Northeast Ohio warehousing
Cleveland Warehousing Helps Businesses Optimize Resources, Maximize Profits
Cleveland warehousing is an element of operations that many small businesses in Northeast Ohio cannot afford to overlook if they manufacture, export, or transport goods in any capacity.
Although many companies will try to manage their own warehouse duties in-house, doing so efficiently can quickly become all-consuming – and close to impossible. That’s why many businesses ultimately end up outsourcing Cleveland warehousing functions to a third-party logistics provider.
What makes some firms reticent to take the first step on the initial investment is the cost. But in the end, outsourcing Cleveland warehousing functions has proven time and again to boost productivity, improve on-time-deliveries and customer satisfaction, and save money.
The customer’s journey isn’t over once the order is placed. Working with a dedicated 3PL warehouse provides you with greater transparency and control to ensure customers receive their products intact and on-time – and to promptly notify them of any issues if that isn’t going to be the case.
Benefits of Partnering with a 3PL for Cleveland Warehousing
If you’re considering a warehouse partnership with a third-party logistics firm, it’s important to go into it knowing what you hope to gain. Some of the top benefits that our Cleveland warehousing customers have identified as holding the most value:
- Improved inventory management. It’s estimated that 8 percent of small businesses fail to track their inventory. Stunningly, nearly a quarter don’t maintain inventory at all. In effect, order processing and shipments may be delayed, resulting in poor customer experience. When you have a centrally-located warehouse that is dialed in with freight logistics capabilities, it becomes easier to track, manage, and ship your inventory. You’ll have the advantage of low-stock alerts well in advance of when you’re potentially risking running out. This will also allow you to give customers potential alternatives, as opposed to simply keeping them waiting in the dark.
- Efficient packing and processing. A solid warehousing partner goes beyond simply storing your goods. It has the supplies, the equipment, and the staff to move, package, and process your orders. Pallet racks, packing materials, loading docks – these are just a few examples of what a third-party warehouse may be able to offer.
- First-rate customer service. According to RetailDive.com, nearly 65 percent of online shoppers expect their free shipping order to arrive within three business days. At the very least, there is an expectation that customers know – and be kept updated about – the estimated or guaranteed delivery time. Nearly 90 percent are willing to pay more to ensure faster delivery. The speed of delivery is sometimes the No. 1 thing buyers consider when deciding their shipping method. So as a business owner, this is something you must take seriously. If you fail to deliver orders on time, your reputation can tank and you may hemorrhage customers. When you’re working with an experienced warehousing partner, you can arrange for optimized distribution and timely delivery. This reduces errors and potential product damage during the order fulfillment process. Warehouses can also help keep your goods safe and secure, reducing the odds items will get lost or stolen during handling.
- Price stabilization. There are lots of factors that can influence the price of a product from month to month or year after year. Warehousing does provide some opportunity for price stability, though, because it allows businesses to store goods for a later date, when demand may be higher. Consistent stock levels can help ensure you can offer consistent prices to your clientele.
- Better risk management. In addition to serving as a buffer from wild pricing swings, warehousing can offer risk management services that will minimize your losses due to improper storage, packing, and deliveries. Goods that are properly packed, stored, sorted, and picked will have a longer shelf life, which means you aren’t losing product unnecessarily.
If you are looking for a warehousing and logistics partner in Northeast Ohio, On Time Delivery & Warehouse has a reputation as a leader in the field. Our customers trust us to provide quality warehousing services, inventory tracking, and distribution – so that your goods make it to their destination intact, on time, every time.
For information on 3PL Warehousing and Inventory Management Services in Cleveland, Contact On Time Delivery & Warehouse by calling (440) 826-4630 or send us an email.
Additional Resources:
Peak shipping season ahead of the holidays is about to begin for a volatile supply chain, July 29, 2022, By Lori Ann LaRocco, CNBC
More Blog Entries:
Federal Shipping Reform Impact to Cleveland Warehousing, Trucking, June 20, 2022, Ohio Warehousing Blog
Benefits of Outsourcing Cleveland Inventory Management
Inventory management is a systematic approach to sourcing, storing, and selling inventory. That includes both raw components and finished products. Your Cleveland inventory management strategy must involve swift and accurate identification of the right stock, at the correct levels, in the right time and place – and at the ideal price point.
Inventory management involves numerous duties, including:
- Controlling and overseeing purchases
- Maintaining the storage of stock
- Controlling the amount of product for sale
- Order fulfillment
This is a huge responsibility – and tough to consistently nail down without the proper systems and professionals in place. That’s why many companies opt to outsource this component of their supply chain.
Any company in a goods-based business recognizes the impact of inventory management on operational efficiency. Lack of adequate inventory will mean lost sales and unsatisfied customers. Too much inventory will mean higher costs for storage and management, less cash on hand, and reduced value of your products. The U.S. government recognizes the value of proper inventory management to the extent that publicly-traded companies are actually required to track inventory and document management systems if they want to be compliant with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Exact inventory management systems can vary from business-to-business, depending on their size, the types of products sold, and the channels through which they’re sold. That said, partnering with a third-party logistics company means you have the benefit of a system that’s flexible, processes that have been proven, and professionals who are experienced.
Here, we’re going to run through the benefits of outsourcing Cleveland inventory management one-by-one.
Cleveland Warehouse Devanning Explained
Cleveland warehouse devanning is a critical component of the logistics process that involves removing cargo from sealed containers. This sounds fairly straightforward, but our warehousing and logistics management experts know it’s one of the more demanding aspects of the job. Devanning incorrectly can lead to serious safety risks as well as damaged goods. Proper devanning keeps workers safe, minimizes unnecessary product loss, and keeps supply chains rolling smoothly.
