Savvy Supply Chain Solutions

When You Should Consider Truck Freight as a Logistical Choice

IndySEOFirm — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 07:48:38 +0000

With a land area of more than three million square miles, the U.S. is one big heap of land-and, for some, a logistical challenge. Planes can carry cargo from one end of the country to the other in just a few hours, while freight ships make the journey halfway down the world and back up. The success of the national and global economy hinges partly on every country’s ability to ferry goods to distant places at the shortest possible time.

However, there is no need to worry if your only option is to transport goods by land as this is no problem for the millions of trucks in the highways today. The men and women behind the wheel of these huge semis spend days on the road carrying their truck loads to help facilitate smooth transactions of trade and industry. In fact, statistics show that trucking generates more than $255 billion in total revenue, a figure that is $18 billion more than that for air transport.

You may want to consider having your goods delivered by truck if the trip requires going inland. The absence of a major water passage across the U.S. prompts others to carry their goods by air, which can be expensive. If you want a cost-effective logistical solution, you can consider the trucking sector. This is an ideal choice if you want to deliver goods to the landlocked areas of the country to save time.

Trucking can be the most effective solution for the job if the drop-off for the goods is just within the state. Grocery stores and restaurants usually get their goods by truck from local sources or suppliers not very far from their location. That way, the establishments can get their goods and use them right away to keep their business active. Truck freight in this case saves them money and energy.

Are you familiar with the show Ice Road Truckers on the History Channel? In the show, goods for construction are delivered by truck over slippery ice, as well as ice that seem on the verge of breaking. If there are no ports or airports nearby, land transportation may be your only choice in delivering the goods. It is for this reason truckers are well-respected for their skill in driving.

Also, in the show, the truckers carry heavy construction materials such as huge gas pipes. If you want your heavy goods delivered to remote places, trucks can get the job done. You just have to look for effective transportation management offered by service providers such as IDS Transportation. Keep in mind that selecting the best logistical support is necessary so that the economy does not grind to a halt.

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How a Distribution Center Facilitates Trade and Commerce

IndySEOFirm — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 01:55:18 +0000

Logistics is the flow or transportation of goods according to the requirements of corporations and their customers. Efficient and accurate logistics is essential to the survival of any commercial enterprise. Transportation industries work with a distribution center to manage and regulate the transport of goods.

You can think of the transportation industry as being analogous to the television production crew behind the camera. Indeed, modern consumers often fail to realize the amount of work that goes into transporting goods to their end users. There are complex systems and intricate transportation networks that exist to ensure that goods are delivered to their end users seamlessly.

Logistics and transportation industries also perform what is known as supply chain management. Supply chain management links transportation systems both regionally and globally, ensuring that goods reach various corporations and their affiliations, particularly warehouses. This includes the management and transportation of cargo, especially across international waters. Logistical measures will also take into account the distance that needs to be travelled and the various warehouses and storage facilities that will manage the cargo.

The trucking industry is perhaps the most dynamic contributor to the transportation industry. Commercial trucks travel fast and cover long distances while carrying large amounts of goods between locations that cannot easily be reached from railroads or by air. Enterprises that need truck transportation services can apply for East Coast fulfillment services from companies like Integrated Distribution Services, Inc to transport goods measured by a truckload (TL) or less-than-truckload (LTL). TL transports goods from one customer in semitrailers or intermodal containers, while LTL transports goods from more than one customer in a single container.

Intermodal containers are huge metal boxes that contain goods. These are carried on trucks’ flat beds and are then transferred to ships or airplanes. It is called intermodal because there are several changes in the mode of transportation.
Logistics is closely integrated with warehousing because much of it involves moving goods from warehouse to warehouse, or from supplier to distributor. Warehouse management and their crews are in charge of sorting and packing the goods, allowing for neater distribution later. They can use information technology to streamline the task.

The logistics and warehousing industries both use enterprise resource planning (ERP) management software. ERP management software also integrates supply chain management, warehouse management, and inventory management software. This may also include customer relation management (CRM) software for effective communication. Logistics corporations offer eCommerce Fulfillment services for businesses that require these tasks.

