June 25, 2021By: Eric Zybura
Out of all the links in a supply chain, the delivery phase is where the rubber meets the road. It’s that crucial moment in which the product that you’ve worked so hard to bring to fruition ends up in the hands of the person you created it for. As you may already realize, how your product gets delivered is just important as the product itself—and maybe even more so. To illustrate this point, consider this statistic from a survey produced by Convey, a delivery experience management software developer. Their research revealed that 84% of consumers say that they won’t buy again from a brand after just one single bad delivery experience. In other words, the delivery phase of your supply chain is crucial to your customer...
Read MoreJune 18, 2021By: Eric Zybura
If you don’t work in the logistics industry, the term “LTL freight” may be unfamiliar to you. After all, small parcel carriers are perfectly adequate for some business’ needs. For example, a one-person shop who sells necklaces on Etsy can usually get supplies delivered and send customer orders through carriers like UPS, FedEx, and DHL. Even giant storefronts like Zappos can use those same parcel carriers to deliver orders to their customers. However, there comes a point when some businesses need more. For example, imagine that you need to order a few pallets of raw materials from a supplier. Or maybe you make a deal with a retail outlet to sell large quantities of your goods. Or maybe...
Read MoreJune 11, 2021By: Eric Zybura
When you’re choosing methods for shipping supplies and/or goods for your business, it’s important to understand all your options so you pick the right one. If that’s what brought you to this article today, you’re in the right place. You’re also in the right place if you’re looking to understand more about logistics, particularly modes of transportation and how they’re priced. In this article, we’ll walk you through a key method for moving both goods and supplies: FTL freight. You’ll discover exactly what FTL freight is, and why it might be right (or wrong!) for your business. (And, if you have questions about any other terms, make sure to...
Read MoreJune 4, 2021By: Eric Zybura
Ocean freight is on the rise, according to a report by Research and Markets. The research company has projected a 3% compound annual growth rate for this mode of transportation through 2025.i If that holds true, terms like LCL and its close cousin, FCL, will only increase in popularity as more businesses start moving goods via ocean freight. If you’re one of those companies interested in ocean freight—or you simply want to learn more about this mode—we’ll walk you through exactly what exactly LCL freight is. We’ll also show you why it might be right (or not!) for your organization. (And, if you have questions about any other terms, make sure to check out our Approved glossary...
Read MoreJune 4, 2021By: Eric Zybura
It’s estimated that 11 billion tons of goods move via ocean freight every year. In 2020, 775 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) were shipped globally—the equivalent of 387 million 40′ containers. Additionally, that volume is projected to continually increase into 2024ii—and likely beyond. In short, ocean freight is big business, and it all centers around the containers used to transport cargo and goods. If you want to discover more about this critical shipping mode, we’ll walk you through the most common option for moving freight via ocean transport: FCL shipments. We’ll explain what FCL means, and we’ll also discuss why it might be the right choice for your business—or not! (If you want to explore more logistics lingo, make sure to check out our Approved glossary of freight and logistics terms!) What...
Read MoreMarch 8, 2021By: Eric Zybura
Supply chain vulnerabilities are high in the minds of many leaders in both the public and private sectors. On February 24, 2021, President Joe Biden set in motion a 100-day government review of potential vulnerabilities in U.S. supply chains, centered around critical items including medical gear, batteries for electric cars, and computer chips. Additionally, a private-sector research report showed that 73% of companies surveyed were hit with some kind of supply-side challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic. Going forward, it’s clear that suppliers will be a big focus for supply chain managers looking to build more flexibility into their operations. In this installment of our Insights...
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