When it comes to business, we focus on many aspects like branding, positioning, product quality, variants, market and many others. For every company, customer satisfaction is the key to success. However, the one very important aspect that is often ignored is the way logistics are managed. We implement technology to improve our products, but we forget to use the efficient means to manage our supply chain.
In any business, the key to customer loyalty is incomplete if the logistics of the brand is poor. Logistics play an important role in customer retention. Let’s understand this with an example, Mr. Iyer runs a garment brand that manufactures premium shirts for men, his designs are quite popular on the internet. Due to this, he receives many orders in one day, his website promises 24 hour delivery. However, during the order dispatch process, Mr. Iyer gets to know that there is a shortage of the shirts that were ordered by the customers. He had already promised delivery, now if he does not deliver within the promised period then his brand value will be hampered.
So, if Mr. Iyer had focused on logistics, before going all out in the market to gather orders, then he might not be in the catch 22 situation. To gather happy and satisfied customers, who would not only buy your brand but also influence others to buy, every business must have a robust Logistics management strategy.
Here are some industry tested, successful tips that will make Logistics Management easy.
Make your Foundation Strong
Know what’s there in your warehouse, which stocks are in extra quantity, which items are the fast moving. If these details are on your fingertips, then you can easily calculate how much order you should take and how much delivery time should you commit for these orders. From time to time, keep reviewing your stocks and also maintain a decent amount of safety stocks. To manage logistics, these days there are various warehouse management systems available in the market. These automate your logistic management process and make your products customer ready.
Complete Planning
Logistics also involve the cost and time involved in transporting the product from the supplier to the end customer. A proper planning will help in achieving maximum productivity in the given time period, ultimately resulting in maximum profits. Planning should involve;
- Availability of the products in the warehouse
- Cost of the transportation till it reaches the end customer
- Safety measures to combat crisis
- Choose a reliable delivery source
You can take the help of logistic software to smoothen the planning process at each stage.
Automation is the key
In the age of Digital, processes should also be handled through the best of technology. The top companies of the world give a lot of importance to technology in managing every aspect of their business. Once your logistics are automated, then you will get timely updates on the movement of stocks, the cost of transportation, the time involved in the process and the number of returned goods that needs to be quickly replaced.
Well the Warehouse Management system also helps in giving you a clear picture of how the man-power in your company is operating, i.e. how many people are working in a process and what are the gaps in skills that needs to be addressed.
Conclusion:
If you want to stand out in the market and become your customer’s most preferred choice, then you need to have a strong Logistics process. Adapting the latest technology, combined with a great strategy can help you rule the market and win customer loyalty.
