There are a number of factors to consider to ensure your logistics business’s success. Creating systems and processes can help you get to where you want to be faster.
Transportation and logistics development runs parallel to the development of man. In the beginning the Bedouins transported their goods over weeks and months using Camel trains, and even earlier than that the teams of Masons used the Welsh to transport plinth like rocks from one part of Britain to the other – resulting in the wonder that is Stonehenge.
We cannot, in good faith, overlook the Egyptians either and their (somewhat ingenious yet primitive) method of moving the sandstone brick-by-brick to create the pyramids.
As humankind developed, and our industrious and adventurous spirit grew with explorations, colonisation and industrialisation, so did our need for a faster and more efficient way of getting ‘goods’ from here to there.
Delivering quickly and efficiently
In today’s society, there’s a constant need to be in touch and an instant gratification mentality appears to have taken over our collective consciousness. But, our logistics needs have once again changed. The pressure can definitely be felt, the pressure to deliver results ‘yesterday’.
Fortunately, with the advancement in telecommunications and Information Technologies we are able to stay connected where ever we happen to be; whether we are 30 000 feet in the air on our way to a business lunch in Paris or tracking your fleet from a conference overseas.
There are so many ways for people to stay connected; there are mobile devices that can inform us when products have left point A and that will notify us when they have arrived at point B. The beauty of the advances in technology is that they can be taken on the road, they can be kept active at all times. Thanks to advances in IT, logistical nightmares are a thing of the past.
Third-party logistics systems (3PL)
An appropriate IT system will streamline your logistics business and increase efficiency and productivity. In today’s somewhat tepid economic climate, the ability to become more efficient and manage your fleet will save you more money in the long run.
The most important piece of IT that you can invest in as a transport business owner is a reliable third-party logistics (3PL) system that will provide real-time visibility of warehouse activities whilst maximising operational efficiencies, thereby enabling a streamlined supply chain. Combining radio frequency and barcode technology with a robust, three-tiered, internet-based architecture is where you should be headed.
The main form of transporting goods across Africa is via road, whether you traverse that road with camels, bicycles or ‘400’ ton trucks, there is no escaping the road. One way of securing your success is to invest in a complete supply chain and warehouse management system.
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Written by Dovetail Business Solutions for BizConnect.