How One Simple Logistics Improvement Can Improve Your Customer Service

These days, what business isn’t looking for ways to improve logistics to quicken the time it takes to get goods out to their customers? After all, your business is only as successful as your customer service.

In defining logistics, we turn to the definition from the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals that states: all planning, implementation, storage, and distribution of goods and services from the point of origin to the point of consumption in order to meet customer requirements.

While quick and easy ways to improve customer service are hard to find, there’s actually one easy logistics change that companies can make that will enhance service to their customers. That solution is eliminating all paper transactions.

Getting Started

No doubt, there are stages of your supply chain that are automated or done digitally, but it’s those other paper performed logistics that can create a slowdown in how you interact with customers or meet their needs.

Here’s a good way to identify the areas in which you can transition from paper to technology:

- Conduct an in-depth analysis of your entire logistics process. If you use a public warehouse, chances are all stages of logistics are automated, but it’s a good idea to check anyway. Look at all activities, including inbound, outbound, internal, and external. Examine procurement, including its planning, execution, and control. Evaluate personnel in terms of task performance, assignments, stationing, information flow, etc. Analyze your goods, including material handling and inventory management, both in motion and at rest.
- List any part of the logistics process that is done manually, no matter how minor it may be.
- Investigate where technology can be applied to streamline manual processes.
- Make the transition to a completely paper-free environment and watch your customer service numbers improve.

Go Paperless With a Public Warehouse

Because public warehouses are already automated, they are your company’s best bet for making the transition to a paperless logistics process quickly, easily, and affordably.

For example, at Brendamour Warehousing, Distribution and Services, our automated logistics processes are integrated into our sophisticated warehouse management system, providing our customers with advantages like improved accuracy, productivity gains, optimized resources, and an efficient environment that, in turn, improves service to their end customers.

Third party logistics providers (3PLs) like Brendamour also make it possible for small to medium sized companies to work smarter and leaner.

Due to a lack of resources, many small businesses still use paper forms to manually perform functions like receiving, shipping, and order picking. But public warehousing and distribution provides an inexpensive solution for businesses that don’t have the resources to invest in technology for activities that are not a core function of their company.

Through a 3PL partnership, companies that still use paper can conduct all business communications pertaining to logistics through electronic data interchange and realize significant benefits.

Advantages of a Paper-Free Environment

You’re probably already enjoying many advantages of technology through the use of computers, e-mail, and other digital processes your company performs. But when it comes to logistics, transitioning from paperwork to automation delivers numerous advantages:

- Eliminating the time and money spent shuffling papers from desk to desk or making copies to distribute manually.
- The elimination of transaction errors that are all too common with paperwork.
- Optimized performance from all areas within the supply chain and all resources that support it.
- A faster, efficient, and safer environment for those employees performing any stage of logistics.
- All stages of the supply chain are easily traced and tracked electronically versus shuffling through a paper trail to find pertinent information.
- New insights into warehouse operations are gained, leading to even greater efficiency improvements.
- Analytics are created through automated technology to assist in analyzing performance and change management.

Make the Change

Companies mistakenly think that the switch from paper processes to the use of technology is too expensive. But by outsourcing warehousing, distribution, and logistics functions to a public warehouse 3PL like Brendamour Warehousing, the savings realized far outweigh the costs.

Beyond cost savings, companies also realize a positive return on investment through increased productivity and reduced errors and omissions.

See how easy it is to make the changeover to all technology by contacting Brendamour Warehousing, Distribution and Services. We’ll show you how the transition from paper to digital will optimize your operations and significantly improve customer service.