Logistics Management Planning Tips
Logistics management oversees how a manufacturing and distribution process is organized and executed. You want to meet your customers expectations, which requires an efficient and effective workflow from raw material acquisition to final customer delivery. Consider the following tips to improve your logistics management.
Plan Preparation
Your first step is to conduct a comprehensive review of your manufacturing and distribution processes. Break these processes, including your warehousing and shipping processes, down into steps. Next, review your assets to determine where you need to invest or outsource. For example, will you need warehousing and freight distribution Benicia CA?
Your vendors and their required lead times should also be collected and reviewed. New vendors may be investigated and compared with current vendors based on material quality and transportation efficiency.
Plan Creation
When you begin creating your logistics plan, start with a detailed storage and transportation schedule for all your raw materials, parts, manufacturing and final products. Identify any challenges that may impede your schedule, such as inclement weather, technology or legal challenges. Keep a detailed schedule of what materials will be where and when they will be there.
Then, create a contingency plan. If your logistics plan is interrupted, what will you do? You may need to have backup transportation and storage facilities, backup vendors and outsourcing capabilities.
Staff and Automation
Logistics is complicated and will need trained, dedicated, detail-oriented staff to implement, evaluate and update your logistics plans to ensure optimal efficiency in your process. They also continually investigate new vendors and strategies. They evaluate your capabilities and suggest or make adjustments where necessary. For example, if your logistics are efficient, your storage requirements will be reduced, so this space may be used to expand manufacturing.
Automation can increase your production efficiency and track your products all the way to the final customer. It can also monitor and automatically reorder your inventory to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
Logistics can make or break a company. If logistics plays a major role in your company, consider working with a logistics specialist to ensure you are at optimal efficiency.