Logistics organisations are having to adapt quickly to numerous changes in the sector. Whilst this can prove challenging, these changes also bring opportunity to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty, and provide more operational resilience and greater efficiency.
Logistics organisations must tackle numerous changes in the sector. Of course, there is the global shutdown and ensuing disruption to adapt to – and alongside this, rising customer expectations are putting pressure on supply chains, market volatility increasingly requires agile working, and the drive towards greater sustainability are all adding complexity.
There is, however, opportunity to be found – and if you get it right then you’ll enjoy a huge pay-off with higher customer satisfaction and loyalty, more operational resilience, and greater efficiency. Many firms are exploring innovative ways to achieve these goals; read on to discover how to improve your logistics business over the coming months.
Today’s consumers expect an efficient, speedy service and that has a knock-on effect on logistics. There’s a lot at stake – only 4% of consumers will continue to interact with a company that provides an unsatisfactory experience. 40% of shoppers are put off purchasing if a delivery takes longer than two days.
Plus, online transactions are growing (38% of consumers have bought more things online due to the lockdown, for example). In response, shipments must move quickly and seamlessly through the supply chain to numerous locations and at different times – and be tracked throughout.
Fast and accurate document creation, alongside effective warehouse labelling solutions, will help companies to keep on top of their shipments. Quickly and accurately labelling packages for identification and ensuring complete visibility throughout the process. RFID tagging solutions can be used to trace packages throughout different purchasing patterns, from in-store to online and via click and collect. So fewer packages are lost in-transit and providing insights on your different channels that can feed into your marketing and sales strategy.
Printers must integrate seamlessly with existing networks. For optimum efficiency, innovations in barcode printing technology allow logistic operations to print picking notes, delivery lists and returns labels for one fast dispatch process
Simultaneously, people want to feel reassured about their personal data, during a time when more companies are looking at data-driven technologies to become more efficient. Investing in solutions that have the highest level of data protection and governance is essential. Especially since 62% of consumers are more afraid of their data being compromised now, compared to two years ago.
The benefits of using data outweigh the risks of data loss. That’s why 65% of e-commerce organisations plan to use automation to improve fulfilment and reduce logistics costs in 2020. The sector is expected to grow from USD 12.6 billion in 2019 to USD 28.8 billion by 2024 (a CAGR of 18%).
To put customers’ minds at ease, mobile document management can ensure the security of devices across the supply chain. If a device is lost or broken, data can be wiped to reduce the likelihood of a breach.
Automated documentation can cut down on manual human input (and potential error) while speeding up transportation. Automation is empowering warehouses to handle fast-changing situations, accelerate service levels to meet consumer expectations for same or next-day delivery, and build greater resilience into operations.
Additionally, it has applications within a logistics document management system, helping staff quickly search for and find relevant documents, improving document storage and filing, and ultimately reducing time-to-market.
Sustainability is at the forefront of many people’s minds with 50% of consumers stating that they are more likely to buy from companies that are committed to sustainability; 26% will stop purchasing from companies who are not committed to the cause.
Leaders must invest in sustainable logistics solutions where possible, from committing to sustainable fuels and shipping routes to using eco-friendly printers that reduce waste and packaging. For example, Toshiba provides sustainable print solutions and consumables with longer ribbon lengths to cut down on waste and transportation frequency. Its dual-sided label printer, for instance, prints on both sides of a label to minimise waste. Toshiba is also committed to carbon-neutral delivery of printers and consumables to help customers meet environmental targets.
With the right technology supporting your operations, you can effectively meet ever-changing consumer expectations around speed, data security and sustainability. Driving your organisation into the future as a market leader, and seizing the opportunities that change presents.
To discover more about Toshiba’s solutions for the logistics sector, get in touch with our team today.