Modern supply chains are more complex and unpredictable than ever.
Companies are continuing to battle port congestion, rising inflation, sourcing delays, high shipping costs, and unsteady customer demand.
To cope, many logistics service providers are searching for ways to make their supply chains more efficient, especially through technology and digitization. While supply chain efficiency doesn’t have a finish line, there are steps your company can take to achieve and maintain more efficient operations.
1. Leverage Your Supply Chain Network
Amid disruptions and delays, logistics service providers need a reliable network of partners they can count on to fulfill their needs, whether that be to make a shipment on time, or to provide data about the carbon impact of a load.
Creating strong bonds with your partners gives you access to a network of advice, advocates with potential customers, and trusted advisors that have your best interests in mind when times are tough. True partners will prioritize your business, your goals, and your long-term success.
So when striving for more efficient operations, having a strong network of partners to depend on often leads to faster response time and project completion, external business support, and even lower prices, helping your team stay focused on your internal business goals.
By connecting to a network, like the Chain.io ecosystem of partners, you’ll have access to the tech and resources you need to compete, win, onboard customers quickly, and increase profitability.
2. Stay On Top of Supply Chain Trends
Many logistics service providers have turned to trending supply chain technology to achieve or maintain their efficient supply chain operations. Embracing supply chain technology is one of the easiest ways for logistics providers to boost efficiency without needing to deploy more internal resources.
These trends in technology investment for logistics service providers, like freight visibility providers or carbon reporting platforms, are driven by government and shipper customer demands for better visibility and more accurate environmental impact data. The logistics service providers who implement this technology not only benefit from staying ahead of competitors, but also the benefits of new technologies that help serve their customers better and maintain efficiency.
Some of these trending technologies include:
Supply Chain Visibility
Enhanced supply chain visibility data was one of the top technologies in 2022 and will be a priority for shipper customers in 2023 and beyond. With real-time visibility, logistics service providers can reduce operational costs, mitigate risks and improve communication among their entire network.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence, or AI, has been trending in the supply chain industry for years. AI can foresee unexpected events with little to no notice, helping to predict shipping bottlenecks or labor strikes, and allowing shippers to anticipate problems and reroute shipments before it’s too late.
Carbon Data Reporting
As the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) establishes rules for reporting on Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, it's more important than ever for logistics service providers to offer clear carbon data to their shipper customers. This data includes all of the required information for proper SEC reporting and helps to build more sustainable supply chains.
Check out FreightWaves’ full report of the technology logistics service providers are investing in.
3. Prioritize Supply Chain Integrations
After major disruptions from the Covid-19 pandemic, the leading logistics service providers have taken time to integrate their supply chain systems so they can maintain efficiency better during future disruptions.
Integrating technology in your supply chain doesn’t just improve communication, customer service, and data accuracy; many logistics service providers find it is what ultimately helps them achieve more efficient supply chain operations.
To truly have an efficient supply chain, you have to have real-time access to your data available in your systems. When shipments or delays happen, data integrations will let you know right away rather than requiring your team to search for potential issues.
Chain.io Can Help
Our team of logistics service and supply chain experts have the experience to get you and your customers up and running quickly. Data migrations or customer onboards that generally take months can be done in weeks using pre-mapped solutions and industry best practices.
Ready to achieve more supply chain efficiency? Speak to one of our integration experts today.
