Logistics is, in large part, finding the solution to the problems that arise. But, to keep us logistics operators busy, the list of questions seems almost endless. So we have created a decalogue with some of the most common questions (FAQ in its initials in English) of logistics.
Decalogue of frequently asked questions (FAQ) of logistics
1.- How to get it right when choosing a logistics operator
Almost all companies need a logistics partner. Therefore, the task of choosing a transport provider is a key task for any supply chain. However, it can be easy to get lost knowing what to consider most and how to prioritize them.
To make it easier, here we offer 14 keys to make the right choice: from quality to affinity with the values of our company.
2.- Consolidate merchandise or make smaller shipments?
Logistics is no stranger, of course, to the economy of scale. We are hardly going to get the same cost per kilo if we send 100 grams or 10 tons. For this reason, one of the most important decisions that have to be made in a supply chain is to decide how often we will send our shipments.
Will we get the merchandise out as soon as we have completed a package, a pallet or will we wait until we have filled a truckload? We will have to know how to assess the pros and cons of both options. Making more shipments allows us a greater periodicity, being faster and saving storage costs. At the other extreme, the expected cost savings and often easier logistics.
Currently, the market trends are directed towards the first option, preferring to increase the number of deliveries. However, each company has to assess its own characteristics and needs.
3.- How to prepare my pallet
Contacting your logistics operator to send your pallet is only the last step in the process. If the preparation of the merchandise depends on your company, you will do well to give your full attention to how you mount it on the wooden planks. Among the tips that we collect in this article are knowing where to place the heaviest merchandise and where the lightest, watch the dimensions and use the necessary tools and protections.
4.- The avalanche of Big Data
If there is a term in vogue in the business world, that is Big Data. And, among all the sectors, the logistics sector is called to be one of those that experience this change with special force. How is it going to affect you? What data can we use and how to get it? What benefits does it bring us? Can you help me design my routes and deliveries better?
“Choosing a transport provider is a key task for any supply chain”
5.- Reason or heart
Data or intuition? Which part do we trust more? This classic confrontation is recurrent in logistics; a discipline very susceptible to using numbers but which, as a business, also has a side open to creativity and a hunch. We describe what the limits of both branches are and how they match with the irruption of Big Data.
6.- Where does the logistics come from? history and meaning
Sometimes, despite having a word so close to us in our day to day, we do not stop to think about its origin. In the case of logistics, you have to go back several centuries to know where and how its use originated; until the times of ancient Greece and the Roman Empire.
In addition, in this post we analyze what have been some of the main logistics milestones throughout history. From the primitive merchant caravans to the pharaonic works of the 20th and 21st centuries. A story that deserves to be told.
7.- What is internal logistics
We talk a lot about logistics, but often less about internal logistics. This great unknown is fundamental, since the vast majority of companies carry it out, even unaware of it. And it can be the difference between a supply chain that makes a difference and one that drags the company down.
8.- Types of supply chain
Creating the perfect supply chain is like finding our better half. There are many possibilities, but not all of them adapt to what we need. It is very common to believe that there is only one type of supply chain and that they all share the same objectives. Nothing could be further from the truth. Depending on the type of company you are, you will have to create one that suits you.
9.- When will the trucks without drivers arrive?
Google, Tesla, Uber… the number and importance of the big companies that are trying to make the automatic car a daily reality makes it clear that they are very serious. And if a car can be automated, the question immediately arises of what will happen to trucks. When could it be a reality? How many levels of automation are there? What advantages and disadvantages would it have?
10.- How do you write, pallet or pallet?
For people who speak Spanish and are dedicated to logistics, the fight between pallets and pallets is an old acquaintance. To which is added the term pallet, a kind of halfway between the two. However, whoever wants to know its official form has it easy: the RAE stipulates that its correct use is pallet, to the detriment of pallet, of English origin. But is this the most popularly used term?
Related Posts
