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How 3PL Ohio Kitting & Assembly Services Can Save Your Company Coin
Each day, billions of boxes are moved swiftly from production plants to warehouses to final destinations across the globe. Here in Ohio, kitting is a key fulfillment service that allows manufacturers, business-to-business operations and consumer-packaged goods firms to efficiently deliver on time-sensitive parts and products. All of these operations are facing increasingly smaller windows to do so. Bundling related items is one way to improve productivity and drive sales. But kitting, assembly, packaging and repackaging – if you want to do it well – requires a great deal of space, time, labor and oversight. An established, third-party logistics firm with Ohio kitting and assembly services AND warehousing and distribution capabilities can help ensure you meet your goals while keeping costs down.
What is Kitting and Assembly?
In simple terms, kitting is when a group of materials or parts form a kit that can then be delivered as-is (for easy assembly at its next destination) or assembled here on site. It could be anything from car parts to promotional gift sets. Kitting is sometimes thought of as a smaller aspect of a distribution operation, but enterprising managers learn quickly it’s not something they can overlook if they want to keep their supply chain moving and their customers happy.
Assembly is the process of taking two or more separate components and combining them to make an end item that’s ready for shipment. Some manufacturers have dedicated assembly lines to some products, but not all of them need such an expansive operation full-time.
When you hire our 3PL to handle it, you get the benefit of quality kitting, assembly, packaging and repackaging services that allow you to combine numerous products into a single kit. We can also and relabel, barcode, package, repackage, store, pickup and ship. And you can have all that at a moment’s notice because we can offer these services with both scale and flexibility. We are also available to consult with you on the most logical, efficient way to package your kits to ensure your supply chain is optimized.
Improved Cleveland Trucking Safety Helps Protect Shippers From Liability
There is no question trucking can be a hazardous occupation. It can also be one fraught with potential liabilities – and not only for the people behind the wheel. A recent analysis by the American Transportation Research Institute revealed that large verdicts against trucking companies and shippers have increased in recent years, both in number and size of awards. Collisions expose shippers and carriers to potential legal headaches. That’s why we place Cleveland trucking safety at the very top of our priority list at On Time Delivery & Warehouse.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reports there are more than 450,000 large truck crashes in the U.S. annually, with more than 100,000 of those involving injuries and somewhere between 4,000 and 5,000 proving fatal. These incidents have not only a profound impact on the individuals whose lives may be forever changed as a result, but they can also cost both carriers and shippers dearly in court. The ATRI reports the number of verdicts over $10 million doubled between 2006 and 2019.
Cleveland trucking safety is central to our operations because we believe crash avoidance is everything – to protect not only our drivers, fleet and shipping customers, but everyone with whom we share the road. This is why our fleets are properly-equipped and meticulously-maintained and why strict adherence to safety and operational policies is essential to us.
3 Ways 3PL On Time Delivery & Warehouse Helps Simplify Your Supply Chain
Simply put, a supply chain is a network between a business and its suppliers to produce, process, store and distribute goods. A supply chain involves people, technology, information, activities, resources and organizations. It incorporates every step necessary to get that product to its final destination. To meet consumer expectations, your supply chain needs to be efficient and error-free. Currently, one of the biggest challenges is the increasing complexity of supply chains. Working with a 3PL (third-party logistics provider) like On Time Delivery & Warehouse can help you overcome supply chain complexities to ensure your items are moved quickly, safely and seamlessly.
Complexities in modern supply chains are largely attributed to a continually growing number of products, customers, channels and geographies. Research by Gartner found that supply chain complexity is a top concern of CEOs, with more than 60 percent of supply chain leaders reporting it poses one of the highest risks to business continuity.
Hiring a Cleveland Trucking Company
Small business owners seeking to hire a Cleveland trucking company have numerous considerations to weigh. Most focus almost exclusively on price – something that is undoubtedly important. But that isn’t where your assessment should stop.
As the American Trucking Associations reports, there are nearly 900,000 for-hire carriers registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), with private carriers accounting for more than 770,000 of those. That means businesses have many options. It also means that in addition to cost, businesses should examine a trucking firm’s reliability, licensing/insurance, responsiveness, transparency/tracking, references and fleet.
Here, we examine the importance of each element.
Supply Chain Resilience Requires Cleveland Trucking Services With High Standards
“Resilient supply chain” is not a new catchphrase in the logistics world. It is, however, one that has taken on new importance in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cleveland trucking services like ours recognize that streamlined transportation is essential to resiliency. Delivering goods as promised is pivotal for businesses involved in goods production and transportation.
It’s always been important to our team at On Time Delivery & Warehouse to avoid unwanted disruptions, bottlenecks and delays, whether we’re handling imported/exported freight or carrying out same-day deliveries.
In this current climate, we know that building customer confidence is critical. Now more than ever, business reputations are riding on the service and quality standards of their transportation and logistics firms.
We know our clients have many Cleveland trucking services to choose from. But none stay in this business long if they aren’t offering clients invaluable services and flexibility. On Time Delivery & Warehouse offers a one-stop-shop for streamlining supply chains: Warehousing and distribution, shipping, trucking, transportation and third-party logistics.