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Different Aspects of Order Fulfillment Services

IndySEOFirm — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 01:53:11 +0000

Running a company can be a hard job, especially when it comes to making sure that the products that you offer are received from suppliers, stored in warehouses, and shipped to customers efficiently and on time. To do this, you will need good order fulfillment services from companies like Integrated Distribution Services, Inc. But what exactly is order fulfillment?

Order fulfillment is making sure that the customer receives whatever it is they have ordered from your company on time and in one piece. And because most businesses now use the Internet to accept orders from people all over the world, this has become an integral aspect that is rather tricky to manage. Having quality order fulfillment capabilities will ensure that your customers are satisfied. This way, you will be able to build a loyal consumer base. Therefore, it is important for your company to place importance on this business model aspect.

Outsourcing

When you’re talking about order fulfillment, the first question you have to ask yourself is whether to do it on your own or to outsource to a third-party order fulfillment company. A lot of businesses choose to outsource because this allows them to focus on more income-generating activities without sacrificing quality. By outsourcing order fulfillment, you wouldn’t have to worry about things like tracking shipments, picking and packing, and inventory management.

IT Integration

One of the most important aspects of any product fulfillment process is the IT strategies that are applied. The equipment and the software used in this process will help you accurately track, identify, pack, and ship the products that your customers have ordered. This can help streamline the entire process, reducing the risk of mistakes or shipping problems.

Fulfillment Centers

As mentioned before, you can choose to either do it on your own or outsource. By outsourcing to companies with fulfillment centers, you can use these centers as storage facilities for your products. Fulfillment centers are basically warehouses with several thousand feet of storage space, as well as loading and shipping facilities.

Drop Shipping

Drop shipping focuses primarily on businesses that are based online. Because these businesses are usually small, the supply chain here wouldn’t be supplier-business-customer. Instead, drop shipping allows business to sell their wares without needing to store them at their location. When an order is placed, the drop shipper is notified, and it is up to that drop shipper to process and deliver the product.

If you don’t want to outsource your entire retail fulfillment process to a third-party company, there are also vendors that can get you all the equipment and software you need. Truly, what matters is the overall quality of your fulfillment service.

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Ecommerce at its Finest: Reasons to go for Midwest Fulfillment Services

IndySEOFirm — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 01:49:07 +0000

Ecommerce is currently taking the online world by storm. It has expanded considerably for the past five years, and many industry experts predict that the fine line between “electronic” and “conventional” commerce will soon be blurred if growth continues at the current rate. If you’re interested in jumping into the forefront of the ecommerce war, then your arsenal must include Midwest fulfillment services.

Fulfillment service—as defined by the National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL)—is the storage, management, and timely distribution of a client’s materials to the client’s distribution outlets or end users. It can range from basic pick-and-pack operations to complex web-enabled programs that provide client interface and inventory management. When implemented properly, fulfillment service can significantly improve the business’ sales and performance.

Many small ecommerce companies deem fulfillment services unnecessary for two reasons: they cost a lot and they keep owners from micromanaging every part of the business. However, one should remember that as a company grows, so does the demand. This means you’ll have to devote more time on business development and remain aggressive in your marketing strides—which may result in neglecting the fulfillment part of your organizational process. But with fulfillment services, that will not be a problem.

Outsourcing work to fulfillment warehouses is the way to manage medium to large-scale ecommerce businesses. Fulfillment companies typically serve as a retailer’s private warehouse and shipping operations base. While you’re busy improving other aspects of the business, you are assured that someone is checking on your stocks while they arrive; organizing and storing those stocks; and fulfilling customer orders. It’s like killing two or three birds with one stone.

Fulfillment services come with plenty of benefits. Nate Gilmore, Vice President of marketing and business development at Shipwire, says retailers can use fulfillment services to expand their business to new markets without having to invest on infrastructure or additional employees. All they have to do is place their inventory using fulfillment services in another country and begin selling to a completely new local market.

Choosing a fulfillment service is a lot like buying your brick-and-mortar office space. Therefore, it should be done sensibly. Some of the factors to consider are the size of the warehouse, its proximity to your customers, the cost of the service, and the fulfillment company’s error rate. Use the Internet to perform an initial search and use other resources to wrap the investigation up.

The road to a successful ecommerce business is paved with challenges. Before feeling the chilly wind of inventory management, it is wise to get a hold of order fulfillment services today. Firms like Team IDS Logistics can guide you every step of the way.

