Network Global Logistics Blog

Why the Medical Equipment Industry can Benefit from Using a 3PL

Meagan Wilmes — Tue, 28 Jan 2014 15:40:00 GMT

The medical industry is responsible for treating, diagnosing and saving patients’ lives. Therefore, medical industry relies heavily on the medical equipment industry. They need the x-ray machines, lights, tables, needles, anything that you would see in a patient room or operating room. When medical equipment goes down this is costly not only for the patient, but the doctor and hospitals. The medical equipment industry should rely on a third party logistics (3PL) provider to help them ensure overstock of product parts, on-time deliveries, experienced drivers and efficient end-to-end processes.

With a 3PL provider:

You can trust that special care has been taken to ensure the safety of your medical equipment
Your stocked inventory will be accurate and carefully pulled and ready for delivery
Your equipment will be close to any facility you need utilizing their hundreds of forward stocking locations
You will save money by keeping your downtime low and getting your machines up and running quickly
We all know that machines can go down anytime. That is why third party logistics companies should have experienced staff ready to help 24x7x365
You will be provided with online technology that lets you monitor your equipment from the beginning to end of delivery

When patients rely on doctors, doctors rely on medical equipment; medical equipment industries should rely on us.

Network Global Logistics is a proud sponsor and exhibitor at this year’s Field Service Medical conference, February 10-12, held at the Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego, California. Field Service Medical is a conference where medical equipment industry experts gather to find out how to stay ahead of their competition and be the best in the industry. The US is home to nearly 11,000 medical equipment and supply companies (Reportlinker.com 2014). With this number and a population that is not only aging but also constantly increasing the life expectancy, the demand for medical equipment and supplies will only rise. How can you stay ahead in the industry?

Click here to learn more about Field Service Medical & use our $500 discount code to join us at this year's Field Service Medical.

Is Poor Supply Chain Vendor Quality Driving Up Your Costs?

Joe Herdt — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 17:57:00 GMT

I have never heard a customer tell me that they were willing to accept a low quality product – not even once. However, when asked about a current supply chain vendor’s performance; I often hear “it’s good enough” or “they generally do a great job for us.” The unsaid message is that the customer has unfortunately been conditioned to accept a sacrifice in quality of service.

In today’s ultra competitive business market, there is a continuous discussion and focus on price driving that all-important margin. While obtaining an acceptable price is obviously an important component to success; perhaps even more important to margin is a review of the costs of a particular process or program. Consider what is negatively impacting the effectiveness or efficiency of the process, as these impacts often lead to hidden, significant costs of poor quality.

The Cost of poor quality (COPQ) or poor quality costs (PQC) are defined as costs that would disappear if systems, processes, and products were perfect ⁽¹⁾. COPQ has been a focus in manufacturing companies for several decades; however, companies often fail to account for problems in their supply chains which may lead to higher costs and potential lost opportunities for sales. The damages caused by poor quality in a supply chain are amplified, as the COPQ of individual suppliers participating within a supply chain has a cumulative effect ⁽²⁾.

COPQ cannot be avoided completely – there are really no perfect vendors, suppliers, or processes; and working a process to perfection can often be like counting grains of sands on a beach – it may be theoretically possible, but is the time and effort worth it. Companies may not be able to live with such uncertainty especially when it comes to costs and timeliness. Notwithstanding; a focus on COPQ within your supply chain can reap significant benefits.

Reductions in the cost of poor quality can be attained by selecting a supply chain partner that has a well developed and implemented quality management system (QMS); providing an integrated and closed loop corrective action process ⁽³⁾. When deviations, nonconformance and quality incidents or customer complaints occur, corrective and preventative actions need to be initiated to remedy the problems ⁽²⁾.

It is critical to use a supply chain partner that deploys a closed-loop, integrated quality management system, rather than a set of loosely connected programs. Integration ensures the information flows out the corrective action process with a high degree of accuracy and velocity without falling through the cracks. It also ensures the entire change control process is auditable end-to-end; a critical requirement to support customers shipping regulated materials such as FDA or DEA regulated products.

Key questions to ask:

How are service failures and issues identified and tracked?
Is there a formal, documented process for reviewing service issues and failures?
How is corrective and preventative action implemented and measured to verify if the issue is solved?
Is the supplier’s QMS integrated with their other systems and software?
What reporting is available to the supplier and the customer?

Figure 1. Information Quality and Velocity Suffers in a Loosely Coupled System⁽³⁾

Cost of poor quality results in millions of dollars in lost earnings every year, yet most executives cannot accurately state the COPQ from their organization ⁽⁴⁾. Organizations must develop processes to measure and track COPQ, and select supply chain providers with integrated quality management systems to systematically reduce their COPQ.

(1) [H. James] (1987), Poor-Quality Cost, American Society for Quality, ISBN 978-0-8247-7743-2, OCLC 14965331

(2) [S. Archambeau] (2004), qualitydigest.com/inside/quality-insider-article/what-your-companyrsquos-cost-poor-quality

(3) [C. Vishwanathan] (2012), blog.simplilearn.com/quality-management/cost-of-poor-quality

(4) [R. Slone, J. Mentzer & J. Dittmann] (2007) hbr.org/2007/09/are-you-the-weakest-link-in-your-companys-supply-chain/ar/1

5 Ways To Help Couriers Manage Life Guard Organ Shipments

Ryan Troxtell — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:29:00 GMT

Every day, UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing) manages the national transplant waiting list by placing organs, gathering donor information in matching process, and assisting in the transportation of the organ from donor to hospital to facilitate the gift of life. The time interval beginning when the organ is removed from the donor and is cooled with solution, to the time when the organ is implanted is called cold ischemic time. The longer this interval is the less likely an organ will be transplantable. So in an effort to help save as many lives as possible, the commercial airlines have a Life Guard Program to alert the staff on the aircraft and ground personnel in the departing and delivery airports. This helps ensure the organ from not being bumped from the flight and the fastest possible off-load when it arrives in the destination airport. However, none of the airlines operate exactly the same and your courier service should be able to manage these accordingly. I'm going to give you 5 things that your courier should be doing to protect these highly critical shipments in the Life Guard process.

1. Pre-Booking

This is the first step to ensuring your organ shipment receives Life Guard status with the airlines. Time requirements for pre-booking are different with each airline, but usually alerting them in their required fashion 1-2 hours before flight departure is enough. Since an organ shipments destination is not usually know until after pick-up, your courier company's staff should be ready to start the process as soon as they have the delivering hospital information available.

