Be the Biggest Loser: In Health and In Shipping
07/11/2012 — Scott Frederick
PartnerShip recently ended an internal employee "Weight Loss Challenge" health and wellness program. The challenge was to see who could lose the most pounds - as a percentage of their beginning weight - over the six months of the program. We had 24 participants in the program (over half of our small employee base) - all of whom were committed to an even healthier lifestyle.
When the final weigh-ins were taken, the group had lost an average of 17 pounds per participant. Matt Havas, director of business systems & operations, was the overall winner after shedding 29% of his body weight. When asked what was his biggest challenge, Matt responded by saying "Consistency was my biggest obstacle. It's one thing to eat healthy for a few days, but to do it over a long period of time really takes a commitment and persistence. It's okay to splurge every now and then, but the majority of the time you really need to watch what you're eating to make sure you don't have unhealthy weight gains."
The same can be said for shipping and logistics. It might be okay - even necessary - to spend a little more on your shipping to make sure a shipment is delivered to an important customer or client. However, the majority of the time businesses really need to do all they can to ensure they aren't taking on "unhealthy shipping expenses." So it takes a commitment and persistence to keep your business healthy for the long run. Here is the PartnerShip recipe for a successful "weight loss challenge" in your shipping:
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Perform a periodic shipping analysis to determine your current rates and how they compare to current market rates.
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See if there are programs available to you through your association or trade group that may help you reduce your shipping rates.
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Make sure you are using the optimal shipping mode (e.g. express, ground, freight, truckload, etc.) to achieve your cost/service objectives.
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To minimize expedited shipping fees, make sure you are using only the most reputable small package and LTL transportation carriers.
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Take advantage of online tools and services (e.g., consolidated invoicing, centralized claims processing, inbound vendor routings, etc.) that help minimize your administrative time and increase your efficiency.
It may take a strong commitment and persistence to shed unhealthy shipping expenses - but thankfully you have a trusted training partner in PartnerShip who can help you through all of the activities above.