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Reliable Freight, Intermodal, and Transportation Management for Companies

IndySEOFirm — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 09:35:09 +0000

If you need to move your product efficiently and affordably, you would do well to hire professional freight management services. Leading companies in the industry, among them IDS Transportation, can help you with all your domestic transportation needs to make sure that your products get to the end client in top condition in the shortest possible time. Reliable companies are transparent about their processes and can offer small to medium sized companies cost effective freight solutions at superior service levels.

Freight management is a system designed to optimize the efficiency of commercial transport. It involves the use of 3PL (3rd Party Logistics) with cloud based SaaS (Software as a Service) technology to revolutionize the way clients source, plan, execute, deliver and analyze transportation activities. This program is designed to assist companies in focusing on strategic competencies while their freight management service does all their transportation for them.

This advanced technology creates a connectivity network that allows all users to access information through a single hub. The program further allows purchasing, carriers, receiving, shipping, traffic, customers, and vendors to possess a unique point of communication. This in return fosters a collaborative environment for every stakeholder’s visibility and analytical reporting, reducing cost and time expenses during the overall shipment process.

Intermodal transportation is defined as involving two or more different modes of freight transportation. Companies like IDS Transportation identify intermodal transportation as a time definite service with on-time percentages exceeding 98%. This eliminates charge backs for any business using intermodal transportation. The intermodal process also includes multi-stop pick-up or delivery, lumper service and transloading or cross-docking. Your best bet is to stick with established companies—IDS Transportation, for instance—that will have access to a large number of North American intermodal containers (say, in excess of 100,000), simplifying every company’s transition from truckload to intermodal.

Intermodal transportation also serves as a real alternative to trucking freight. Door-to-door intermodal services capitalize on shipping lane capacity while reducing costs and guaranteeing the reliable delivery of all products. The further advantages of intermodal transportation over truckload include reduction of carbon footprint, additional capacity, increased security, reduced highway congestion, and increased visibility.

It is ideal for companies to rely on intermodal transport for their business to grow. According to the 2010 U.S. Department of Transportation National Rail Plan, the intermodal market direction looks promising. The investments made by the railroads to improve intermodal freight corridors are projected to address the problems brought about by rising fuel costs; these steps will also help lessen the carbon footprints we leave by supporting and replacing on-the-road activity.

Transportation management is a solution for a rapid return on investment. This solution is designed to analyze, consolidate, and optimize shipments as well as information transportation for clients. Companies like IDS Transportation blend people and technology to deliver significant cost savings and full collaboration solutions for their clients’ customer base.

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Little Known Ways to Find the Fulfillment Company For You

IndySEOFirm — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 02:56:41 +0000

Fulfillment services are a dime a dozen. Finding the right provider can pose a real challenge, and more so if price is your primary consideration. The good news is there are ways to determine which fulfillment company to go with, and it doesn’t even take a degree in rocket science to figure it out.

Your first step should be to find a fulfillment company that specializes in your niche market, which is what various fulfillment companies are also doing in these times. For instance, if you need a warehouse company to pack and ship your clothing orders, it’s probably not a good idea to hire one which concentrates on contract warehousing.

You’ve probably heard that in real estate, it’s all about location, location, location. That’s also true for choosing a fulfillment warehouse: the closer they are to your customers, the sooner they can fulfill customer orders and keep them satisfied with your company. Choose fulfillment service providers in the East Coast, Southeast, or West Coast if you’re serving these markets; pick one in the Midwest if you plan to cater to the entire country.

If you’re selling tangible products that require shipping, you should have a rough idea how many orders you process on average in a given month. Reliable fulfillment warehouse providers not only serve your warehouse and distribution needs but should also provide you with flexible options should your orders grow or drop at an unexpected rate, particularly during peak seasons. By efficiently monitoring your inventory and by maintaining excellent reporting systems, they should enable you to detect buying patterns and adapt to changing market trends so you can plan efficiently and decide on the appropriate course of action.

When in search of a fulfillment company, always consider the setup fees, processing fees, storage fees, and in particular “order processing minimums”. In essence, if you don’t make the minimum number as agreed upon with your fulfillment company, you would still need to pay the fulfillment fees. Make sure your average number of orders goes beyond their order processing minimums to avoid incurring unnecessary charges.

