Last year, 41% of global buyers said they were ready to pay a charge for same-day delivery. Another 24% of them were okay to bear more if they could receive packages within a one-or two-hour window of their buying. This is the level of instant gratification for today’s customers – so on the other hand, it’s easy to understand what impacts delays can cause to any brand. Not only that it will tarnish the image, but it will also introduce vacuums in a supply chain that are very hard to replenish.
In this piece, we will highlight the main aspects that are responsible for these untimely deliveries. We will also advise actions that you can replicate if you want to solve or avoid the problem. Let’s go:
What causes a delay?
Several reasons compromise the delivery time of products. Below, we list the main ones. Check out!
- Planning problems
- Inventory management failure
- Wrong routes
- Poorly scheduled deliveries
- Communication fails
- Error in choosing suppliers and service providers
Does anything look familiar to you, looking at your process? If yes, it’s still okay. It is possible to reverse the situation, see how:
Review your business processes
Work with demand forecasting, to analyze and forecast your company’s stock. That way, you won’t be caught off guard with leftovers and shortages. The analysis of sales history, planning of commemorative dates, and the use of management software help smooth the task.
Keep the number of inputs adequate for production and the volume of available products consistent with market demand. The deadline promised to the buyer must be respected. If so, extend the period until it is both short and workable. It is better to surprise with the early arrival of the order than to break the agreement. Act early, taking care of the necessary paperwork, routing, and distribution points along the way.
Calculate the risks involved
Review your workflow. Is production on demand, or are items in stock? How is delivery carried out? Do you consider the period of separation, packaging, dispatch, and issuance of documentation within the period provided to the consumer? How do you control and monitor transport risks? What decisions do you make in the event of unforeseen events, such as loss?
Think, in detail, about the routes your goods are en route to arrive at the destination. Define and assess the risks involved and act separately for each adverse situation. It brings you up to speed – you will be able to contain quickly on atypical occasions and even maintain transparent communication with the consumer in addition to the problem, the solution already applied.
Strengthen internal communication
Have an efficient internal communication channel. Allow employees to easily report and resolve incidents. Integrate areas, create murals, start digital channels for exchanging information between the areas and send order status to teams. The company’s layout must also be geared towards agility, with the intelligent distribution of products.
Bank on new-age 3PLs
Do you want to be free, once and for all, from late delivery? So, the choice of suppliers and service providers is fundamental. Outsourcing cargo transport is a serious matter because it involves relying on another business to also guarantee all the respect that your customer needs and deserves.
Over 700 enterprise customers in MENA haul with us, flowing their trades to far away EU and CIS countries and some Asian nations. These shippers live a worry-free business life as they’ve access to their in-transit shipment on the platform. Be it live ETA, route updates, or shipment status – they are aware of everything. Even in the case of any mishaps, all the involved parties are brought up to speed without any space of mistrust and predispositions. Our qualified professionals act with a lot of planning, respecting the agreed deadline, and your business’s core values. Contact us today!