Optimizing Cleveland 3PL Warehousing Improves Supply Chain Efficiency
One of the best ways to boost supply chain efficiency – and reduce your costs – is to optimize your warehousing options. On Time Delivery & Warehouse offers Cleveland 3PL warehousing services that are optimized, streamlined and tailored to meet your needs.
Warehouse optimization is a process by which we use the time, space and resources in our warehouse as efficiently as possible through careful planning, automation and improvements in customer experience and satisfaction.
We recognize that the drive for low-cost sourcing, outsourcing, customization and globalization can result in substantial complexities in a supply chain. Companies cannot afford to gloss over warehousing optimization – especially when a single mistake or delay could impact your business’s reputation and revenue stream.
E-commerce has completely upended virtually every supply chain, not only with respect to how customers find what they want but also how those goods make it to customers. Warehousing and fulfillment has largely become decentralized to meet last-mile delivery needs. Cost effective, timely solutions are in demand. Our Cleveland 3PL warehousing team delivers.
Cleveland 3PL Services Offer Ways to Go Green – and Save Green
As Cleveland 3PL (third-party logistics) providers, we understand that what’s good for the environment is also good for overall supply chain sustainability. Partnering with a dedicated 3PL provider in itself can help companies make the most of transportation and warehouse capacity while also reducing adverse environmental impacts. That’s because we can streamline processes and resource usage.
Although eco-friendly practices sometimes have a reputation for being pricier and more time-consuming (at least in the short term), the reality is that more sustainable strategies in packaging, warehousing and transportation often have the added benefit of lowering your costs and time investment. Some of the economic goals that improve environmental outcomes include reducing the aggregate distance traveled by each unit, eliminating the unnecessary use of resources, moving inventory faster and being as responsive as possible to customer demand.
The logistics sector in general has long been on the cutting edge of green innovation because economy and efficiency go hand-in-hand with minimizing waste. Companies that nurture a sense of sustainability can often find a great deal of common ground between greater social responsibility and lowered expenses.
Greater Port Terminal Efficiency Can Improve Cleveland Trucking Delivery Times
Supply chains have been unquestionably disrupted by the novel coronavirus, but issues with U.S. port terminal efficiency didn’t start there. The crisis merely cast these problems into stark relief. One silver lining in all this is that some port terminal operators are seizing this opportunity to streamline their operations with digital and self-service options to improve transparency and visibility. More efficiency at maritime ports would only serve to improve Cleveland trucking delivery times, allowing us to provide increasingly faster service.
It’s not likely to happen overnight, though.
Last month, the CEO of the Association of American Port Authorities testified before the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and revealed that significantly reduced freight volumes are unlikely to bounce back before the end of 2020. The year-over-year volume drops in March were estimated to be about 18 percent and in April and May between 20 to 25 percent.
On the one hand, this could cause some ports to halt any planned investment in capital improvement projects – including digitization. On the other hand, stronger competition may provide greater incentive to address some of the longstanding issues that have led to bottlenecks and other headaches at some ports for years.
Our Cleveland Trucking Company Navigates Pandemic-Driven Complexity
There is no question the coronavirus pandemic threw the logistics and trucking industry for a major loop – and we’re not entirely out of the woods yet. But our Cleveland trucking company is proud to have been part of a wheelhouse that has kept America moving during this crisis. We are emerging stronger for it, leading the way in navigating both market and regulatory complexities and helping our customers as they regain ground and keep their edge.
The fact of the matter is that to be successful in the trucking industry in the first place requires the ability to nimbly adapt to change. COVID-19 certainly presented more changes and challenges than usual. But we have worked to ensure the delivery process would continue to be as frictionless and safe as possible. This has allowed our clients to not only stay afloat, but to thrive.
Can Flexible Cleveland Warehousing Improve Supply Chain Resilience?
Before a global pandemic threw so many supply chains completely off-course, flexible Cleveland warehousing was an emerging trend driven by growing consumer demand for same-day and next-day deliveries. Now, flexible warehousing options are especially attractive for retailers balancing their fluctuating needs for warehouse space and demands to efficiently move inventory on-the-fly.
Flexible warehousing (also sometimes called in-demand warehousing, pop-up distribution, public warehousing or multi-client space) is a service that connects warehouse operators with businesses requiring storage on an as-needed basis. This allows suppliers to pay seasonally or as-they-go rather than be tied to a year-round contract. Many client products can be received, handled, stored and shipped out in a flexible environment, as opposed to dedicating a large space and full labor force to a single operator. Manufacturers and retailers want to position themselves closer to customers without getting locked into multiyear leases or long contracts – particularly when trade conditions and buying patterns are so uncertain right now.
But companies that only offer flexible Cleveland warehousing may fall short of what you need, especially if your bread and butter is specialized goods. Third-party logistics firms can commit a dependable workforce to store, handle and deliver sensitive goods. On Time Delivery and Warehouse stands out among our competitors because we offer both.