August 3, 2023
How to Optimise Your Supply Chain
Logistics can be complex, and recent years have brought unprecedented supply chain disruptions around the world. Congestion, capacity limits and labour shortages have affected businesses of all sizes, leading to inefficient operations, unhappy customers and lost revenue.
The freight sector in particular faces a unique set of challenges. The shortage of heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers has been an enduring issue for industry, along with capacity crunches, where there is insufficient vehicle space to keep up with demand.
As a result, there is more pressure on businesses shipping freight to pay attention to their supply chain management. In this article we explore how to improve supply chain performance and ensure a business remains resilient—even during periods of disruption.
The freight sector in particular faces a unique set of challenges. The shortage of heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers has been an enduring issue for industry, along with capacity crunches, where there is insufficient vehicle space to keep up with demand.
As a result, there is more pressure on businesses shipping freight to pay attention to their supply chain management. In this article we explore how to improve supply chain performance and ensure a business remains resilient—even during periods of disruption.
What is supply chain optimisation?
Whether you’re sending goods to customers or receiving products from suppliers, disruption has a knock-on effect across the supply chain that affects efficiency. Delays lead to wait times, fuel inefficiencies and dissatisfied customers. This makes it difficult to achieve the key goals of any business: providing customers with low-cost goods while securing high profit margins.
Supply chain optimisation is a strategy to adjust business operations to improve efficiency at every stage of logistics—even before you know where your freight is going. With the help of technology and other resources to enhance performance at each end of the supply chain, optimisation helps ensure the best outcome for the shipper and customer. Without it, businesses will lose their competitive advantage and struggle to weather future crises.
Supply chain optimisation is a strategy to adjust business operations to improve efficiency at every stage of logistics—even before you know where your freight is going. With the help of technology and other resources to enhance performance at each end of the supply chain, optimisation helps ensure the best outcome for the shipper and customer. Without it, businesses will lose their competitive advantage and struggle to weather future crises.
How to optimise your supply chain
Since the transportation industry is at the heart of the global supply chain, finding ways to improve efficiency and overcome disruption is vital. Here are some importants ways freight shippers can optimise performance throughout the supply chain.
Lead times
Planning is the first stage of supply chain optimisation. Whether you’re shipping independently or working with a third-party logistics provider (3PL), it’s important to get ahead as soon as possible to account for any possible delays.
For example, if you are using a 3PL for freight forwarding, you should do so as early as possible. This will allow them enough time to find the suitable carrier partner for your load, and ensure full compliance with freight and transport regulations.
For example, if you are using a 3PL for freight forwarding, you should do so as early as possible. This will allow them enough time to find the suitable carrier partner for your load, and ensure full compliance with freight and transport regulations.
Route efficiency
Through route optimisation, shippers can locate the fastest and most cost-effective path between points A and B (and even C and D) on the freight journey. Smart route planning systems can give you greater control over the sequence of stops, reducing transportation costs and ensuring on-time delivery within narrow windows.
Meanwhile, full truckload (FTL) shipping services let you optimise loads with multiple shipments to improve drop density. This helps to improve efficiency, giving you a valuable competitive advantage.
Meanwhile, full truckload (FTL) shipping services let you optimise loads with multiple shipments to improve drop density. This helps to improve efficiency, giving you a valuable competitive advantage.
Automation
Automation technology has great potential for supply chain management. One of the key ways disruption damages businesses is delays, which lead to higher operational costs and lower customer satisfaction.
AI-powered solutions help you counter this by improving visibility and accuracy. Through GPS, analytics and sensors, you can receive real-time tracking to maintain a close watch on all freight shipments and keep customers informed ahead of time if there are any possible delays.
AI tools are also being increasingly adopted in the warehousing stage of the supply chain. In the past, processing inventory through a warehouse involved many manual tasks. AI-powered systems enable more efficient workflows and capacity, for example, through quickly receiving orders and forecasting how much space will be needed for future deliveries.
AI-powered solutions help you counter this by improving visibility and accuracy. Through GPS, analytics and sensors, you can receive real-time tracking to maintain a close watch on all freight shipments and keep customers informed ahead of time if there are any possible delays.
AI tools are also being increasingly adopted in the warehousing stage of the supply chain. In the past, processing inventory through a warehouse involved many manual tasks. AI-powered systems enable more efficient workflows and capacity, for example, through quickly receiving orders and forecasting how much space will be needed for future deliveries.
Partner wisely
While global trends are ultimately driving supply chain problems, you can limit risk by picking dependable suppliers who are trusted for their strong performance.
For example, you can create an internal scorecard for any suppliers you use. With a clear data management system, you can keep supplier data up to date and accurate, ensuring all the companies you work with comply with your business procedures.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) should always be considered when choosing the right carrier partner—such as on-time pickup and delivery, value-added costs and average wait time.
For example, you can create an internal scorecard for any suppliers you use. With a clear data management system, you can keep supplier data up to date and accurate, ensuring all the companies you work with comply with your business procedures.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) should always be considered when choosing the right carrier partner—such as on-time pickup and delivery, value-added costs and average wait time.
Get seamless shipping with Amazon Freight
When you use a 3PL like Amazon Freight, we’ll meet your shipping needs using the highest standards. Our extensive network of 6,500+ owned trailers and 13,000+ trusted carrier partners throughout the UK and EU gives us access to trusted and vetted carrier partners.
Through FTL and less-than truckload (LTL) shipping services, we optimise shipping journeys to navigate unpredictable changes to the supply chain and make sure our customers maintain their performance and keep customers happy. With the help of innovative tech, such as GPS-tracked trailers and lane-matching, we ensure full transparency and visibility throughout booking, management, tracking and delivery.
Fill out a Lane Match Analysis form today to find out how we can support you. You can also send any questions you may have at: freight-uk-interest@amazon.com
*LTL available in the UK only.
Through FTL and less-than truckload (LTL) shipping services, we optimise shipping journeys to navigate unpredictable changes to the supply chain and make sure our customers maintain their performance and keep customers happy. With the help of innovative tech, such as GPS-tracked trailers and lane-matching, we ensure full transparency and visibility throughout booking, management, tracking and delivery.
Fill out a Lane Match Analysis form today to find out how we can support you. You can also send any questions you may have at: freight-uk-interest@amazon.com
*LTL available in the UK only.
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