Every year, from mid-August to November, businesses brace themselves for the rush of shipments and orders pouring in. That’s because everyone is preparing for back-to-school blowout sales and holiday shopping. We understand that this season can be hectic. With an influx of orders, keeping up with what’s coming and going can be difficult.
But through planning, you can easily navigate the increased demand and avoid disruptions in your operations. Don’t fall behind this year; follow these five tips for preparing for peak shipping season.
The best way to overcome the peak season is by reflecting on what you’ve learned from the previous seasons. Through reflection, you can find opportunities to improve your workflow and thrive in areas you’ve mastered. This will help you make the necessary changes to ensure your operation is in order.
Talk to team members who’ve been around for previous seasons for additional feedback. Through their point-of-view, you can gain insight and make the appropriate changes.
Communicating with your current clients is essential, especially during peak season. With increased demand, shipments can run slower or have limited capacity. Making arrangements in advance and having the ability to forecast future trends in demand is key. With thorough communication and flexibility, you can create plans to ensure your shipments arrive on time.
To ensure a smooth peak season, you should consider collaborating with a 3PL. Before the season begins, seek a few 3PLs and express your expectations for the upcoming months. Through proper consideration, such as shipping deadlines or rate changes, you can master this surge with your new shipping partners.
Before creating a plan to tackle the peak season, you must know all the deadlines. Meeting internal and external deadlines is crucial to navigating peak shipping season.
Your team members should see the shipment details to ensure everything goes as planned. You should also communicate with your clients to let them know when they can expect their items.
The worst thing you can do is wait until the last minute to implement changes. When peak season arrives, you should have your plans solidified and in motion. Making last-minute changes can be confusing and cause disruptions in your shipment.
However, we understand that the unexpected can happen. Create an additional plan to work as a backup in case something goes wrong or there is a delay.
Following our five tips will prepare you and your team for the peak season. With careful planning and help from our team, we can help make peak shipping season a breeze. If you ever have a last-minute shipment or have a shipment that you need quickly, contact us to learn more about our expedited shipping services.
Whether you're a company looking to improve one facet of your supply chain, your entire supply chain, or simply looking for a transportation and logistics consultation, we can help.
