5 Ways to Minimize Delivery Times

Considering the ever shorter delivery times they expect. It can feel like your customers will eventually want to receive their shipments before they even place an order.

Sarcastic exaggerations aside, there is no denying the increased pressure on shipment delivery times all along the supply chain. What started as a mainly last-mile delivery demand for same-day service is now being felt all down the line.

But the answer to minimize delivery times isn’t found exclusively in moving products more quickly from point A to point B. There are a variety of processes and tools your business can use to speed up deliveries.

1. Increase Inventory Visibility

With detailed and timely knowledge of where your inventory is anywhere in the supply chain, from raw materials to finished goods, you can make more informed decision about your shipments. You’ll also be able to identify and correct bottlenecks sooner and address emergencies as they happen.

2. Use Expedite Delivery

Expedited shipments are longer only an exception to be used in certain circumstances. Instead, they help you show your dedication to customer service and keep your delivery times as short as possible.

3. Ship Directly from Your Vendor

Why be the middleman if it slows down your delivery times. The advantages of drop shipping increase as the size and weight of your products increase because of the costs of shipping oversize and overweight freight.

4. Warehouse Products Closer to the End Customer

If you give yourself the warehousing services to reduce the distance between your products and the next link in the chain, you will inherently create shorter delivery times.

5. Outsource Your Transportation Requirements

While your customers demand it, your company might not be set-up to minimize delivery times. Even if you have your own transportation fleet, your business may have limitations that make faster delivery times impossible. Limitations that can be very costly to eliminate.
One option is to choose a transportation services provider with the resources and options to always find the fastest way to move your goods.

If you’d like to learn more about minimizing your delivery times, contact us here at PiVAL.