Looking for lift off with a new product?
It could be your most innovative, disruptive concept to date, with consumers itching to get their hands on the latest hi-tech, luxury handbag or designer fashion. However, if your supply chain management falters your supply fails to meet demand – and your product launch falls flat.
At best, you’ll face expensive, expedited transport to fulfil retailers’ needs; at worst, you could lose those crucial sales and forgo competitive edge.
We know that theft and damage, pressurised short lead times, peak planning and lost value from product returns are all pressure points for the logistics of high value goods.
Therefore, your 3PL partner’s flexibility and expertise from point of origin through to delivery at the end-retailer are paramount in securing your high value cargo and streamlining warehousing and distribution.
That’s why these three solutions should always be part of your 3PL partner’s product launch checklist:
- Forward Planning and Collaboration with Origin Cargo Management (OCM)
With OCM, your 3PL partner can provide a wide-angle lens across your whole supply chain.
They’ll coordinate vendor management centrally: liaising with your suppliers and vendors, then handling the physical cargo operations from order placement through to international transportation and final destination delivery.
This makes for an integrated and streamlined supply chain so that your product launch checklist has all the dots connected well in advance. To do this, your logistics provider will offer a single point of contact, immersing themselves into your business.
Only with full collaboration can your logistics complement your marketing and sales strategy with appropriate supply for demand with optimal geographical reach. That way, you’ll reduce overstocking at warehouses, ready your resource allocation and find cost efficiencies in an otherwise costly process.
- Confidentiality and Protection with Robust Security Processes
Have you read our Head of Security’s whitepaper on the risks to product launches without secure logistics? One of the challenges it explores is the loss of market potential if your new high value cargo is stolen or confidentiality is breached.
Your 3PL partner can mitigate this with a series of robust security processes. For a start, rigorous route planning and smart technology can be used to combat cargo theft. Touchpoints during transit, for example, are streamlined so that the opportunity for damage and theft is as limited as possible.
Shipment visibility is then vital too. Safe secure logistics tracking, like YL-Griffin, not only gives you real-time reporting with individually tracked SKUs, but also allows immediate corrective action if a threat arises.
Moreover, in terms of confidentiality, your logistic provider’s workforce will follow consistent and rigorous non-disclosure policies so you can be assured that the hype for your product isn’t diminished with untimely leaks.
- Relieving Pressure Upstream with Value Added Services
A valuable addition to your product launch checklist are pre-retailing services.
They’re especially effective in combatting short lead times and relieving pressure further down the supply chain. By utilising your 3PL partner’s full facilities in-warehouse or in-plant, you can prepare and tailor the packaging of high value cargo in greater volumes.
For example, construction of point of sale displays can be done prior to transit, matching the requirements of individual retailers. They can then be shipped straight to store for maximum efficiency.
Other promotional kitting and bundling can also be handled in advance to suit retailers’ needs. New products are often partnered with additional gifts and marketed as a limited offer. For this, robust inventory management is a necessity, so that all promotional options are available should demand change.
If you’re launching a new consumer electronics product, pre-installation of any last-minute software changes can be easily arranged before transit. That way, you can ensure your supply chain keeps moving so short lead times aren’t threatened by any unplanned updates.
To give your launch lift off, don’t forget the importance of logistics. Protect your short lead times and secure high value cargo with expert supply chain management.