2. Airline Booking Requirements

Booking requirements vary by airline and include verbal notification by phone, email, and or fax. The important thing is to make sure your courier has all this information at their fingertips and available to all their staff. Organ shipments can come at any day and at any hour, so their whole team needs to know the proper procedure for each airline to ensure no failures.

3. Hours of Operation

Contact should be made with local staff at both origin and destination airports. The courier should verify hours of operation, provide advance notice of the shipment, and request a point of contact for drop off and recovery. Going the extra mile in obtaining this information is vital to avoid possible hang-ups from the airlines that can cost the donor recipient valuable minutes.

4. Note Communications

In any NFO (next flight out) shipment there are plenty of variables to account for. Any courier company should be logging their communications and records with the airline staff. These noted communications should be available for anyone that may take a call or email regarding the shipment from the surgical team, the OPO (organ procurement organization), or from UNOS as well. This process also helps improve accountability with the airlines when detailed and accurate records are used.

5. Standard Operating Procedures

Any courier company handling a shipment with the magnitude of an organ transplant should have standard operation procedures in place. As a shipper, don't be afraid to ask to see these SOP's to understand how they operate. If a courier doesn't make these available, I would have some questions. With all the variables of booking a Life Guard shipment the courier should not only have all the steps and decision trees in place, but should also have in-depth contact info for cargo desks and staffs located at the airports. Having direct dial numbers and contacts at cargo counters is very important to keep shipments running smoothly, but also to get quick answers and updates when things go askew.

The goal of any courier company in the Life Guard program is to elevate attention and awareness of the commodity and urgency with all parties involved. A lost or delayed shipment could be deadly for the donor recipient. They may not get another chance to find a match. So please consider these 5 factors in your decision process when choosing a courier to transport your organs or serlogies.

3 Tips to Improve Courier Service on Serology Shipments

Ryan Troxtell — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:58:00 GMT

Prior to a transplant taking place, a series of tests have to be completed to ensure that the transplanted organ will be compatible with the recipient. Serology (blood) tests, HLA and cross matching materials are all used to make this determination.

In my point of view, serology shipments should be treated with the exact same degree of urgency that we do when transporting the organs themselves. This is because, the transplant cannot take place until the tests are performed. To give an example, in the case of a “donor after cardiac death” or DCD, the organs in the donor are kept functioning until the tests are successfully completed. You can imagine, this is a difficult time for the donor’s family. The courier's role in getting these tests to the respective lab is crucial in keeping this period of time as short as possible.

It should be noted that even with a timely delivery (e.g. meeting the specified ETA), timely pickups are equally important. The representative from the OPO (organ procurement organization) is often “on-call” for twenty hours or more and I have seen time and time again where a delay at pickup even with an accurate delivery per our ETA, creates issues that funnel down to our primary contact. With all this in mind, here are three tips to help improve courier service on all your serology shipments.

1. Call or Click Before the Test is Complete

All couriers need time to dispatch and send drivers to pick-up your serology shipments. One way to speed things up is to contact your courier before the test is complete. Most couriers can arrive in 30-60 minutes upon request, depending your location. Because shipments have to be tendered to the airlines at least 60 minutes before flight departure, you need all the time you can to make the earliest flight. Figure out what your average time is to extract and process the specimen, and talk to your courier to figure out what their average dispatch repsonse is to your location. Once you have this information, you can plan accordingly on how far ahead you want to call ahead, without any costly wait times associated with an early arrival of the driver.

2. Know Your Options for Late Night Cargo Flights

Another option to the commercial passenger airlines are cargo flights. You need to talk to your NFO (next flight out) provider to determine if they indeed have access to these flights and if they have a pick-up and delivery scenario that works with you and your testing labs city. If there are flights available, its a great back-up to have. So if you have an NAT (Nucleic Acid Testing) sample that needs to go out and there aren't any flight options, these carriers are still flying. With late take offs and early AM arrivals, this can be a great work around for many OPOs, tissue banks, and eye banks. These flight schedules are also great if you have regulary scheduled serology work, this allows you to consolidate as many NAT samples together as possible and still get an early AM delivery.

3. Consolidate on Delivery, When You Can

The organ & tissue community is under pressure to save money in this economy, just like everyone else. One way to trim the fat off your transportation spend for lab specimens is to ask your courier about consolidation. When you have mutiple samples all going into the same delivering lab city, you should be able to negotiate with your courier on a "sweep rate". The sweep rate would only hit you with one delivery charge for drive miles incurred after picking multiple specimens at the same airport on one run. This isn't applicable to everyone, but if you have multiple specimens going at different times or inbound to the lab from different locations this can be very effective. You want to check your lab about when the optimal times your specimens need to arrive to avoid any delay in turn-around-time of the results. So it may make sense to hold a few specimens together at the airport for one run, as long there is not too much time differential that it affect the lab's ability to process your specimen faster.

I've given you a few tips on how to improve the service and turn-around on your serology shipments, as well as how to save a few bucks when it makes sense. I hope you have found this useful in your very important mission of donating life.

Cord Blood Courier: Selecting The Best Transportation Provider

Evan Dahn — Tue, 07 May 2013 17:28:00 GMT

With the growing popularity of parents’ deciding to bank their child’s umbilical cord blood comes an increasing demand for a quality cord blood courier. If there’s one truth about childbirth and logistics, it’s that they’re not always on the same page. Traditionally, we look at logistics as being calculated and linear in nature; so the variance and often unpredictability of child birth has been an issue for many logistics providers.

The keys to quality logistics of cord blood transport are flexibility and selecting a provider whose internal structure is equipped to handle it. There are several successful logistics providers who simply are not in a position to handle umbilical cord transport. Here are five quick ways to spot a solid candidate to transport your customers’ cord blood kits.

Same day (counter-to-counter) transport is not just a service they offer, but one they specialize in. (it’s great that more logistics companies are offering a wider range of services, but you want their best…it’s the same reason you wouldn’t order a steak at a Chinese restaurant).
Although many pick-ups will be scheduled in advance, be sure a courier can be dispatched and provide a pick-up in under an hour. You don’t want a courier sitting outside the hospital racking up wait-time charges just as much as you don’t want him showing up several hours late because of changes in birth schedule.
Drivers are professional and present themselves well. This seems like a given, but make sure you ask. The couriers showing up to pick-up your customer’s kit is an extension of your cord blood bank. Make sure they present themselves that way.
The courier should give high levels of visibility to their shipments not just to you, but to the new parents as well. Online visibility for your team along with instant updates via email to the parents help provide a sense of security and professionalism.
The logistics provider can store kits near your customers in “Forward Stocking Locations”. Throughout the chaos of giving birth, parents may either forget their kits or decide last minute they want to bank their baby’s cord blood. The solution to this is keeping a number of kits stored strategically across the country for quick and easy delivery to the hospital. (This is also a great way to differentiate yourself from your competitors).

