Distribution and Delivery: 5 Strategic Priorities for 2024

If you’re under pressure to do more with less in 2024, you’re not alone. The logistics industry faces a unique blend of challenges and opportunities.

In our newest eBook, we dive deep into five strategic priorities essential for navigating this landscape, each offering a pathway to enhanced efficiency and resilience for you and your team.

Here’s a little preview of our top five strategic priorities for logistics companies.

Priority 1: Combating Staff Turnover

Staff turnover remains a significant challenge in the logistics sector. It’s having substantial impacts on logistics companies’ operations, including missed deliveries due to driver shortages, so addressing staff churn is crucial.

The key lies in leveraging a transportation management system (TMS). This technology centralizes knowledge and processes, ensuring seamless transitions during workforce changes, protecting your business from the disruptions of staff turnover.

Priority 2: Advancing To Cloud-Based TMS

The transition to cloud-based transportation software marks a significant shift in logistics management. As more organizations move towards cloud-first strategies, it's even more imperative for your business to unlock the competitive advantage the cloud offers.

For smaller companies, a cloud-based TMS offers a cost-effective, easily deployable solution. Larger enterprises benefit from the flexibility and scalability this setup offers, as it’s essential for managing complex, multi-site distributions effectively. This shift isn't just technological; it's a strategic move to stay competitive in a digitally evolving world.

Priority 3: Elevating Operational Visibility

With increasing operational costs, efficiency and effectiveness are more important in logistics than ever. Modern TMS solutions equipped with business intelligence (BI) features can transform reporting processes, making them more efficient and impactful.

Setting and tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) like cost per load and driver utilization not only demonstrates operational effectiveness but also supports strategic decision-making and the justification of further technology investments.

Priority 4: Embracing Sustainability

Environmental impact is now a core concern in logistics. Strategies to reduce the environmental footprint of distribution include optimizing routes, utilizing appropriate vehicles and minimizing fleet road time.

TMS is instrumental in this regard, offering advanced algorithms for eco-friendlier decision-making and tools for carbon footprint calculation and reduction. In particular, advanced route optimization software can quickly create plans that minimize mileage, reducing the total emissions of your vehicles.

Priority 5: Responding to Customer Expectations

The growing demand for faster delivery presents a significant challenge for logistics teams. Rapid and efficient route planning, enabled by automated and dynamic TMS solutions, is key to meeting these expectations.

A robust TMS not only accelerates planning processes, but it also facilitates real-time adjustments and enables same-day delivery, thereby greatly enhancing customer satisfaction.

Putting the Potential of TMS Into Practice

The five priorities we’ve shared are not just theoretical concepts—they're based on real-world experience. Companies like AO and Blackheath Products have reaped substantial benefits by focusing on these strategic areas using an advanced transportation management system.

If you already have a solution, valuating the readiness of your TMS to handle emerging priorities is essential. The right system can be a game-changer, increasing efficiency, adaptability and sustainability for your logistics operation.

For a deeper dive into this topic, download our eBook on strategic priorities in logistics. You may also enjoy our blog post on overcoming logistics complexity.

If you’re ready to invest in TMS software to tackle your logistics priorities in 2024 and beyond, reach out to one of us here at Aptean to schedule a demo.