The process of moving goods from one location to another involves many steps, a variety of people performing different tasks, as well as the ability to negotiate complex documentation and procedures.
When the transportation of goods involves crossing international borders, the details and documentation are even more critical. You may consider engaging a third-party logistics company to handle logistics management on your behalf. However, it’s essential to choose the right partner because there are many people involved in the logistics supply chain, and they fulfill different roles.
What is a Logistics Company, and What Does a Logistics Company Do?
When unfamiliar with logistics operations, it can be easy to confuse a freight broker with 3PL companies. Each company acts as a mediator between a shipper and a carrier, however, they provide different services along the supply chain.
A broker has an intermediary relationship between shipping companies who handle the transportation of goods for a carrier. They are neither a shipper nor an asset-owning carrier.
A 3PL service focuses on the bigger picture. These companies handle all business logistics on your behalf. From the point of origin to consumption, they take care of the specific details of supply chain management.
3PL companies provide several benefits that smaller entities cannot match.
Competitive Prices
3PL companies have well-established and reliable transportation networks to ensure they fulfill their tasks. This means they can obtain cheaper rates and pass the savings on to you.
Help with Expansion
Using 3PL companies is a cost-effective way to help you test new markets without the financial risk of investing your own capital in warehouse expansion and additional labor costs.
Testing new or alternative markets offers valuable data about customer demand, providing you with the information you need to grow your business. If your product flow and storage requirements peak at certain times of the year, this can be an excellent time to expand your business using a logistics company’s connections.
Customer Satisfaction
If you let customers down, there is always the chance they could choose your competitor instead. Aside from the lost business, there could be repercussions in the form of reputation damage.
If customers require raw materials or equipment and supplies for their business, they want to know you can provide them on a reliable and long-term basis.
Asiana USA has connections with a wide-reaching network of shipping providers to give your customers peace of mind from the place of origin to the point of consumption.
Reduced Stress
Even knowledgeable transport managers may find it challenging to know the regulations for import and export across various states and international borders.
However, it is the job of a good shipping logistics company to help you arrange all your requirements for warehouse storage and transportation of goods to your clients. Outsourcing inventory management and logistics processes to a 3PL company reduces your workload and minimizes the pressure on your business so you can focus on growing your company.
There are also significant time and labor savings because you don’t need to check the specific regulations that apply to each journey. Your logistics company completes and files all the relevant paperwork with the authorities.
How to Choose a Logistics Partner
The logistics company you choose may come down to your specific requirements. Perhaps you can handle warehousing but need a freight company to transport your goods from the source to the client.
However, if you wish to integrate a logistics company into your workflow, choose a partner that performs multiple essential tasks on your behalf, leaving you free to work other aspects of your company.
Asiana USA offers storage, packaging, order picking, and delivery to your customers, essentially giving you a bespoke warehouse management operation. This model is well-suited to businesses that prefer to outsource this aspect of their service so they can focus on improving production logistics.
In Sum
The logistical aspect of a company’s operations can be complicated. When business owners and employees already have daily obligations, adding the responsibility of ensuring safe and timely passage of goods from the site of production to clients can lead to mistakes, added stress, and unhappy customers.
As Asiana USA, we can provide warehouse fulfillment services and handle all your logistical requirements, allowing you to have peace of mind. Contact one of our sales professionals at (855) 500-1808 for a consultation or to request a quote.