Finally, it helps to do business with a fulfillment company that has been around for a long time. Fulfillment companies such as Integrated Distribution Services, Inc. have been around since starting out as Trans-City Terminal Warehouse in 1960. A good fulfillment company works hard at keeping its customers happy, ensuring their longevity and instilling trust.

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Ecommerce Fulfillment Services Help Online Businesses Market Products

IndySEOFirm — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 02:52:56 +0000

The world’s economies are so intertwined that when one area coughs, in a manner of speaking, the rest follow. This interdependence brings some disadvantages, but as a whole, international commerce has provided more choices for cheaper goods and compels businesses worldwide to innovate and be more competitive in terms of quality and pricing. Over the last decade, we have seen a noticeable shift towards online retailing, which relies heavily on ecommerce fulfillment services provided by companies like IDS (the Integrated Distribution Services, Inc., at Plainfield, Indiana) to make the supply and distribution of goods more efficient.

E-commerce has grown so rapidly that it may someday become a major alternative to traditional retail. It may not, however, entirely replace the latter as people generally prefer the physical interaction at a brick and mortar shop which online commerce could not provide. One thing is certain, though; e-commerce has definitely changed a number of people’s shopping habits.

A lot of people see shopping as a fun social event and therefore set aside time and energy for this activity. With today’s busy lifestyles, however, online shopping has become a more convenient and practical alternative. Shoppers can enjoy lower prices for goods and services offered online since retailers don’t have to pay for rent and other overhead expenses. An ecommerce order fulfillment service also makes distribution easier and enables customers to get products faster.

Like any traditional retail outlet, the success of any online business would depend on customer satisfaction with its products and services. This requires efficient supply chain processes, measured by how fast customers receive their ordered items in good condition. To save on shipping and logistics costs, it would make sense for online businesses to outsource these processes to a fulfillment company.

Fulfillment service providers effectively assume a client’s various supply chain processes including accounting, purchasing, and marketing operations. They receive products, manage inventory, pack and ship goods, and take care of their clients’ warehouse and distribution requirements. On behalf of their clients, they fulfill customers’ orders and ensure that online shoppers get the professional service they need.

Meanwhile, a fulfillment center provides the marketing and distribution needs of online retailers, giving them the flexibility to meet market demands and adjust their staffing needs. In addition, retailers can enjoy great savings through bulk discounts on shipping costs. Simply put, fulfillment services enable online business to grow and expand without having to invest on inventory and distribution infrastructure as well as on additional manpower.

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Ecommerce Fulfillment Solutions for a Better Business

IndySEOFirm — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 02:42:21 +0000

If your business hasn’t gone online, then you’re a day late and a dollar short. We are now in the golden age of the Internet, and its role in everyday life will only continue to expand. A recent poll by Harris Interactive revealed that adult Americans spend an average of 13 hours a week online, and 40 percent of their time online is spent on three activities namely: social networking, emailing, and online shopping.

Online shopping has become a huge trend over the past five years. A survey by the Digital Future Project posits that 71 percent of Internet users browse and shop through online stores. For experienced and budding entrepreneurs alike, this is certainly an opportunity worth capitalizing on. To gain the upper hand, online retailers should consider ecommerce fulfillment services.

Ecommerce fulfillment is no different from order fulfillment–which refers to how a company responds to customer orders–except it is optimized for online businesses. It caters to small business owners who sell beauty products, clothing and apparel, dry foods, perfumes, books and DVDs, consumer electronics, and many others. If you’re still unconvinced about ecommerce fulfillment, then consider the following advantages.

Inventory Control

Managing inventory is the crux of most businesses, and it can be far from easy. But with East Coast fulfillment services, inventory management is a breeze, and you can always be on the ball. Fulfillment firms like Team IDS Logistics allow you to control inventory levels at their facility through efficient reporting systems that help you keep tabs on warehouse items in stock and those that are missing.

Decreased Overhead Expenses

You can get bulk discounts on shipping and logistics fees by outsourcing to a fulfillment company; you could even negotiate for flat rates on these expenses. In addition, an ecommerce fulfillment provider maintains a distribution center manned by capable personnel where massive quantities of products are received, stored, packed, and distributed. This eliminates the need to hire additional staff for the sake of looking over and dispatching your merchandise.

