The consistent drive of companies to reduce expenses and the widespread trend towards focusing strictly on core business activities mean that transport and logistics functions are increasingly being entrusted to specialized companies. Especially now, when the fight for the customer is so aggressive, all factors such as: storage costs, employment costs, or delivery time significantly affect the final execution of an order. The most important criterion for choosing a logistics operator is price, although it only slightly distances other values such as: punctuality and reliability. Flexibility is also a very important element, especially for industries characterized by high sales seasonality. The operator can offer: no fixed costs for the client, a quick reaction to a decrease/increase in the client’s goods flow, and a corresponding decrease/increase in resources. Companies that decide to outsource are afraid of losing control over their goods and processes. The role of the logistics operator is to convince the client of the safety of the entire process and to provide tools so that the client feels comfortable, having, for example: online access to the warehouse system, ongoing reporting, or track&trace (shipment monitoring). Such a mode of cooperation fosters the creation of innovative forwarding models. One of the latest trends in logistics outsourcing is smartsourcing. It assumes achieving set goals and assumed results through jointly determining optimal solutions and through close partnership cooperation between the client and the operator. In search of effective tools aimed at reducing costs and maximizing the use of time and resources, a partnership relationship is established between the client and the operator. An example of a sales model that meets the current needs of customers is industry delivery synergy, which consists of compiling a transport stream within companies from the same industry and dispatching goods to the same retail chains. Such delivery planning significantly reduces distribution costs by shipping a single collective series instead of several fragmented ones. An important element, in the case of logistics companies, is personal initiative in modeling the cooperation project. The forwarder’s task is to build a sense of security and responsibility in business for the client in these relationships. Smartsourcing places emphasis on added value in the logistics service offer, which is even more desirable in times of market slowdown.
Artur Buczyński
Business Process Outsourcing Manager
ROHLIG SUUS Logistics