There are so many things to worry about when running a Cord Blood Bank that there is no need to add logistics to the list. Find a logistics provider who has been around the block and who you can trust. An easy non-committal way of trying out different providers is to request a web demo from a sales rep. If you are interested in learning more about this, please click below to request an online demo.

3 Reasons To Open a Counter to Counter (Next Flight Out) Account

Evan Dahn — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:15:00 GMT

A counter to counter service (also known as Next Flight Out, NFO, same day shipping, express shipping, same day ground courier, same day air courier) is the absolute most time-critical shipping service available to businesses today. Counter to counter services were first pioneered back in the 1970’s by Hollywood film industries that required film reels be transferred across the country safely and quickly in order to be shown in multiple theaters. Over the years, counter to counter service providers saw dozens of other practical applications for counter to counter shipping, including: industrial parts, machinery, clothing, important documents, aircraft parts (AOG), and the life science industry. The life science industry requires counter to counter services for: Tissue, Medical Device, Blood, Cord Blood, Organs, Cell Therapy, Labs, Medical Testing, Eye Tissue, Dental Implants, Medical Imaging, Clinical Trials and Lab Animal Transportation. The life science industry is now so reliant on next flight out services that it is a wonder how it ever worked without. Organs and medical tissue are now able to be moved across the country in a matter of hours for transplantation, storage and serology testing.

So other than using counter to counter shipping as a life-saving tool, why should businesses open up an account? The simple answer is because YOU NEVER KNOW. Businesses may be aware that the service does exist, but are often not aware that post-9/11 security measures require that a person or business is identified by the TSA as a “Known Shipper”. This process can take up to a month to clear, which is too late when your business is in a jam. Having an account opened with a next flight out provider will ensure that you are:

A KSMS “Known Shipper”- meaning you are not seen as a threat to National Security.
Aware of standard rates and charges that the counter to counter provider has in order to accurately be quoted on cost and timing of delivery.
Able to accommodate to the most rigorous standards of your clients logistical demands (often giving businesses an edge over their competition).

When a client wants to know how quickly you can have a product to them, they don’t have time to wait while you scramble to find a counter to counter provider; your clients will want to know that you have SOPs (standard operating procedures) in place for handling time-critical shipments. Imagine the edge you will have over your competition when you can offer a 5 hour delivery time versus having to wait for a next day delivery pick up time. Setting up an account with an NFO (next flight out) provider is often free to set up, and once in place, can be utilized at the drop of a hat. Most shipments can be picked up within 30 to 60 minutes of the time called in.

What are other advantages and possible disadvantages to having a counter to counter account on file?

5 Ways to Manage Federal Furlough Flight Delays for NFO Shipping

Ryan Troxtell — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:05:00 GMT

With Congress unable to reach a budget agreement, automatic federal furloughs have been enacted to trim budgets immediately. The FAA has been given the task of cutting out $637 million from its budget this year by September. So 47,000 Federal Aviation Administrators and 15,000 Air Traffic Controllers have been forced into mandatory unpaid leave. Unfortunately for travelers and next flight out (NFO) shippers this has created some considerable challenges and headaches to say the least. Right now JFK and LaGuardia are anticipating about 70 minute delays across the board on all flights. There may be as many as 6,000 flight delays a day until a budget agreement is reached, with the worst delays in our nation's most trafficked airports.

For NFO shippers these delays can become a considerable problem. Aerospace shippers with AOG parts needed to get aircraft back up and running are losing valuable time for mechanics to make proper repairs, causing even further delays. Healthcare shippers with critical shipments of medical parts to get hospital equipment functioning or life saving medical devices for patients on table are at risk. Delays for the most critical life science packages of lifesaving blood, tissue, and organs could literally be the difference between life and death.

So for people out there with the most critical NFO shipments, how do you manage risk during this difficult time? I'm going to outline 5 ways for you to work with your courier or expedited transportation provider to make sure your shipments get there ASAP.

1. Regional Ground Courier Options

If you have a need for a same day shipment, the best option may be to not put it in the air at all. If you are looking at a regional move, especially on the East Coast the best option may be for a hot shot courier drive. The customer service rep should be able to present options to you for your given pick-up and delivery scenario. Your rep should be able to tell you the ETA of your shipment factoring in average delays versus your ETA with a straight shot ground courier move. The ground shipment is going to be more expensive because of the driver labor and fuel costs but the benefits are greater control, more accurate delivery times, and not being at the mercy of airline issues. At a certain distance point, this doesn't make sense from a cost perspective but it's important your carrier provides you with options.

2. Utilize Less Trafficked Airports

The FAA has advised that furlough-driven delays are most likely at the following airports:

New York- LaGuardia
New York- JFK
Newark- Liberty
Philadelphia
Fort Lauderdale
Chicago- O'Hare
Chicago- Midway
San Francisco
Los Angeles- LAX
San Diego

Your expedited courier should present flight options into and out of the less trafficked airports. Although it may present longer drives on the pick-up or delivery end of the shipment, it will probably payoff in spades in avoiding air traffic control delays at these overrun airports. For instance if you have a package going to Metro Los Angeles, CA, it may make more sense for the courier to route your package into SNA (John Wayne) or ONT (Ontario) instead of using the highly busy LAX Airport. The plane your package is on should be able to land quicker, be off-loaded faster, and recovered by the local driver quicker. Again, this may add a few more drive miles to your shipment driving up the costs slightly. The important thing is to be presented with these options by your carrier for you to make an informed choice.

3. Utilize Cargo Flights & Charter Service

Another option your next flight out carrier should be able to provide is access to cargo flights. Cargo flights traditionally leave late at night, but still provide a very early AM delivery. They usually fly in and out of the smaller airports and experience very little delays. The flight options aren't as robust but they usually run like clockwork which is a big advantage. If the situation is at critical mass you should be able to request a charter quote for an entire plane. Now I know what you are thinking...expensive right? For cargo charter it might not be as expensive as your think. Depending on distance, where the equipment is located, and proximity of pilot can all affect the rate. But, if it absolutely has to get there, this is your very best option.

4. Track Flight On-Time Performance

When you are choosing your courier partner, you should ask how they track on-time performance of the airlines. Not only normal historical data, but how they are tracking performance during these federal furlough delays. The customer service rep routing your shipments should be able to help you make informed decisions based on airline and flight performance. It may be worth holding the shipment back from the first available flight, because their in-house data system tells them that the next available flight experiences little or no delays. Make sure to ask your carrier how or if they monitor airline performance because it really affects performance over time.

