How Businesses Can Leverage Fulfillment Companies during an Economic Downturn

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StrategyDriven Tactical Execution Article |Fulfillment Company|How Businesses Can Leverage Fulfillment Companies during an Economic DownturnThe pandemic has sent shockwaves all around the globe at a time when everyone was still reeling from the hangover of welcoming the New Year. People knew about the novel strand of Coronavirus that had been silently creeping into their lives and causing severe damages to their health. But no one ever fathomed in their wildest dreams that the whole world would come to a halt because of this virus. Industries started shutting down, and companies soon got out of business. This led to the economy to tank, and not just in one country but of the entire world. As a means to cut down on expenses and save the slump in the economy, industries started downsizing employees and resorting to alternative means to go about their business in as less money as possible. One of those means that we attempt to talk about in this article is a fulfillment company. Not many of you might be aware of what a fulfillment company is and what its functions are. And that is why we shall clear a bit on that part before discussing how companies have been using the 3PL strategy to manage the economic downturn.

What is a Fulfillment Company?

A Fulfillment Company is also known as a 3PL (third-party logistics) company that tends to take care of certain vital business criteria. This kind of company forms an integral part of the demand-supply chain of any business and also helps a business in its cost-cutting endeavors. Therefore, roping in a 3PL company in distressing times can come in handy for several industries. Now that companies are having a hard time to stay afloat, more and more enterprises are turning towards a fulfillment company to fulfil their basic requirements. In other words, a 3PL company is a resort that businesses can outreach to and get some of their very important functions related to supply chain fulfilled. Now, if you have been wondering about how a 3PL company works, here is what you need to know. A fulfillment company receives inventories from manufacturers and then follows the specific instructions about shipping the products to the consumers.

The Need for a 3PL:

3PL companies have more than just one use, and their demand has skyrocketed now more than ever, in the times of pandemic. However, even under normal circumstances, the role of a 3 Pl company is indispensable. There are mainly three reasons why you mighty require the services of a 3PL company. The first reason why you might need a 3 PL company is if you have more than 20 orders to take care of in a day. It might not be possible for you to handle the bulk on your own, and therefore, the need for a 3PL company becomes imperative. You will also require the services of a 3PL company if you find yourself running out of storage space. Storage spaces can be extremely costly, and in these trying economic times, when you are looking for ways to cut down on costs, 3PL services might just be the way to go. Finally, you might also need a 3PL service if you are expecting a spike in the volumes of your order. You might not have enough resources to handle the volume yourself and therefore, might want some additional help.

Types of 3PLs:

Now that we are in the midst of a pandemic and companies are looking for ways to cut down the expenses to stay afloat, it is important to learn a bit about which 3PL services would come handy to save the situation. There are a number of 3PL services. Full service, Warehousing, Transportation, Distribution, and Shipping and Receiving are some of them. 3PL services are eclectic in their approach and have a myriad of solutions up their sleeves. For instance, a full service will meet your end-to-end requirements and come in as a package, whereas warehousing will only take care of the requirements of the warehouse, meaning, these services would seek to store, ship and return products. To trim down the expenses, you could opt for one of these services and manage the rest on your own. Companies are also laying off employees to opt for a full-service facility from a 3PL company.

Conclusion:

These are extraordinary times, and nothing like we have seen or experienced before. Difficult times, therefore, call for innovative measures. Life shall continue to thrive, and people shall learn to live alongside the virus. Businesses shall, therefore, require smart ways to function and with the discussion that followed in this article about a 3PL company, it seems like these services are wise options. Roping in a reliable 3PL company shall not only help a business stay afloat, but also make the supply chain seamless.

Truck Driving Tips: Safety Rules for a Long Haul

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StrategyDriven Tactical Execution Article |Truck Driving Safety|Truck Driving Tips: Safety Rules for a Long HaulThe safety of truck drivers and the safety of other drivers on the road are of primary importance. Being a successful truck driver does not start and end with you obtaining your CDL. Driving safely is easier said than done. Staying safe on the road, especially during harsh weather conditions can be hard even if you take the Illinois car permit test. To drive professionally, you will need a great deal of skill, since truck driving carries a lot of duties for the safety of others on the road. Being safe is what will keep you alive every time you are confronted with the anxious moments when you are behind the wheel.

Truck Driving Safety Tips

What are you shipping?

