Showing posts with label Logistics Distribution. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Logistics Distribution. Show all posts

Monday, February 13, 2017

Some New Year’s Business Resolutions for Shippers- They’re necessary!

Over the last couple years, logistics distribution has evolved so rapidly that it shows no signs of stagnation. So if international parcel delivery services have to stay on the map of logistics, then they’ve to step up their game frequently to faceoff competition and have to reevaluate their resolutions, every year to keep the glitter on.

International Shipping Prices - DTDC USA
International Shipping Prices - DTDC USA
Watch the world- With USA seeing a change in government and the constant changes in laws across the world, international delivery companies have to stay on top of the regulations implemented on global trade and transport as these will directly affect their business.

Better regulation- Improving efficiency of international shipping, ranging from express delivery to overseas delivery. One of the ways to do it is trying to reduce costs by keeping an eye out for changes in trade laws and international shipping prices.

Self-assessment- Review your performance as a business, identify your strengths and opportunities, and structure your plans and forecasts to put your analysis into action. International courier services thrive only if it is mended time and again, otherwise there won’t be sunshine in paradise.

Monitor competition- Sometimes, if you are observant, your competition can teach you a few lessons, and even otherwise, it should be one of the things to do to excel in the industry and push your logistics distribution a tad bit higher.

Network- Keep those clients and other associates happy. Make a lot more connections. But most importantly reach out to your potential customers and bring that business to you before the hyenas get it.

Technology- Talk about efficiency and not consider technology? Not for smart businesses, no. Implement the latest technology in international logistics services to further lubricate the already smooth running machine. Being technically sound in business brings a lot of trust too.
Be determined to grow and prosper. May you execute all your resolutions! Happy New Year!

A Method to the madness- Understanding Shipping Terms

With a process and network that extends beyond walls and borders, the terms associated with shipping are many. International Parcel delivery services, logistics distribution centers and other parties related, operate smoothly aided by terms that are understood worldwide.
Parcel to India from USA - DTDC
Parcel to India from USA - DTDC

Ever heard of the few listed below?

Shipper- The ones who send the shipment/owner. Also called a consignor
Consignee- The one who the shipment is intended for. Also called receiver
Common carrier- Logistics distribution services that offer to deliver your shipment to wherever and they are subject to a lot of regulations which one should be aware of.

ATA/ETA- When you approach your third party logistics to ship goods, they inform you when you can expect your item to reach its destination; they call it Actual/Expected Time of Arrival. However, it sometimes can arrive earlier or later than the date mentioned.

All Risk- The parcel to India from USA that you plan to ship can be insured against all perils (*conditions apply) with a kind of insurance called All Risk. This is the most preferred policy in insurance as it puts the sender at ease.

Bill of Lading- This is an acknowledgment between you and the third party logistics, containing all the details of the shipment. It is expected to be negotiable but sometimes it isn’t. The end user must have original copies of this to take possession of the shipment.

Bill of Sale- The seller makes a Bill of Sale which gives him the right to legally sell his property to the consumer stipulating the date, time, and location of the sale. This displaces the ownership of the shipment from the seller to the consumer.

These terms make the seller aware of the aspects involved in distribution and also keep participating authorities informed on all the jazz played out from transit to ultimate delivery.

Things to Know About Shipping Insurance

The goods that are shipped through international parcel delivery services are exposed to a lot of perils; from the time they are sent for international delivery and till they reach the end user. This is where shipping insurance takes the spotlight. Shipping insurance compensates for the losses borne during international delivery, with certain conditions attached. Wonder what to consider before insuring? We’ll help you.
International Shipping - DTDC USA
International Shipping - DTDC USA

Worth of the goods- If you are sending a courier from USA to India through international courier services that are not of high monetary value, you might as well let the insurance be as it would only weigh down on your pocket, and who wants that!

Read the documents- Documents specify all details regarding the insurance including how/when to raise claims if goods are damaged or stolen. And ensure that your logistics Distribution party too is on the same page.

Paperwork- Keep your paperwork related to the goods handy, you would need that to claim insurance and to raise a claim, these are of primary importance.

Takes time- In international shipping the time taken to find a fix for losses takes time. If goods are reported missing, logistics distribution services take a few business days to come back. If it can’t be found, they would ask you to authorize a claim. And all this, clearly, takes time.

Pick your insurance- There are various insurance schemes available in the market. To name a few:
All risk- Covers any physical loss/damage due to external causes
Certain perils- Insures only stipulated causes for loss/damage
Natural causes- Insurance does not cover acts of god, riots and the likes

Be it express delivery within the borders or a courier to Europe from USA, insurance is a critical aspect. You get that part of the story right and your friend will surely get that Mac you’re sending over.

