There’s a popular jest that goes around the logistics sector, “If you’re a supplier and you think nobody cares if you’re alive, try missing a couple of delivery dates”.
You seriously cannot afford to miss deliveries when the air is tarnished with COVID-19. Presently, your role in making timely deliveries without compromising on the safety protocols is the name of the game to skyrocket your presence among your potential clients. But you wonder how that is possible since the pandemic has disrupted your operations quite drastically. It is in this situation that Shadowfax comes to your rescue! Following is your rule-book to mitigate the impact of the perilous virus on your logistics and supply chain operations.
COVID-19: Logistics & Supply Chain Impact Mitigation Tips
Practice Physical Distancing
You are well aware that the virus spreads easily through contact. That said, it’s time to transform your physical operations to contactless operations. There are basically three interventions between your suppliers and customers that endorse physical contacts — signatures, paperwork, and check-ins. Let’s show you the easy steps to make these processes contactless.
Scram ‘Sign on Glass’
- Avoid sign on glass though it’s part of your proof-of-delivery process
- Since your drivers and consumers use the same device, there’s a tantamount chance for the virus spread
- Instead, ask your supplier to click a picture of your consumer posing a thumbs up with the delivered goods
Fly Paperless
A crazy fear among most of your consumers is the presence of the virus on surfaces, papers included
- While you can go paperless to adjust to the new normal, there’s a good side to this too
- Paperless transactions are reducing the operating costs and shortening the payment cycles
- It is a great advantage that you must leverage to outsmart your disruptions
Automate Check-Ins
- Trust us, physical check-in processes are outdated and are scary at the moment.
- Drub this warping activity through GPS-based tracking systems
- This way, your consumers would be automatically notified of the arriving goods while your suppliers would be able to reduce the stop time
Embrace Real-Time Solutions
Even under normal circumstances, managing your consumer base is quite a tedious task. And with this COVID-19 disruption, oh boy, it’s a tough game. But what can you do as you receive numerous inbound products to your facilities while you have several scheduled outbound deliveries for your distributors? Simply abide by the following yardsticks.
Use real-time solutions like estimated time of arrivals (ETAs) and others to understand what’s happening in all your transits.
This would help you prevent costly disruptions
Further, you can visualize where you’re facing bottlenecks in addition to other gridlocks like shortage of drivers and dock congestion
Through this data, you can make the right adjustments to your operations to keep your assets in the right place, every time.
Stabilize Ground Fleet
If you are operating privately, you would surely be facing costly delivery imbalances. Perceptive dialogues have illuminated the unique challenges faced by logistics businesses. For instance, while you might suffer from a shortage of delivery capacity, another that has the capacity might be experiencing a dramatic slowdown in its business operations. So, here’s how you can alleviate your fleet imbalances.
- Avail route optimization solutions to implement delivery strategies
- Being data-driven, you’d have the chance to enhance your new delivery policies
- This way, you can increase productivity and cut back on all unnecessary expenditure
- This is indeed the fastest solution to make changes to your delivery practices
Assure Up-Scaled Freight
Presently, many freight brokers are finding it hard to secure their carrier capacities. During pandemics, traditional methods aren’t going to work. That’s why you must procure a capacity that up-scales your freight. What’s in it for you?
Create novel rapport with trusted partners
Enable targeted public relations
Cover loads earlier than the normal delivery time bounds
Harness Quick Fixes
If you don’t act now, you’d be left behind. But to act now, you need solutions now. This is the only way to rapidly improve your processes as per the rules formulated by the governing authorities. So, here’s how you can collapse your time to change your operations.
- Make a list of what you have in your hand today
- Then, probe if it would help you accomplish what you need to
- If you’re in the negative, look out for quick fixes that would transform your business operations fast
- Unfortunately, conventional IT fixes aren’t the best solutions for the COVID-19 environment
- So, avail dynamic real-time solutions that are flexible
Spice Your Game!
You don’t have to tread the unknown deep waters anymore. You know what it takes to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 in your business. Follow the rule-book, and you’d be sure to amp your logistics and supply chain operations.
Nevertheless, if you still find the change arduous, get in touch with Shadowfax. Our executives are always ready to level up your logistics operations.