Sometimes, you will be called on to haul hazardous goods; in that case, it is significant to know what you are hauling. Any element that is considered to have a threat to people and the environment is considered as hazardous materials. For example, when you are shipping lithium ion batteries, there are things you must know. The hazardous materials should be marked in English; you must have some training, including general awareness and acquaintance with hazardous materials. It is vital that you know your responsibility as a carrier to safely and securely transport dangerous goods.

Wear your seat belt

Truckers can overcome accidents; however, that should not be an excuse for not using their seat belts. As a matter of fact, all truck drivers and passengers are required by law to wear seat belts. According to the NHTSA, the safest choice that a driver and the passengers can make is to fasten their seatbelts. Buckling up helps you stay safe inside your truck, not buckling up can end to you being ejected from your vehicle in the event of an accident. Always follow the seat belt guidelines to maintain your safety and other road users’.

Eat healthy on the Go

The big challenge with motorists who want to eat healthy meals is getting over the usual high-calorie cost to find a low-priced but healthy food variety while out on the road. Moreover, a healthier diet and enough rest will keep you more attentive on the road. Ensure that you get enough sleep and pull-over whenever you feel tired. Most grocery stores have ample parking for trailers, although you will have to walk a bit. Grab a light grub, stretch your legs, and take a nap. Avoid junks like sugary drinks and don’t consume heavy meals; they can trigger drowsiness. Instead, opt for healthy alternatives that can keep you alert on the road.

Keep lane changes at the minimum

To be safe on the road, you need adequate space all around your truck. In case something goes wrong, space gives you enough time to take action. Commercial vehicles are typically broad and can take up most of the lane. Here, the truck crash attorney and experts at fasigbrooks.com say, minor negligence can lead to horrifying accidents taking a toll on one’s health or life. Therefore, one must remain in his/her lane throughout the travel or leave enough space for other vehicles to move safely. However, if you are a safe driver, you will manage the little space you have by keeping your truck fixed in the lane and avoid driving on the edges. It is advisable to pick a lane and stay on it; however, if it is necessary that you change lanes, move very carefully, beware of blind spots, and frequently check your side mirrors.

Adjust for bad weather

There are some areas that are known for having unpredictable weather; however, you should try and keep track of changes and avoid hazardous road conditions as much as possible. Changing climate and poor road conditions impact commercial trucks more than passenger vehicles. Road conditions are not within your control; however, there are numerous sources that can help you keep up with the weather and road conditions. Commercial trucks usually need a lengthier stopping space, so cut your haste by one third on damp roads and by one half on frosty or snowy roads.

Additionally, take your time to maneuver on poor road weather and allow your blinker to run for five blinks before you change lanes.

  • Watch out for blind spots
  • The typical ‘no zones’ include
  • Straight behind your truck
  • Just behind the side mirrors
  • Off to the side just in from of the cab

Motorists who are not aware of these blind spots may drive dangerously close to one another. This can be very annoying, but it is up to you to exercise caution before turning or even changing lanes. Also, make sure that you are maintaining a safe distance between you and other motorists.

Avoid distracted driving

Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of accidents on the road. Distractions can be categorized into three types, namely;

  • Manual
  • Cognitive
  • Visual

Nowadays, the most common type of distraction comes from mobile phones and other technological devices. The probability of causing an accident when using a cell phone is four times higher. The risk increases significantly, considering the amount of time cell phone usage can occur during a drive, especially when it is a long one. Using voice-activated or one-touch dialing is the best way to avoid cell phone distraction while driving.

Always beware of your trailer

The typical trailer is about 70 feet long; hence, you must beware of the trailer whenever you are making turns or changing lanes. Before changing lanes or making a turn, make sure that your mirrors are fixed and turn-on signal for three seconds and then take seven seconds to make a lane change.

Safety Tips for When You Arrive

Don’t stop following the safety tips just because you are hauling into a truck corner. Things can go wrong even when you are packing. Make sure to follow your path and examine your endpoint. Inspect your truck even after packing and unload the cargo wisely. After unloading your vehicle, inspect your truck and report any faults and lock the doors.

Bottom Line

Trucking comes with its own way of life, and it is not just an ordinary career. The long hours and the lengthy drives can take its fee. However, if you follow the above safety tips, you will return home in one piece to your family every time.