5. Life Guard Program in Place for Organ and Tissue Shipments

For organ procurement or tissue bank organizations the cost of a failed shipment can literally mean the difference between life and death. Make sure the courier you choose has a Life Guard program in place with the airlines. The Life Guard program is where the airlines are pre-alerted to the level of urgency to all staff in the origin, flight crew, and delivering airport. The shipment is also pre-booked with the airlines a minimum of an hour before departure. Lastly, make sure your NFO carrier has internal processes for elevated visibility and communication to all parties involved in the transplant.

We've provided some tips to managing your NFO shipments during these tough times. The key to surviving this period of federal furloughs is working with a transportation partner that offers options. Options in terms or routing, but also in alternative forms of transportation outside of the regular commercial airlines. I don't know if or when this budget issue will be resolved, but we will remain vigilant in providing ways to help you manage it best you can.

NGL to Unveil Expanded Forward Stocking Network at Field Service 2013

Ryan Troxtell — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 20:00:00 GMT

NGL is attending the upcoming Field Service 2013 show in Indian Wells, CA on April 22-25, 2013. At the show NGL will be showcasing their expanded critical service parts network. NGL now has over 500 forward stocking locations worldwide and offers the largest footprint of any service parts logistics provider. In addition to forward stocking, NGL offers over 5 million square feet of distribution space for central or regional parts distribution programs. Here we outline three reasons to visit us at Booth #12 at Field Service 2013. Let us show you how we make impossible, possible.

Click here to view full press release announcement.

1. Difficult to Penetrate LATAM- 69 Forward Stocking Locations

With 69 locations in Latin America, NGL can help you expand your business into this challenging market. South America has some of the fastest expanding economies in the world, but many companies don't have the time or resources to extend a reliable footprint into the region. NGL can help with secure storage facilities, Importer of Record services, and transportation throughout South America. We can help you find ways to capitalize on this new market.

2. FSL Optimization Study- More Locations Means More Inventory

For some service parts logistics providers, the best way to honor SLA performance is opening more FSL's with more costly inventory. NGL takes a holistic approach and offers a free study of your assets in the field and can use our mapping technology to make recommendations on FSL locations based on transit times. We will show you if we can optimize your network and reduce redundancies in your locations and reduce your inventory levels.

3. Demo NGL's Cloud Based System- Why Spend Money on Software We Provide for Free?

NGL is a little later to market than some other service parts logistics providers, but it's a clear advantage over many competitors with antiquated technology. NGL has developed our own cloud based inventory management system called NetShip. We can show you how you can view, pick or pull inventory by location, serial #, part #, or any other customizable field you prefer. Not only do we have 24x7 customer support, but there is no added implementation process of an expensive software platform.

Let us show you how we make the impossible, possible at Field Service 2013 at booth #12.

Top 3 Reason for AOG Shippers to Attend MRO Americas

Ryan Troxtell — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 16:10:00 GMT

The MRO Americas Show is one of the premier venues for aviation and aerospace professionals, with an expected attendance of 10,000 industry specialists in attendance. The MRO was recently named one of the 50 fastest growing shows by Tradeshow Executive Magazine. For MRO professionals responsible for AOG, spares, and supply chain initiatives this is the premiere location to see what suppliers and technology are out there in the market place today to help you improve. The conference is being held in Atlanta, GA at the Georgia World Conference Center April 16th-18th. NGL will be attending this year at booth #3454, and we are going to outline 3 reasons why you should attend this premier event as well.

Reasons to Attend MRO Americas

1. Test and Evaluate Products & Suppliers

The MRO will have every major player in the industry in attendance for you to test, poke and prod their products and services. It's not often you get this robust turn out from every kind of aerospace, aircraft and military supplier all under one roof. The internet is a great place to start researching potential vendors, but there is nothing like getting a look at their technology up close and a feel for the expertise of their staff in person. If you take advantage of this forum for evaluation and create short lists of potential vendors, it will save a lot of time and hassle for future considerations on any industry provider.

2. Logistics & Supply Chain Content Areas

This year the MRO is offering customizable agenda options and drill-down content, including a content area dedicated to Logistics & Supply Chain. If your focus is on optimizing your spares or AOG program, there will be some premier speakers highlighting these topics. Wide ranging topics will be discussed regarding innovative solutions to combat the particular problems of the highly regulated industry of aircraft and aerospace. Click this link for more info and to download the Aviation Week App for your mobile device or PC. This will help you plan your agenda and get the most out this great event.

3. Connect with Other MRO Professionals

Sometimes with all the travel plans, agenda setting and appointments the simple fact of connecting with other people in your industry gets lost in the shuffle. I think we have all experienced someone's eyes glaze over after they ask about what we do. Seldom will you have a chance to connect with other people around the country and the world that share your passion for aviation. This will be a great time to share experiences and lend expertise to others in your chosen profession. It's a great time to be away from your hectic job and fun with your professional development, network and perhaps even make new friends.

Overall, the MRO Americas should be an excellent industry event for aviation professionals. You should be be able to check out new potential suppliers, gain professional development with content focused forums of supply chain & logistics and network with other people in your industry. We hope to see you there, and show you how we make the impossible possible.

To set an appointment to meet with us at booth #3454 at the MRO please click below.

5 Ways to Save on LTL Volume Freight

Ryan Troxtell — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 16:45:00 GMT

Who doesn't like saving money on freight? In today's marketplace no matter where, what or how you do your shipping, logistics professionals are under pressure to reduce transportation costs. With rising fuel costs and reduced capacity how can you find savings? Your less than truckload (LTL) rates are generally fixed contract rates, whether you have a direct relationship with the carrier or a 3rd party logistics provider. If you are shipping full truckload the price is always going to be volatile depending on how close you are to the end of the month, seasonal capacity, the given lane and current fuel rate. If you have a solid shopping list with a few brokers in place for your truckload needs you will usually find a decent rate. But how do you manage those in between shipments over LTL and under full truckload, that we call "volume"? Well, we're going to give you 5 tips on how to shop, so you can impress your boss and improve the bottom line.

1. Know Your Dimensions

Volume quotes are considered anything greater than five pallets and/or over 5,000 lbs. of freight, but usually no greater at the top end of 24 pallets or 40 linear feet. Volume quotes are determined by how much linear space your freight takes up in the trailer, so it's imperative that you or your customer know if the freight is standard pallets (40"x48") or what the true size is so you can get a quick and accurate quote from the carrier. This is one time that freight class is not as important as the actual real space you are using on the trailer.