Time Savings

Fulfillment companies take care of shipping customer orders quickly and accurately. In addition, they use standard and top-grade packaging materials to make sure orders reach their destination unscathed.

Managing your online business is one thing, but making your goods accessible to a wider market is another matter. Ecommerce fulfillment services like Team IDS logistics can open new doors for your business; enable you to meet demand for your products; and significantly widen your market base.

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Fulfillment By Amazon – IDS Supports your Growth Strategy

MichaelDeFabis — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:04:31 +0000

We get it. If you have the right product and pricing, but no name recognition or organization, Fulfillment By Amazon gets you the basic organization and the marketing clout to quickly build sales, determine which products are your keys to growth, and build that track record and revenue stream. IDS can support your inbound shipments to Amazon, help reduce storage costs, and look for consolidation opportunities to lower these costs. Our Midwest location, and proximity to two Fulfillment By Amazon distribution centers can help lower your transportation expenses.

But you’re not starting a business just to help Amazon get bigger. Real success comes when you can build your own brand and mind-share with the market: when people seek out your name, whether at your own website, Amazon, or other retailers. If you have the products developed, the right sources, and the marketing in place, IDS provides you with your own distribution center. This means:

Lower costs than selling through Fulfillment By Amazon – more of the margin goes to you (after all, you created the value – keep more of it!) And of course, no revenue sharing.
Flexibility – from IDS you can sell through your own website, allow other sites (including Amazon) to sell through your site, and ship to retailers or others. IDS can service all the distribution channels. (That includes compliant shipping to the major retailers.)
Great service – fast shipping, more personalized service to you (you will actually know the people supporting your business!).
All the bells and whistles: gift messaging, kitting, custom packaging if desired, on-line and real-time data access, and more.
Parcel shipping discounts and inbound freight management programs plus a low cost ship-from location means more opportunities to reduce costs and build your margins.
You get to build value in a business that is branded and not reliant or beholden to any one retailer. That’s the key to building your business value and net worth.

IDS can support your initial start-up either through IDS or supporting your Fulfillment By Amazon program. More importantly, IDS has the tools and experience you need to support your business’s growth into an independent retail force. IDS delivers your competitive advantage!

Mike Jones, COO

Integrated Distribution Services, Inc.

www.teamidslogistics.com

Gaining Repeat Customers Through Order Fulfillment

MichaelDeFabis — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:57:05 +0000

In previous blog posts we have discussed order fulfillment being one of the most important aspects to achieve great customer service with your ecommerce customers. Sometimes just getting the package to the customer accurately and on time is not enough to get those customers to keep shopping with you. This blog post will discuss tips on ways you can entice customers to become repeat shoppers through your order fulfillment operations.

Catalogs and Brochures

This may seem obvious to many e-tailers, but adding a catalog or brochure with information on your products can go a long way. What better time to hit a customer with more information than after they have purchased from you. If a catalog is not something that you offer or the cost to produce is too much than placing a brochure with several featured products can be just as effective.

Coupons

Placing a coupon with every order is a great way to incentivize shoppers to come back and spend more money. The coupons do not have to be much and having several different coupons being randomly placed into in every order is a good way to ensure loyal customers get something different each time. Several ideas for coupons:

X% off your next order
Free shipping on your next order
Buy one get one free
Get a free _______ with your next purchase

Add a Personal Touch

Letting your customers know that their package was packed with care especially for them is a great way to show them that you care about all of your customers. Adding a personal touch to each one of your orders can be done several ways. Inserting a card into each order stating “Packed with care by” and have the employee that packed the box sign their name. Include a special note on each one of your pack slips stating the person’s name and telling your customers that you appreciate the business.

When it comes to order fulfillment, ecommerce customers only care that their orders are fulfilled accurately and shipped timely. Many times that might not be enough to keep them coming back and by adding brochures, coupons, and a personal touch to your orders you can turn those one time shoppers into repeat customers.

For more information on how IDS Fulfillment Services can help you with your fulfillment needs please contact us.

Michael C. DeFabis

Sales and Marketing Coordinator | Integrated Distribution Services | www.teamidslogistics.com

E-mail: mcdefabis@teamidslogistics.com | Office: 317-203-8721

3100 Reeves Rd. Plainfield, IN 46168