Friday, January 6, 2017

What are the Different Modes of Transportation That Aid Logistics?

Tracks And Traits Of Courier Companies
Transportation is important to the operation of logistics as nerves are to a human body. There is no logistics without transportation and several times, the international courier services tie-up with third party logistics to stretch the services and logistics distribution for growing demands.
Logistics distribution - DTDC
Logistics distribution - DTDC

All parcels even international delivery has a source of origination and the customer is always its destination. Different modes of transportation via logistics distribution are what make it possible for goods worth billions of dollars to reach its correct destination from the source.

Modes of Transport

By road: These are mostly inter-city and interstate deliveries that have a dedicated team of drivers from the trucking services delivering parcels that have entered the country. This also includes the transportation of goods from ports to distribution centers and fulfillment warehouses.

By rail: Mostly helpful when goods are to be distributed around a country. The cargo trains carrying the goods may drop it off either at the ports or the distribution centers from where the trucking services proceed to deliver the items.

By water: This is the cheapest mode of transport and carries large volumes of goods across continents. International shipping services have goods at the port which need to be shipped across the sea and the ships carry the large volume of goods for international delivery.

By air: This can be really costly but fast. However, international courier services airlift very valuably, lesser volumes of goods. There are even cargo planes that carry goods via air.

With such tremendous methods of transportation, things could get a little complicated while you aim at receiving the correct shipment. Freight forwarders can help with queries you have about your item. However, the international logistics services always have your back with the aid of all modes of transportation detailed above and also the best technological backing.


The Number One Historic Logistician is....War – Fare!

Ulysses S Grant was a man who built himself from scratch to become the President of the USA twice. He was a man with a keen interest in the art of warfare including logistics distribution that helped during a war. He then served as a Colonel in the American Civil war, for the Union under Abraham Lincoln against the Confederates who were part of 11 Southern states that seceded from the Union in order to preserve slavery, states' rights, and political liberty.
International Logistics Services - DTDC
International Logistics Services - DTDC

The American Civil War lasted four years from 1961 to 1965. The four-year war with 2.5 million people on each side, 50 major, and 5000 minor battles fought, ended with a total of 620,000 deaths and a lot of casualties. The nationwide war was a tough one and the numbers here say so.

A war that lasted four years could gladly make use of today's international logistics services for a continuous flow of goods to take care of the army’s war requirements. Grant was a man with a skill to deliver. He was the architect of the logistics distribution planning that catered to the needs of 2 million soldiers in the North that formed the Union under Abraham Lincoln.

Here are a few things listed below, that an army would need at war:

Food
Water
Ammunition
Salvage
Health and Comfort items
Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants
Construction materials
Health and Hygiene products
Medical materials
And all captured materials

These are just a few. Grant carefully planned the movement of fulfillment warehouses and logistics distribution with every proceeding of the army and the trucking services that helped carry heavy ammunition. This assisted the Union Army win over the Confederacy. To have designed the logistics distribution for a war so massive, he is the No. 1 logistician in history.

Grant's popularity as a Union War General made him the 18th President of America for the first time.

Few Ways to Identify That Goods Are Damaged

The international logistics services team is expected, mostly as ethics, to ensure they check their inventory before international delivery is initiated. Damaged goods adversely affect transportation costs and also affect their partnerships with third party logistics. It’s needless to say that item that comes through international shipping need to be examined stringently by the logistics distribution team especially while unloading from vehicles. However, not just international shipping but domestic deliveries too, have their fair share in dishing out damaged goods.
International Delivery - DTDC USA
International Delivery - DTDC USA

Fortunately we have figured out a few steps to identify faulty deliveries:

1. Leaking containers: This is one of the few easily identifiable faults while receiving inventory. If ignored, consumers are affected and might harm the company’s goodwill. And sometimes could prove to be disastrous.

2. Inflated packages: Such damages are usually seen in carton packages containing food/liquid commodities. The international parcel delivery services usually dispose-off these items unless they have a clause with the vendor which allows them to return the goods back.

3. Dents on the package: Electronic items through express delivery are prone to damages which are easily visible even on the outside of the package. While some such wrecks can be repaired, it is sometimes sent back through the international parcel delivery services with the expectation of some monetary compensation.

4. Foul smell: Some international parcel delivery services have exceptional packaging systems in place. However, a slight oversight could cause foods to rot, and what is left is an unpleasant smell, customers and expenses!