Getting Your Goods to Your Customers in the Best Way Possible

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StrategyDriven Tactical Execution Article |Getting Your Goods to Customers|Getting Your Goods to Your Customers in the Best Way PossibleWhen you run a small business, you put a lot of work into reaching the point of sale. You have to design innovative products. You have to conduct market research to ensure your idea is feasible and that there’s demand for it. You have to figure out manufacturing pass products you do produce through product testing. That’s before you mention web design and development, product photography, product descriptions, social media and much more. So, it’s bound to be an exciting moment when you actually make a sale! But that’s not the end of the journey. You’re going to have to get the product to the buyer. This is just as important as any other step and you need to make sure that your products are packaged and delivered perfectly to wrap up the perfect customer experience. Here are a few suggestions that could help you to achieve this!

Consider Eco-Friendly Packaging

People are growing increasingly aware of the impact that human behaviour is having on the planet. We’re destroying the very place that sustains and many people want to do something about this. From a moral stance, you should join this movement and implement eco-friendly packaging for all of your products in order to reduce the amount of non-biodegradable waste being produced and ending up in landfill, the sea and elsewhere. In terms of marketing and customer satisfaction, this is a good idea too. Customers will appreciate the effort and will favour your brand accordingly. Eco-conscious customers will be more likely to shop with you!

Using Couriers vs. Using Your Own Delivery Methods

Whether you use couriers or not will depend on the size of your business, how much money you have to invest into shipping and how much demand your products have. If you’re a small business, using a courier is probably most cost-effective and logical. Price check different services and read up reviews to ensure customers are happy with them. If you’re a bigger brand, you could invest in your own trucks, recruit drivers and deliver up and down the country yourself. Of course, 80,000 pound big-rig trucks need to be properly managed on the roads, so check all drivers’ qualifications and maintain the vehicles well.

With this, you should be attentive enough to learn about all ocean freight forwarders who play an integral part in this process. You can seek more details about it through https://dedola.com/solutions/ocean-freight/ and know how ocean freight forwarders infuse technology for better experience.

Shipping Quickly

We’re living in a convenience age that revolves around instant gratification. People tend to want things and want them now. So, the sooner you can get items out to them, the happier they will generally be! Focus on shipping as quickly as possible for the best feedback and reviews. Next day delivery options can also drastically boost sales by allowing for impulsive purchases and getting the product out to the customer before they reconsider and cancel. It also caters to those who need last minute items for occasions, such as birthdays.

These suggestions are so simple to implement. But you’ll have to actively do this yourself. So, focus on them and incorporate them into your shipping process!

5 Golden Rules for Managing Business Logistics

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StrategyDriven Tactical Execution Article |Managing Business Logistics|5 Golden Rules for Managing Business LogisticsManaging your business gets increasingly more difficult as you scale it, Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to ensure that your company stays organized as long as you adopt some golden rules to help streamline your workflow and logistics processes. So in this post, we’re going to talk about five important things to follow.

1. Proper planning is mandatory for an efficient logistics system

Before you make any sweeping changes to your business, it’s vital that you plan out all of your actions to ensure that you’re not missing anything and that you’ve included everything that is a part of your logistics chain. Planning is important because it allows you to get a better overall view of your business’s current logistics system, giving you a better look at the areas that need to be optimized and where you can maximize your profits.

However, what’s arguably more important than proper planning is the ability to prepare for any potential situations where your plans don’t work. Unforeseen circumstances aren’t uncommon regardless of the type of business you operate. Whether it’s a problem with your products, adverse weather conditions, transportation issues or even internal organization problems, you need to have contingency plans in place for when things go badly.

2. Focus on building solid relationships with third-party services

While you might manage most of your general logistics chain, there’s undoubtedly going to be areas that you need to rely on other companies–at least for now. Everything from outsourced drivers to a pallet delivery company can be considered an essential service for smoothing out the bumps in your logistics chain. In some cases, you might even need to rely on a warehousing service to help you store excess goods as you grow your company’s storage space.

However, if you find that you’re constantly forced to use external employees to help, you might find it more convenient to hire new staff instead as long as the cost of recruitment and training can offset the current cost of hiring temporary workers. Eventually, you’ll want to manage virtually every aspect of your logistics chain so that you have more control over it, but until then, it’s perfectly fine to rely on outside services.

3. Efficient warehouse management is the key to a well-oiled logistics system

Proper warehouse management, such as indexing of items, can help a considerable amount when it comes to optimizing your logistics system. This is especially important for companies that typically deal with items that are perishable, such as food items that need to be refrigerated. The capacity of your warehouse should also accommodate your needs. This can be difficult to measure unless you’re actively monitoring every aspect of your logistics chain, hence why analytics and accurate reports can be important.