2. Shop Consolidators or 3PLs That Work With Consolidators

Consolidators are non-traditional LTL carriers. Consolidators charge by pallet space and/or linear feet. The pros of a consolidator is that they are a low-cost long-haul carrier and with minimal handling of freight because it all stays on the same trailer from dock to dock. The down side is that they only typically service long-haul lanes, have no access to lift-gates and can be a little slower because they won't ship out until the trailer is full. So if transit time is not a major concern consolidators are a great option.

3. Know Your Lanes

Consolidators typically only operate out of major cities that are important logistics hubs. You can find niche carriers in smaller markets, but they are usually lane specific. The best cities to find value options for consolidators are out of Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta, and New York.

4. Stack'em High

You are paying for the space on the floor, not the ceiling so don't be afraid to stack those pallets high. As long as there is no issue with stacking your product, try to get your pallets all the way up to 8 feet high. Over the course of the months and year you will save a lot of money and not waste space.

5. Don't be a Chronic Quoter

Lastly, don't be that person that puts out an email with 25 people on your shopping list. There is real value in having a good relationship with your carrier or 3PL. Shoppers who quote all the time but never reward the shipper with any freight can get blacklisted or develop a bad reputation amongst carriers. Eventually they'll quote you very high utnil you go away or won't work with you at all. Best practice is to find a handful of 3-5 carriers or 3PLs that you trust and shop them on a regular basis.

We have given you some valuable tips on shopping and shipping for volume freight. If you choose the right carriers or transportation management providers, they will find creative new ways to save you money and bring value to your organization.

For more ways to save on freight or get a free demo of our TMS click below.

3 Ways to Improve the e-Commerce Customer Experience

Ryan Troxtell — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 18:49:00 GMT

So like many other e-retailers, you have put a lot of effort into developing your e-Commerce website. You have focused on providing multiple payment options, developed a mobile app, created a great product line and focused on search engine optimization to attract plenty of shoppers. What often gets lost in the shuffle is what happens after your customer does the final click of the mouse to complete their order. Online retailers are not only facing intense competition from internet giants, but also traditional bricks and mortar retailers. What happens after this transaction is often what defines your business in regards to repeat customers and positive online reviews to attract future customers. Here are three tips that will help you keep a leg-up on the competition.

1. Strategic Inventory Placement

The first thing to consider is where are you placing your inventory? You want to stock your inventory in a location(s) that can reach the majority of your customers in a normal one day transit for parcel or freight carriers. Columbus, OH is a prime location for many e-retailers as you can reach up to 60% of the US population in a one day transit time. Not only does this improve customer experience, but it also reduces your transportation spend when most online retailers are offering free shipping. Depending on your product line, size, scale and inventory carrying costs you can consider regional distribution options or go highly local with forward stocking locations in metropolitan areas. The bottom line is you need to be flexible on where you stock your inventory. 3rd party logistics providers can help you stay fluid and pay only transactional costs for storage and handling, while avoiding long term capital investments in distribution for real estate, IT infrastructure and labor.

2. Make Returns Easy

Returns are part of any retail business, and most online retailers average around a 30-40% return rate. No matter what the reason good or bad you need to make it easy for the customer to return the product to ensure repeat business. For parcel sized shipments, any of the major carriers have a PRP or Package Return Program. They can integrate with your website to make it easy to print return labels and have an international footprint for solid coverage. If your product is large and has to go via freight, returns can be a bit trickier. Best practice would be to seek out a 3rd party logistics provider that can provide reverse logistics and white glove pick-ups at residential locations within a 4-hour window. A good white glove carrier can manage the entire process from pick-up, line-haul and return to your dock. If you can make the returns process painless for the customer, it will go a long way towards building brand loyalty.

3. Offer Same Day Delivery

In a new mobile world, the consumer's desire for instant gratification is growing exponentially. The e-Commerce giants are rolling out same day delivery in some of the major markets in the United States. Your in-house DC or your outsourced logistics providers needs to be able to provide accurate sameday order fulfillment to allow enough time for the courier to make the customer's delivery window. Also your product will need to be regionalized or even allocated to a local level with forward stocking locations. This will mean higher inventory carrying costs, but should lead to more sales if your product line demands this type of service.

Summary

While the digital world of e-Commerce is the sexy front end of the store, don't forget about the physical world of logistics that is the life blood of your service. Not only do you have to attract customers, but logistics is the key to keeping them. If you execute these 3 strategies effectively it should result in better sales and increased market share.

For more keys to effective e-commerce fulfillment, download our free white paper below.

2013 Equine Breeding Season/Semen Transport Approaching

Evan Dahn — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 21:24:00 GMT

With the start of the 2013 Equine Breeding Season fast approaching, do you have your semen transport logistics figured out?

Network Global Logistics can handle the scheduled and unscheduled shipping of all your frozen and unfrozen equine semen for the 2013 breeding season. We are able to handle pick-ups and deliveries to any remote US city and deliver biologics same day 24x7x365. NGL uses an extensive network of nationwide couriers and contracts with the Commercial Airlines to provide local pickup and delivery service around the corner or around the world, providing more people with access to live specimens regardless of rural or international distances. We also offer Hold at Airport services, where your customer can pick up the specimens at their own convenience (this is an easy way to reduce variability and cost of shipping).

NGL has integrated stringent Standard Operating Procedures to support the equine industry where on-time shipments are crucial to be in coordination with mare breeding schedules. All shipments are moved in temperature controlled environments while in collaboration with all partners to give full visibility during initial shipments and reverse logistics for Equitainers.

Contact Us today if you're interested in associated costs, or learning more about this Next Flight Out service.

Walmart and Same Day Delivery? 3 Critical Questions to Consider

Mike Mangini — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 23:18:00 GMT

Every retailer is looking for the next big thing to help differentiate from the competition. Everything from slashing prices to special events for customer appreciation, but it seems that a new trend is starting to emerge to help provide a greater customer experience without having to necessarily eat at the margins to do so. What is it you ask? It’s simple…same day delivery.

Amazon rolled out their same day delivery program back in 2009 to improve service on their ecommerce fulfillment business, and has had so much success they’ve already rolled it out to 10 other markets, and word on the street is they are looking to grow their same day delivery program even more in the next few years.

The most recent big retailer to test out same day delivery, however, is the big boy on the block…Walmart. Walmart announced that they will be offering a same day delivery service in select markets for customers who buy popular items online during the holiday shopping season. The goal is to increase their ecommerce fulfillment business by providing about 5,000 general merchandise items to be available for same day shipping. The delivery charge is going to be $10, with no minimum purchase and an unlimited number of items. Shoppers in San Francisco and San Jose, however, will be required to have a minimum of $45 an order.

