Why your warehousing could be done better

Time to get a better deal with your warehousing

Within the world of warehousing providers and distributors is a market which is heating up, There’s a lot of competition around with many different providers offering more services, lower costs and complete packages – it may be time to see if there is a more suitable provider out there for your needs. But, how do you know which one would be the most appropriate for you? And, are there things you should be asking your current provider for a better deal?

DMG Freight services offer five questions you should ask any warehouse provider that you may consider moving to below:

1. What type of reports can the company provide, so their reports give you the information that you need to ensure your operations are properly managed? Do they allow you to focus on the bottom line ROI for using the provider?

At the absolute minimum, you should expect there to be instant web access to reports of your inventory which will include things such as your transactions, history, your orders (including current order statuses) as well as payment/billing data.

2. Does the provider offer a pathway which is web based for your reps and yourself to place orders directly onto their system? This is imperative if you will be placing orders as time goes on, they will have to be done speedily and smoothly as well as being flexible enough to integrate into your own systems faultlessly. You should be able to see at any time how much inventory you have available – this will allow you to control who is permitted to access the ordering tools and be able to handle all orders from single ones to larger bulk orders.

3. Is there a platform provided for you to manage and automate key notifications? This could be an imperative tool, with you being immediately alerted to a low stock situation which should notify you before a cut off point for same day deliveries of stock. In place should also be alerts that a return has been processed, confirm receipt of new inventory and so on. When a customer contacts to query a product ordered, it will be you they contact and not your warehouse provider so you need all the information to hand to aid customer satisfaction and to avoid looking unprofessional.

4. Is the provider able to troubleshoot any problems that could arise? From natural disasters, to break ins, stock damage or emergency events such as fires or floods – do they have the expertise to handle these situations? What safety measures do they have in place for such issues? Any company that is established needs to have plans and measures in preparation for the events of disasters, check that these meet with your approval as well as being in line with the law – you can check this on the national government website as to what is required.

5. Why should you use them? You’re not after a sales pitch here, you want facts, figures and testimonials as to why this is the provider for you. How long have they been established? How many clients do they have? Is there a financial advantage to use them i.e loyalty schemes and discounts and what contract lengths are available?

If you are looking for a company you can trust to outsource your warehousing and distribution to click here or call us today on 01279 452 468. We will provide you with a free quote to consider and advise how we can help.