.