The question now becomes, if Walmart and Amazon are doing it, why am I not? Where does one even start when it comes to evaluating and choosing the RIGHT logistics provider for this type of service? We've got you covered…there are 3 major questions you need to ask to make sure you have the right partner to execute on same day delivery, and for ecommerce order fulfillment in general:

1) Does the logistics company already have in place their own nationwide sameday courier network? Do they have their own drivers in major markets to help control routing and reduce costs, or do they completely outsource?

2) Does the logistics company offer strategic stocking locations throughout your market area to enable you to offer same day delivery for ecommerce order fulfillment?

3) Does the logistics provider have ecommerce experience?

If you find a logistics provider that has experience in all three areas, you might have a winner!

Photo by Walmart Corporate

5 Safety Tips for Research Animal Transportation using Couriers

Ryan Troxtell — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 19:48:00 GMT

Shipping research animals shouldn’t be a game of cat and mouse in finding the right courier to move your animals to further your investigation. We’ve listed 5 important aspects to help guide you when choosing the right next flight out provider.

1. Keep it Clean

A clean and sterile environment is an essential part to any successful laboratory animal courier shipment. All shipments should start with a clean cargo van with no carpet or upholstery that could contain harmful irritants and or bacteria that could harm the animals or corrupt your research. Your shipper should also have a standard operating procedure in place to make sure that there is no smoking in these clean vehicles at any times. If you are doing an air courier shipment you will need this to and from the pick-up and destination airports. If the animals are stored at a carrier or airline location while waiting for their plane, they should also reside in a carpet free clean room before departure.

2. Make Sure the Temperature is Just Right

Extreme temperatures or wild fluctuations can affect the health of the animals and your experiments. AALAS recommends a temperature range of 68-79 F. Often investigators run into the problem of being unable to ship animals during the peak of winter and the dog days of summer, due to the airlines being unable to control the temperature ranges in the cargo area. During this time you need to make sure your courier can tender your animals to a cargo plane where the cockpit is the same temperature as the cargo area. These flights are more limited, but well worth the time and money spent for accurate research and healthy specimens.

3. Document Vet Contact Info & Food Requirements

Make sure before you ship to have all your veterinary contact info ready. Not only do you need to have the contact info for your local vet, but also the contact info of a vet in the destination city. These Veterinary Clinics should have 24/7 access. If you don’t have one outside your market a simple internet search can help you source a 24/7 accessible vet. For international next flight out, investigators need to obtain USDA Health Certifications to meet the country of destination’s standards. You can find out more by following this link http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/area_offices/. Lastly make sure you provide detailed instructions for food & water to your courier verbally and as an attachment to the cages as well.

4. Cage Handling

The handling of cages can be a concern for any investigator. While we can’t exactly know how the cages are handled in transit, there are aftermarket products that will provide temperature and orientation validation and even GPS capabilities. However unless you are a very frequent shipper, return on investment may not add up to justify within your budget. The best solution is to do your homework and make sure your courier is knowledgeable and has precision SOPs that show they understand how your animals should be treated and handled.

5. Visibility for the Entire Trip

Your research animal courier should have available technology to keep you and other parties in the shipping process informed of where the animals are at all times. They should also be proactive in notifying of any impending delays and problems due to weather, airport delays, etc. Lastly your courier should have 24/7 access to speak with a live person, not just the internet or an automated phone system.

What else is important to consider when transporting research animals?

Photo by meddygarnet

Service Part Logistics Efficiency - 3 Critical Things to Consider

Mike Mangini — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 19:09:00 GMT

Service Parts Logistics is one of the key growth areas in the global logistics market. The importance to manufacturers of post sales service as a product differentiator has developed significantly over the last decade, as many high tech and medical products have become increasingly competitive.

So, now that most players in the high tech and medical fields have spare parts networks, what does one do to differentiate what was at one point the differentiator? How does one juggle the task of limiting redundant inventory, while at the same time providing exceptional service to meet strict SLA’s, and ensure key customers continue to view them as a valued partner, rather than just another provider with another generic service plan?

First, it’s important to have an idea about what others in the industry are doing. Here are a few questions small high tech/medical companies can ask themselves when looking to setup a service parts logistics network, and it might not be a bad benchmark system for those who have an established service parts logistics network that maybe haven’t looked to optimize it in a while:

- What type of SLA’s do others have in the market? Is it 2 hour on site support? Is it 4 hour? Or is a next business day approach acceptable?

- Where exactly is my install base concentrated? Are my assets/parts stocked accordingly?

- What % of compliance is acceptable to my customers? What are the consequences of having downtime, and is it worth the risk to consolidate certain locations to help reduce inventory with an understanding that 100% compliance might not be feasible?

These are just a few things to consider when it comes to evaluating how best to start up a service parts network. For those who have an established network, and perhaps haven’t taken a close look at their network in a while, I suggest benchmarking. It never hurts to reach out to other providers, or at least your current one and ask for an optimization to be run on the current install base to ensure there are no unnecessary stocking locations setup that perhaps don’t need to be in the network anymore.

Most service parts logistics providers do this sort of analysis on a regular basis with their customers, so go ahead and ask…it never hurts!

Aside from the questions above, what else should you be asking about your service parts network?

Photo by: bandarji

3 Tips for Taking Your Medical Supply Chain International

Ryan Troxtell — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 20:35:00 GMT

With many healthcare companies concerned about how a possible new nationalized healthcare system may affect them, many have turned their eyes to prospects overseas as an additional revenue stream. With any international expansion there are bound to be regulatory and compliance hurdles and hiccups along the way, but your supply chain shouldn’t be one of them. When you are ready to increase sales of your medical devices in the international market there are three important factors to consider.

1. Limiting Capital Expenditures

When making a move to international markets the first thing any CFO will want to know is, what are the upfront costs? You should use a third party logistics (3pl) provider with a robust international footprint. This will allow you to defer any real estate, employee, and IT related costs associated with opening a new facility in a foreign market. A 3pl provider can keep small critical inventories of devices stored close to your clients and provide last mile transportation in time critical situations.

2. Reducing Inventory Carrying Costs

By utilizing a third party logistics provider with forward stocking locations, you can service one metropolitan market with lower inventory levels. This will enable you to still provide great service and availability of your medical device, but you will not be stuck putting unsold inventories on consignment in healthcare facilities that are generating revenue.

