Now is the time to line up the resources to meet the challenges of the 2023 Holiday Peak season . “ Despite the uncertainty of the market , one thing is clear – this is the time of year when everyone involved in the supply chain needs to line what they will need to cope with the challenges of the Holiday season ,” says Chuck Moyer , former president of CLDA and President of Task4Pros . The company is an app-driven scheduling and management resource that helps business leaders plan and manage warehouse labor usage . “ There ’ s been much talk about the uncertainty of the economy and interest rates , but if Prime Days are an indicator , we ’ re in for another wild holiday season . Companies that plan and align with their supply chain partners and internal resources over the next several weeks will be better equipped to meet their customers ’ demand when Holiday Peak hits .”
Moyer advises carriers to hold meetings now with their biggest customers to discuss their volume projections for the holiday season . “ Well-run companies are meeting with their customers today and asking them about their forecasts for the rest of 2023 and into 2024 . Afterward , they will need to look at their entire workflow , pinpointing their responsibilities , planning accordingly , and lining up their team of outside providers or the resources to meet anticipated volumes ,“ Moyer advises .
Among the questions he suggests companies consider in their planning are :
• Do you have the warehouse space we need , and where can you turn to arrange for temporary additional warehouse space ?
• Do you have the required handling equipment to meet the anticipated demand ?
• How can you get access to the delivery vehicles you will need to meet customer expectations ? And do your current providers have additional capacity if required ?
• Can you bring in enough drivers , either employees or ICs , to ramp up ?
• Do you have the resources to staff up warehouse labor and scale ( up or down ) as needed ? And how can you add additional workers to maximize efficiencies and meet customer expectations ?
• Do you have the office staff to monitor key performance indicators , cash flow , and critical communications ?
“ After you do the assessment , it ’ s time to ask yourself what you can handle in-house and where you need to go for outside partnerships to help you meet your customers ’ needs ,” he advises .
Companies that line up those resources by the end of August give themselves the ability to plan and flex when the weather or supply chain delays complicate things . “ If you have your team of partners in place and in sync , then
Despite the uncertainty of the market , one thing is clear – this is the time of year when everyone involved in the supply chain needs to line what they will need to cope with the challenges of the Holiday season .”
summer 2023 I customized logistics & delivery Magazine 51