Consumers today are demanding: Personalization. Specialty products. Exclusive offers. Free shipping. Guaranteed delivery. The fact of the matter is, only logistics companies who can provide the assets, services, and technologies to keep up with demands like these will be able to survive.
As a result, third-party logistics providers (3PLs) worldwide are being driven by these changing consumer expectations to create a new, network approach to logistics management. These dramatic effects to the supply chain are causing strategies and operations to evolve in response. 3PLs are scrambling to update antiquated technology systems and boost supply chain efficiencies and capacity.
But as it turns out, forcing logistics providers to succumb to a network approach in order to stay competitive is actually beneficial to more than just their customers. Logistics companies who have adopted this network approach to supply chain management are gaining a complete view of the entire supply chain and are able to provide better service. Furthermore, the outcome generated is often a substantial increase in capacity, potential and a robust position for long-term growth.
Take the real-life example of CTL Global Inc., a 3PL serving a wide mix of clients with varying and pressing needs.Their business depended upon operational consistency and efficiency, and they could not afford any downtime in operations. But with clients demanding greater capacity, analytical requirements becoming more complex, and the crunch on time limits, CTL was feeling the pressure of change thrust upon its supply chain system. In order to meet current and future demands, the leadership team recognized that the company needed to improve its technology to meet it’s innovative, responsive and customizable service offerings. They acknowledged that maintaining their current process would result in an inefficient deployment of resources, lost productivity and a limit on the potential growth of their client base.
CTL hired Sikich and enlisted their technology consultants to assess current operations and develop a robust software solution to meet their unique 3PL supply chain management needs. Sikich guided CTL through the implementation of its supply chain management solution powered by Microsoft Dynamics NAV, an ideal ERP solution for 3PLs that provides scalability, customization and improved market responsiveness for real-time information management.
