Supply chain disruptions can have huge unforeseen consequences. The supply chain is a complex and interconnected process. Each link affects the links further down, so one broken link can cause a lot of damage. There are many factors that can cause disruptions and no company or industry is immune from the impacts. There are, however, measures that can be put into place to ensure your supply chain stays functional, even in times of chaos. In order to make it through supply chain disruptions, you need to diversify your shipping partners, have backup plans, invest in the right tech, and reevaluate your processes constantly.
Diversify your Shipping Partners
The best way to prevent or make it through your own supply chain disruptions is to have options. This will allow your shipping to remain largely unaffected. This may not fix every problem in your own supply chain but gives you peace of mind on the shipping component.
Partnering with a 3PL is beneficial for diversifying because one 3PL will have partnerships already in place with thousands of carriers. A 3PL will also be able to guide you through any supply chain disruption you are facing, help you find improvements for your specific situation.
Plan for Disruptions
Having established backup plans in place for supply chain disruptions is vital. You won’t be able to plan for every single situation but you can have a general plan in place for when things go haywire. This allows you to keep your processes in place so you’re not scrambling in the event of a disruption. So, if you do NOT have a backup plan in place, start working on that now, in fact, start working on six of them.
Invest in the Right Technology
There are countless technologies and services out there that can help you be better prepared for supply chain disruptions. One is a robust inventory management software. This brings in data from your customers, supplies, and your own warehouses. With this you have visibility to inventory levels across the board and whatever KPI’s you need to track.
Additionally, there’s transportation management software that can greatly improve your supply chain. You’ll be able to keep track of all your shipments and carriers. By partnering with a shipping provider, you’ll gain access to their system and should be able to establish an EDI connection. This will allow your inventory software to communicate with their transportation software.
Reevaluate & Prioritize
Lastly, it’s important to constantly be reevaluating and prioritizing. This should be done at all times, whether you are facing a supply chain disruption or not. You should be reviewing your shipment data on a regular basis, finding gaps and areas of improvement. If you are partnered with someone then they should be able to present these findings to you. It is, however, up to you to prioritize and communicate what is most important.
In times of supply chain disruptions, you may not be able to get every single measure met, so find out which measures impact you the most and make sure those are the needs being communicated along.
Conclusion
In conclusion, having diverse shipping partners, several backup plans, the right technology, and consistently re-evaluating your shipping is vital. Doing these will help not only during disruptions but in your everyday shipping as well.
Becker Logistics has the carrier base, processes, and technology to ensure your shipping succeeds. We help our partners out no matter what it takes and provide the best service. To see if Becker Logistics is the right fit for you reach out and contact us. Or, to get started today, request a freight quote.