3. Visibility of Inventory

So your company has put a lot money and research into developing your world class device, so you would like to know where and how many you have on-hand at any time. Make sure your partner with a logistics provider with sophisticated WMS (Warehouse Management System). The WMS should be web based to allow for easy viewing of your inventory, the ability to schedule replenishment shipments and to pick and pull devices on-demand.

What are some other obstacles you have faced when trying to penetrate a foreign market?

Image by: Army Medicine

5 Things to Know About Next Flight Out (NFO) Airline Regulations

Evan Dahn — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 19:55:00 GMT

Next Flight Out (NFO) is different than an overnight or two-day service. Traditionally, Next Flight Out is a same day delivery service that utilizes commercial airlines to transport packages across the globe in the fastest possible way. Next Flight Out cargo makes up a very small part of daily air cargo (about 12.5 tons out of the hundreds-of-thousands shipped daily). Anyone who has flown in the past ten years can tell you TSA/FAA regulations are tight and don’t seem to be loosening up anytime soon. Next Flight Out package screening and regulations are certainly no exception. Within the past five years, random surprise screenings called "strikes" have been implemented nationwide and screening "exemptions" were completely eliminated. Here are ten things to know about Next Flight Out regulations today:

1. Weight/Dimensions/Airline: These are the three biggies in determining the special requirements of your package. Each airline has their own regulation in what DIMS they allow and in what time they require the package to be dropped off. Traditionally, packages under 50 lbs need to be tendered 60 minutes before departure, but heavier shipments may require up to 120 minutes.

2. You can ship dry ice: the golden rule is up to 5 lbs of dry ice for counter-to-counter, but on larger, non-commuter flights the amount can be as high as 100 lbs. These special requirements often require pre-booking and there cannot be animal cargo already booked.

3. Label everything: proper UN #’s, Hazmat warnings and Dry Ice warnings. The last thing you want is for your package to end up in Guantanamo Bay. For FDA container regulations, follow the link.

4. Shipping counter-to-counter vs. cargo matters: It may save you money to ship multiple packages under one airway bill (AWB), but it could knock off precious minutes on the delivery end. Counter-to-counter shipments can usually clear the plane and become available for pick up within an hour, whereas heavier cargo can take up to two hours.

5. Make yourself "known": TSA requires that Independent Air Carriers (IACs) have verified the pick-up location as “known” in the Known Shipper Management System (KSMS). It is important to note that next day providers such as FedEx and UPS utilize a different management system, so be sure to check with your IAC provider to see if your location is “known”.

Learn how to examine the real cost of failure-free same day shipping services.

Photo by: Roger Schultz

Reasons to Outsource Warehousing

Alan Novess — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 15:45:00 GMT

Whether you are a startup business or an established market leader, managing and operating your warehouse operations in-house can be a very challenging and expensive undertaking. Many people are now turning to outsourcing their warehouse operations because of the benefits and expertise that third party logistics companies can provide. Here are some reasons why you should consider outsourced warehousing:

Flexibility – use only the space you need
Eliminate huge upfront capital expenditures
Improve your business fulfillment and supply chain process
Avoid property taxes and compliance costs
Save time – no optimal real estate contracts to negotiate
Benefit from advanced technologies and warehousing software systems
Reduce delivery time to customers – utilizing the benefit of multiple locations

By outsourcing your warehouse needs to a 3PL you save time, money, and most of all reduce risk. In doing so, you will be able to spend more capital resources to grow your business and invest in areas that matter to you most.

Photo Credit: ToolStop

Top 3 Signs it's Time to Switch your Third Party Logistics Provider

Mike Mangini — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 16:13:00 GMT

So, you’ve been using a single logistics provider for a long time to manage everything from LTL/Warehousing, to Next Flight Out (NFO) or Same-Day type transportation…but when is it time to start benchmarking? At what point does it make sense to potentially switch providers? Here are a few things to look out for when making decisions like these:

1) Service Standards

As you probably know, if you’ve been in the logistics industry for longer than a minute, most 3PL and 4PLs are very similar in regard to service. One huge differentiator; however, is the level of service given by the logistics provider. If the level of customer service offered by your current provider has slowly deteriorated over time, it may be time to shop for another carrier. One that is more than willing to go the extra mile for your business, especially in the current economic conditions we find ourselves in today.

2) Technology

As mentioned above, most 3PL and 4PLs will be very similar from an operational standpoint, but another component to consider today is the level of I.T. platforms and investment companies make to provide additional visibility and information. Knowledge is power, and partnering with a provider that understands this, and makes the right type of investment in their I.T. platforms is critical when choosing between company A and company B. If your current provider is simply giving you spreadsheets to monitor all your shipments, it might be time to look around. If your provider isn’t able to give you real-time updates, tracking and custom reporting online, then it’s time to start looking. Otherwise, you might be missing out on some great opportunities to further drive out inefficiencies of your supply chain.

3) Finance Issues

The economy has hit lots of carriers hard since 2008. Partnering with a company that is sitting in good financial shape is critical because there’s nothing worse than requesting a critical shipment and finding out the company you’ve trusted to handle this part of your business is now OUT of business. To determine a quality provider, look for certain queues that can clue you in to how well they are doing such as: are they out there making acquisitions and growing? Are they investing in things like IT and new facilities? Or, are they consistently stringing together quarterly loss, after quarterly loss and/or consolidating or closing facilities? Being keen to these sort of queues will give you a good idea of which direction the company is headed.

So, now you know some things to look for when evaluating your provider and determining whether or not it’s time to look at another route. When was the last time you benchmarked your current provider?

It never hurts to look around…sometimes, the grass IS greener on the other side.

Image by: altheengineer

How to Pick the Right E-commerce Distribution Point

Alan Novess — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 19:35:00 GMT

When considering a location to start your e-commerce distribution from, many people scour the country looking for the most cost effective price but often forget to consider the distribution infrastructure for the region. Experts agree that fuel prices are not going down anytime soon, so that is why it is even more important in this-day-and-age to consider distribution regions and reach. Third Party Logistics companies have been expanding their regional coverage in the Midwest, as it is a hub that can reach 75% of the country within three days. With the Midwest’s more than 100 years of established infrastructure, ranging from air, rail and trucking freight lanes, all fully viable, it makes it the perfect location for an e-commerce company looking to cut costs and decrease customers’ delivery times.

Many e-commerce companies are choosing 3PLs located in Chicago and Columbus because of the transit times to customers. These two cities are especially suited for e-commerce distribution because they provide nationwide 3 day coverage as well as near full coverage of the East Coast within one day via ground services.

Now when considering your e-commerce distribution, remember that while the cost of warehousing is important, it's also imperative you work to keep your shipping costs down in conjunction with your transit times short...that way everybody wins, especially your bottomline!