Warehouse management also means having enough workers and equipment to store and retrieve orders as needed. This includes having staff that are knowledgeable of all the safety considerations of working in a warehouse, and also having access to forklifts and similar pieces of equipment to make their life easier.

4. Use automated processes to become more efficient

Whether it’s organizing goods or printing labels, automation can make your logistics chain a lot simpler to manage. With the right type of software and engineers to monitor and tweak it, automated processes could play a major role in the way you operate your logistics.

Automated tools are usually always a big help, but it’s worth remembering that they can be difficult to set up and are usually prone to problems. Make sure you do your research and trial any piece of automation technology you use before putting it into service.

5. Analytics will help you get an objective look at your logistics chain

We mentioned this briefly already, but having analytical tools to track different metrics is critical to the operation of your business. Warehouses benefit greatly from using analytics because it allows you to make informed decisions backed by real statistics and facts that you personally generate. It allows for smarter inventory management, it helps you expand when needed and it also works well with complex supplier networks.

In addition, analytics can also help you react to certain situations. For instance, if there’s a supply chain issue like a truck getting stuck in transit, then you’ll immediately notice there’s an issue. Using your analytical tools, you can make decisions on how to proceed. This can be done by examining current stock, how much the truck is carrying and also how long your current stock will last. You can even track financial objectives to see if you’re meeting your targets.

3 Reasons Why a Ball Screw May Fail: Here’s What to Do If You Encounter This

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StrategyDriven Tactical Execution Article |Ball Screw Failure|3 Reasons Why a Ball Screw May Fail: Here’s What to Do If You Encounter ThisPremature or unanticipated ball screw failure can be extremely frustrating, especially when it causes machine downtime. Thankfully, most ball screws can be repaired, and those that can’t be repaired or refurbished can be reverse engineered to meet the machine’s exact specifications. Before going into these repair options, let’s take a look at three of the most common reasons why a ball screw may fail.

Common Reasons for Ball Screw Failure

There are many reasons ball screws may fail prematurely, ranging from improper storage to overloading and even mismatching of leads between ball screws and ball nuts. Three reasons stand out among the crowd due to their frequency, so machine operators and owners should keep an eye out for these common problems.

Lack of Lubrication

Machine lubrication systems must be properly maintained using the correct type of lubricant. This helps to dissipate heat, reducing component wear. Insufficient lubrication is one of the most common reasons for ball screw failure, so machine operators should pay careful attention to this essential maintenance task. If the damage has already been done, machine owners can visit dynatect.com to get the help they need.

Eccentric Loading

Ball nuts and ball screws must be properly aligned to avoid eccentric loading, or sideloading. The ball screw assembly is only equipped to handle axial loading, so eccentric loading can cause the ball bearings to wear flat or break out of their return tubes. Eccentric loading can also create problems with overloading.

Excessive Speed

All ball screw assemblies are manufactured to withstand only a certain speed of operation, known as the critical speed. Exceeding this speed can cause the screw to vibrate or whip, causing misalignment and reducing ball screw longevity. Ball screw surface speeds above 8,000 inches per minute will almost always result in reduced rated life.

What to Do About Ball Screw Failure

The first thing to do is to call a specialized repair service. Some services offer 24-hour rush repairs, which may be the best option for those who need to get their machines up and running quickly. Otherwise, look for a company that offers quick turnarounds and economical replacement options.

In some cases, ball screw assemblies can’t be repaired. If it has sustained damage due to pitting or brinneling, the unit may need to be refurbished instead. The ball screw itself will need to be reground, and a new ball nut will be manufactured to fit the original assembly specifications.

Machine owners shouldn’t stop at repairing or refurbishing their ball screws and replacing them without first identifying and resolving the underlying problem. Lack of lubrication, eccentric loading, and excessive speed are all relatively easy problems to fix. If necessary, consult an engineer for help with correcting the problem. It will be worth the money since it will prevent the need for frequent repairs and costly premature replacements.

The Bottom Line

Ball screws have an impressively diverse set of precision applications, ranging from machine tooling to robotics, and beyond. These complex components are essential to the functioning of all machines that require linear actuation, so it’s important for machine owners to ensure that they are kept well-lubricated, clean, and properly aligned. When having a ball screw repaired, make sure to work with a reputable company that specializes in this niche field, and don’t shy away from hiring an engineer to help identify the underlying problem.