Container devanning is sometimes called unpacking, stripping, deconsolidation, or unstuffing. It typically (but not always) involves goods from international shipping. Containers are received and then carefully unloaded by highly-skilled handlers, often with cranes and forklifts.
It requires not only having an adequate workforce with the right training and equipment needed to physically move the goods, but also professionals with the technical skill required to effectively manage the digital technology to ensure each item in the container is prepped and ready for the next phase. Well-practiced devanning teams spend years developing the most effective approaches to unloading different types, shapes, and sizes of containers, while ensuring maximum efficiency. If you’re looking for Cleveland warehouse devanning, make sure your third-party logistics partner has the ability to receive containers, de-van them, palletize your goods, properly store each item, and then carefully pick, load, and deliver them on demand.
The type of shipment can impact where goods are going to be devanned. In most cases, full container load (FCL) shipments are going to be devanned at the destination warehouse. On the other hand, less-than-container load (LCL) are usually devanned at the Container Freight Station (CFS). On Time Delivery & Warehouse can serve as both.
The Cleveland Warehouse Devanning Process
When containers arrive at our Cleveland warehousing facility, it’s our top priority to ensure full care and attention is paid to getting the goods safely unloaded and stored and then prepped for the next leg of the journey.
Outsourcing Ohio Warehousing & Distribution Saves Dollars, Makes Sense
In recent months, logistics industry watchers have seen demand for warehousing close to major ports surge, driven by the tsunami of e-commerce demand and flood of container imports. That’s made it tougher – and more expensive – to find storage space from New York to Los Angeles. Bloomberg reports these demands are unlikely to abate anytime before next year, at the earliest. The good news is many companies may find solutions in working with Ohio warehousing & distribution firms that are strategically located and connected.
Both logistics service providers and real estate companies were quoted by The Wall Street Journal as saying the fierce competition for warehousing space near port cities has pushed warehouse costs so high that many companies have been compelled to scour neighboring regions (including in the Midwest) to serve shippers’ needs. Northeast Ohio has long been a prime, strategic hub for warehousing and distribution.
The demand for industrial space – inland and around the ports – is likely only to rise in the coming years. Nationally, it’s accelerated the last few years thanks to the rapid rise of e-commerce, which relies more heavily on Ohio warehousing and distribution versus retail space. Storage space rates in some regions have doubled just in the last year. The pandemic exacerbated that trend, and shows no signs of abating.
If your current, in-house Ohio warehousing and distribution practices are already taxing your time and resources, it may be time to take another look at outsourcing with a Cleveland 3PL. “3PL” stands for “third party logistics.” A dedicated 3PL warehousing provider does more than simply give you a place to store your stuff. It offers opportunity for dynamic companies to access a broad range of supply chain & logistics services and expertise.
The Value of Supply Chain Visibility in Northeast Ohio Warehousing & Logistics
The concept of supply chain visibility wasn’t an issue many Northeast Ohio warehousing and logistics firms considered much until just the last couple decades. Supply chain visibility is the tracking of products or components from manufacturer to final destination and making this information readily available to all stakeholders, customer included, with the goal of strengthening and improving the supply chain.
Today, supply chain transparency is a top priority for logistics powerhouses, with top-level managers across a range of industries paying close attention.
The reason?
Businesses are under increasingly intense pressure from consumers, governments, non-profits and other stakeholders to delivery goods in tact and on time – and to do so in a way that is considered responsible and sustainable from ecological and humanitarian standpoints.
Cleveland Warehousing & Distribution Labor Crunch Leads More to Lean on 3PL
Cleveland warehousing, distribution and fulfillment centers are grappling with a worsening labor shortage, some struggling to meet rising demands fueled in significant part by e-commerce. Nationally, it’s been a challenge that has businesses looking to launch or expand warehousing operations considering not just large consumer concentrations but an ample supply of qualified workers as well. 
CBRE, a commercial real estate and research firm, released recent analysis revealing the need nationally for an additional 226,000 warehouse workers this year and the same in 2019. That’s a 25 percent spike in the five-year annual average. Low unemployment is complicating matters. A smaller labor pool is smaller means higher wages.
Companies shopping Cleveland warehousing options soon learn this is a dynamic but mature market. Often, costs are more manageable when they team with an established Northeast Ohio third-party logistics firm.
E-Commerce Rise Shifting Demands to More Efficient 3PL Warehousing
E-commerce is a rapidly-advancing supply chain frontier, driving demand for well-placed public warehousing in Northeast Ohio. But simply providing empty space isn’t enough for many businesses. Effective third-party logistics (3PL) involves a trifecta of quality warehousing, shipping and fulfillment – and it all must be done from a strategically advantageous location. 
3PL warehousing and distribution itself isn’t new. It’s a cornerstone business strategy that can streamline the flow of goods through the supply chain by helping you control costs, limit over-stocked inventory and arrange timely transportation. Whether you’re a small start-up company staking a presence or a large firm intent on seizing ripe opportunity in a new area, 3PL warehousing at On Time Delivery & Warehouse offers desirable options for smart scaling of your operations in Cleveland and beyond.
Our 3PL warehousing experts recognize the complexity of fluctuating logistics and will work to help you tailor a public warehousing and distribution plan that fits. Although many companies initially seek public warehousing as a short-term solution, these arrangements often turn into long-term relationships for On Time Delivery & Warehouse. Businesses find our 3PL warehousing and distribution services are not only convenient but key to their ongoing competitive edge.