5. Examining the product information on the package: Some goods carry details on the package which sometimes include the products’ shelf life. Often, at times, when the international delivery transit takes longer than expected, it helps because the goods are in the fulfillment warehouse.

There can never be a complete guarantee to deliver undamaged goods, although that is what is most expected. Careful packaging and reliable trucking services soften the blow and reduce the risk that the logistics distribution service has to bear.


Courier in Hot Weather vs. Cold Weather - Sun, Snow, and Shipments


When transporting goods across borders, getting the product from its origin to the consumer comes with a ton of challenges. One of the primary challenges for any international parcel delivery services are the weather conditions. Weather conditions are to be monitored closely by international delivery services in order to deliver the product without damage and on-time.


International Parcel Delivery Services - DTDC USA
International Parcel Delivery Services - DTDC USA

Products which are couriered can get easily damaged due to abnormal weather conditions and these are mostly food products and medical supplies.

Here are a few methods that the international logistics services have come up with to tackle adverse weather conditions:

1) Packing: Fulfillment warehouse should pack goods suitably considering the damage the weather can cause to the parcel.

2) Forecast: The international shipping services should recover historical data of challenges they faced during severe weather conditions and plan a workaround to meet international delivery demands more efficiently.

3) Technology: Most containers carrying perishable items are temperature controlled with trackers to help track movement of the same.

4) Equipped warehouses: Logistics distribution centers are aware of items that can get damaged in the heat/cold and hence keep a close watch on such goods. For this, temperature at such distribution centers is controlled to prevent goods from damage. 

5) Equipped drivers: Cold weather and snow causes a lot of trouble to truckers and this can delay delivery. Trucking services are to be equipped with shovels and other tools to help get them out of trouble on snow filled roads. Winter tires are increasingly used by large number of fleet vehicles, offering better grip and decreased stopping distances in adverse weather conditions.

Other than a threat to drivers of these trucking services during the cold weather conditions, most products are vulnerable during hot weather. The products that are being transported under the heat of the sun require more attention and quality check to keep them from spoilage.

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Career In Logistics And SCM

With trade transcending international boundaries like never before, the scope and challenges for International Logistics services providers has increased by leaps and bounds. The scaling up of their level of operations to meet these increased demands of international delivery of cargo has created a lot of job opportunities and career prospects in logistics distribution and supply chain management. 

International-Logistics-Services-DTDC
International-Logistics-Services-DTDC

International courier services and international Parcel delivery services play an important role in meeting the logistics and delivery demands of the small, medium and large players in manufacturing and retail sector. For example, it is more beneficial for a US based manufacturing company, having operations in both India and Europe, to engage the services of a courier from USA to India or a courier to Europe from USA or a Parcel to India from USA to meet their Logistics Distribution demands so that they can concentrate on their core business. 

Career Prospects In Logistics And SCM:

For offering end to end solutions to manufactures and retailers, the international delivery courier companies establish fulfilment warehouses to help store inventory, offer packaging services and to coordinate with governmental agencies regarding custom clearances, international shipping prices and trade issues. These warehouses employ highly skilled inventory and replenishment specialists to monitor inventory movements, which is an important part of supply chain management, and is a lucrative career opportunity in the International Logistics services sector. 

For those with adequate qualifications in the international delivery field, there are roles like warehouse operations manager, facilities manager, accounting specialists, ERP specialists, logistics analysts, supply chain systems manager, transportation and fleet managers etc which are interesting and highly remunerative and offer a lot of scope for upward mobility. 

With packaging industry being integrated with logistics distribution, companies also employ module packaging experts, food packaging experts and group packaging experts etc. to meet specific demands and being a less trodden path, the demand for them is very high. 

With modern day courier and trucking services keeping a real-time track of freight movement by using GPS and other satellite based navigation systems, subject matter experts and advanced technology specialists in the field, are highly sought after. 

International shipping companies work with third party logistics providers, with expertise in certain fields like warehousing, trucking or express delivery of consignments, also employ a lot of specialists and unskilled workforce in these respective areas. 

International courier services offers non specialist jobs like packers, package handlers, truck drivers, delivery boys and entry level jobs like accounting clerks, customer service and marketing executives are available in plenty and it also offers scope for career progression for those with talent and skills. 
In years to come, the importance of logistics distribution and supply chain management are bound to witness a sharp increase, thereby presenting a lot of job opportunities to those with skills and experience in logistics distribution and supply chain management.