The holiday season is rapidly approaching. Along with it already being the busiest time of the year, the movement to eCommerce and omni-channel shopping has made accurate demand planning even more complicated. In order to deal with all of the unknowns that come with these new channels, supply chains have to be flexible. From inventory fluctuations and seasonality changes, housing the right inventory when needed, to general supply chain disruptions there are a lot of plans to manage. Enter on-demand warehousing, a platform that connects retailers with warehouse operators to scale operations as their distribution demands. Below are three common logistics issues that can easily be solved with on-demand warehousing.
- Supply Chain Disruptions
Supply chain disruptions happen all the time. Whether due to inclement weather or unplanned inventory changes, you need to be prepared to protect your margins no matter what happens. When solving for overflow inventory during peak seasons instead of paying for more space in your existing network why not purchase the space you need only for the short-term. On-demand warehousing helps with supply chain disruptions by supplementing your distribution network when and where you need it. - Over-Stock Inventory
Over-stocking your warehouse leads to productivity issues. If your warehouse becomes unorganized, or if your aisles are crowded, your operational efficiency will drastically decrease. By utilizing on-demand warehousing to move slower moving SKUs off-site you’ll be able to stay on-top-of your fast-moving products and keep your processes running smoothly. - Planned Inventory Peaks
Demand planning for peak seasons isn’t easy but failure to plan can quickly lead to loss of sales. You may think an easy way to solve for increased demand is to invest in more warehouse space and allocate the increased inventory at each location in your network, but what do you do with that extra space once your peak season is over? With on-demand warehousing, inventory fluctuations are easily solvable. You’ll be able to store excess inventory where it is most needed in your distribution network only as long as you really need it.
On-demand warehousing is a flexible approach to seasonal logistics issues. It can help to lower your logistics costs, improve planning strategies, and help with the unexpected.