Are the small and medium enterprises being neglected or are they not interested in new investments in the first place?
If the larger organizations represent a small cohort with available budgets, the majority of companies involved in logistics are SMBs (small and medium businesses). So, it goes without saying, that the technology provider cannot overlook the biggest slice of the market and that SMBs cannot overlook technology to help them manage their organization more efficiently.
The challenges shippers face, big or small, are very similar. Logistics businesses are constantly under pressure by the strong increase in e-commerce and they are called to deal with exceptions management due to ever-changing shopping requests.
In this situation, managing operations that mainly rely on in-house solutions means spending a lot of unnecessary time going through processes manually and not being able to forecast disruptions and act accordingly, which translates into inefficiency. Now more than ever, efficiency, sophisticated planning and forecasting paired up with the correct use of resources is crucial for survival.
Shippers have to face reality and understand the need of putting the right technology in place to help them manage their business with a higher level of visibility and control over orders and deliveries. Along with these improvements, they need to consider the importance of data collection and the use of historical data to better assess and fulfill customers’ needs.
The impact can be huge: from reducing costs to optimizing operations and gaining greater visibility and control over the whole process. Automated features like order ingestion and network and service level configuration allow booking the right amount of loads and trips, keeping utilization of assets at a high level, and eliminating empty trips. It is a win-win for shippers and carriers alike.
A long-term vision is also another significant point that will make the difference between success and failure. Are the internal resources correctly used and are they flexible enough? Are delivery costs optimally managed? But even more importantly: are organizations putting in place now what will be required for tomorrow’s demand?
Milkman Last Mile Platform is a recipient-centric cloud solution that empowers Logistics and Retailer organizations to increase Revenues and Profitability thanks to convenient, cost-effective, and sustainable delivery options. Based on AI-powered algorithms, the Platform is the first one to truly connect recipients’ and businesses’ needs, eliminating unfeasible deliveries and reducing operational expenditures
The benefits that this platform provides will be clear also to the still reluctant SMB organizations, because, let’s admit it, surging e-commerce volumes are unlikely to go away anytime soon.