What else is important in considering your e-commerce distribution point?

Selecting a Provider for Your Equine Services Shipments

Evan Dahn — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 17:31:00 GMT

With the start of equine’s breeding off season, those in the industry finally have a chance to catch their breath and reflect on the 2012 season. As in any industry, they will ask what they did well, what they did poorly, and what they can improve on. Unfortunately, all of their competitors are doing the exact same thing, causing greater tension over customer retention and gaining market share. In today’s equine breeding industry, the allowable margin of error shrinks with every new season. Breeders have enough to worry about in the day-to-day preparation of their horses and mare insemination, so the last thing on their mind should be whether or not a shipment will make it.

Want to cheap out on the shipping? It’s not worth it! A few botched shipments could lose you a customer in an instant…but a few fast, quality shipments from an experienced logistics provider could earn you a customer for life! So what are some criteria to look for in your shipping provider?

On-time Performance- Shipping providers are often required to report their on-time performance both quarterly and annually. By checking this metric, you can cut through the bells and whistles and just look at the results.

Speed of Transport- Get it there! The less time your equine biologics spend in transit, the less opportunity there is for something to go wrong. Some shippers can get a specimen across country in the same day.

Visibility- Don’t just hand off your package blindly and cross your fingers; make your provider work! Pick a provider that tracks courier and airline progress every step of the way as well as has a notification system in place to inform you for peace of mind.

Communication- What’s worse than finding out from your customer that their shipment did not arrive? Choose a provider that understands the tight window of mare ovulation. Make sure you and/or your customers are being proactively updated of any delays or changes in quoted delivery time.

Now that the criteria of a solid shipping provider has been established, it’s time to do your homework! Get this decision knocked out now, before 2013 comes around and your hair is on fire! Ask around, visit some websites and make a call!

Photo By: Banamine

NFO: The Cure for the Common Parcel Cutoff Time

Alan Novess — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 17:20:00 GMT

Tick tock, tick tock….It's 4:50 pm and you begin to worry; you need to ship the court documents to Denver for the big trial tomorrow and you are nowhere close to being done. You know that 10 minutes is not enough time to
complete your work to the best of your ability before the fedex cutoff, but it's crucial these documents arrive on time what do you do? Who will help you?

Look there! "It's a bird; it's a plane"...oh wait, it really is a plane, and it's carrying your documents same day! The same day service that has been shipping court and financial documents well past the fedex cutoff time for years! The service is called Next Flight Out, also known as NFO. Next Flight Out has been utilized for many years by law and financial firms to get packages or pouches delivered same day or overnight. The ability to have a package pickup at 7 pm or 8 pm and still arrive in the morning at its destination will not only reduce stress associated with meeting the FedEx cutoff, it might even keep someone out of jail!

Whether you need to get material to San Francisco for a 7:30 am meeting or get a signature on a document by the end of the day in Chicago, Next Flight Out is the cure for the common Fedex cutoff.

Now, how will you spend your extra time?

Photo credit: Moppet65535

Next Flight Out (NFO) Saves Your Missed Parcel Cut-off Time

Mike Mangini — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 23:00:00 GMT

Ever run into a situation where you absolutely HAVE to get something shipped out to an important customer, but realized that somehow time had gotten away from you and you’ve now missed your parcel cut-off time for overnight delivery? Don’t worry, you’re not alone and there is a solution.

Everyone from printed circuit board manufacturers who have deadlines for quick products with customers to financial institutions who need important documents signed before a deadline run into this problem all the time. The best solution is to make sure you have a solid back up next flight out provider that isn’t restricted by “cut off times” because the consequences of not getting the product or document out in time can be the difference in keeping or losing a major client.

But what does one need to look for in a next flight out provider for these services? No fear, we’ve gone ahead and listed a few things you should consider before choosing who you are going to trust for this critical service:

Does the next flight out provider operate 24/7/365?
Do they provide real-time tracking with proactive notifications letting you know when the shipment has arrived allowing you to focus on your business rather than worry about whether or not your critical documents or circuit board made it to your important client?
Does the next flight out provider have a nationwide footprint, or even global footprint? You don't want to be someone's test dummy for their adhoc partnership with another provider in another market.
Does the provider have experience performing next flight out shipments as a core competency or is this something they just do on the side?

We’ve listed a few items to consider above. What would you like to see from a shipping provider for next flight out service in the way of backup support for missed parcel cut-off times?

Photo by JLaw45

Retail Consolidation: Value Chain for Effective MABD Compliance

Seraj A. Farooqui — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 21:04:00 GMT

Vendor Compliance is more than just demand management...

It an art of synchronizing supply and demand, and developing strategies to not only increase flexibility, but reduce demand variability. A good vendor compliance strategy allows companies to proactively combat anticipated demand, and be more reactive to unanticipated demand. In doing so, it strives to assure that your customers have the right product...at the right place...at the right time.

As discussed in our spotlight: Third Party Retail Consolidation/MABD Compliance, "pooling strategies" allow companies, across industries, to facilitate flexibility, responsive and economic value.

The attached whitepaper, entitled "Retail Consolidation for Power, Performance, and Profitability: A Strategic Solution for Effective Vendor Compliance Management," takes an illustrative look at the value chain for implementing Retail Consolidation strategies to proactively combat MABD chargebacks.

Next Flight Out (NFO) Rescues 4th of July Shipments

Peter Galicz — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 22:02:00 GMT

If you’re in a jam and need to get something delivered or shipped out across the country on this 4^th of July you probably recognize that your options are limited. The task isn’t impossible though...enter next flight out (NFO) couriers who deliver 24/7/365. Utilizing local courier resources for pickup and delivery along with the commercial airlines for line haul, a next flight out (NFO) courier can deliver any day just about anywhere.

As there is no obligation to ship with most major next flight out (NFO) couriers, it makes sense to set up an account prior to having a need (just in case) so that when you need them you can utilize them. Most courier companies will want to run some kind of credit check on you so don’t wait until the last minute to set up this relationship, as it could cost you. Just because the operations team is working on the 4th of July doesn’t mean that the credit & collections folks are too.

For additional resources on next flight out (NFO) couriers check out these articles:

3 Tips to Choosing a Same Day Shipping Provider

3 Mistakes to Avoid When Selecting a Same Day Courier

Next Flight Out (NFO): What Bumps Your Shipment?

Have a safe and fun 4^th of July celebration…and remember if you have an urgent shipment need during the holiday, next flight out (NFO) can come to your rescue.

What other type of situations have next flight out (NFO) courier services rescued you from?

Photo by dhendrix73