They say that time is money. And in the world of logistics and supply chain management, the more time spent by vehicles on the road in making deliveries, the better.
The truth is: much of their time is spent under a roof waiting to load or unload their next shipment. As much as 50%, according to some estimates.
This is where reducing Time Under The Roof becomes critical. And one really important piece to the puzzle is optimizing the way shipments are processed at hubs.
Curious about ‘Time Under the Roof’? This comprehensive guide has all the answers!
The Last Mile Challenge: Hub Operations
Easier said than done however, as last-mile hub operations face many limitations: limited capacity and resources for vehicles, personnel, and equipment, which create significant challenges. The limited operational hours of some hubs add to the complexity as well. Geographic and traffic conditions too can hinder delivery efficiency, especially in remote or intricate urban environments.
Time sensitivity introduces an additional layer of complication. Many packages necessitate swift delivery, and customer availability for package receipt is often erratic. The diversity of packages, each with unique handling requirements, makes things a lot more challenging. Technological integration deficits may give rise to inefficiencies in inventory management, route optimization, and customer communication.
Last but not least, the growing urgency to address environmental concerns, such as cutting down carbon emissions and adopting green technologies, adds yet another facet to the logistical hurdles of final mile delivery.
Also read: Why You Should Choose Carbon Neutral Shipping Today
Revolutionizing Logistics with Locus Hub Operations
Optimizing hub operations is vital for businesses aiming to enhance efficiency and exceed customer expectations. With Locus, companies can trade valuable time spent under the roof for more active miles on the road, ultimately revolutionizing their operations. Let’s explore how Locus Hub Operations can help businesses streamline their processes, minimize time spent at hubs, and maximize overall profitability:
1. Trade Time Spent On Hub Operations For Active Miles On the Road
In today’s fast-paced last-mile delivery landscape, reducing time spent on hub operations is crucial for maximizing efficiency and improving customer satisfaction. By adopting innovative solutions like Locus, businesses can trade time spent under the roof for more active miles on the road, leading to optimized operations and enhanced profitability.
2. Strategize for Frictionless Loading and Unloading at Hubs
Efficient loading and unloading processes are key to minimizing time spent at hubs. Locus offers automated load balancing and sorting capabilities, enabling first-in-last-out loading operations. By leveraging intelligent algorithms, orders can be strategically sorted to ensure faster dispatch, reducing waiting times and increasing overall throughput.
3. Power Fastest Time to Dispatch with an Intelligent Sorting Engine
To expedite dispatch operations, Locus employs an intelligent sorting engine. It automatically categorizes and sorts orders based on specific constraints, such as delivery speed, order type, service zones, and more. By streamlining the sorting process, businesses can accelerate order fulfillment, enabling better dispatch planning and reducing time spent at the hub.
4. Load Formation: Maximize Vehicle Capacity and Optimize Dispatch Operations
Locus integrated unit load formation capabilities maximizes vehicle capacity by efficiently assigning orders to suitable pallets or trucks to enhance volume and cost efficiency, and minimize the number of vehicles required. This results in fewer trips to the hub and more active miles on the road.
5. Steer Predictable Fulfillment with Hub-Level Control
With hub-level control, businesses can simplify end-of-day settlements for each trip. Custom workflows can be created to reconcile payments, manage undelivered SKUs, track orders, and recover assets at each hub. By centralizing control at the hub level, businesses can minimize network errors and eliminate unauthorized movements, reducing delays caused by misrouted orders and missing items.
6. Gain Uninterrupted Visibility from Dispatch to Doorstep
Locus empowers businesses with granular visibility into outsourced fulfillment lifecycles. Custom workflows can be configured at the hub level, including proof of delivery and chain of custody transfer to ensure immediate visibility at each step of the delivery process. Real-time updates and intelligent alerts provide comprehensive fulfillment status visibility, allowing businesses to stay on top of shipment progress from dispatch to delivery.
7. Bridge Operational Gaps with Insight-Led Operations
Leveraging real-time execution data at every touchpoint, Locus enables businesses to optimize operations for reduced time-under-roof, minimize SLA breaches caused by delays, and maximize volume utilization. By harnessing insights derived from the data, businesses can identify bottlenecks, streamline processes, and continuously improve efficiency, ultimately resulting in reduced time spent at hubs and increased active miles on the road.
This trade-off between time spent at hubs and active miles on the road empowers organizations to unlock new levels of operational excellence, improve customer satisfaction, and achieve sustainable growth in today’s competitive market.
By embracing the Locus solution and prioritizing efficient hub operations, businesses can transform their last-mile delivery processes.