The 5 fundamental principles of logistics for your store

All current companies recognize logistics as one of the major components of success, and even more so in the case of stores dedicated to e-commerce.

This article is about the 5 fundamental elements that define success in the logistics of a modern company: planning, partnerships, production, distribution and performance.

Together, these elements compose an appropriate picture of the complexity and variety of the logistics process, and giving them due attention can make a difference for your store.

1. Planning

Good preparation, of course, is the greatest guarantee of success. Planning should be thought of at several levels:

Strategic Planning

The strategic level involves long-term objectives and approaches, as well as the allocation of resources to achieve them. A fundamental facet of strategy is trying to identify needs, potential problems, and contingency plans.

Expansion objectives are also included here. It is extremely valuable for a store to be able to rely on a logistics strategy that easily keeps pace with growth: in a word, that is scalable. InPost, as a carrier with almost 20 years of experience across Europe, can not only be the reliable partner you need to support your store's growth, but also has the resources to easily adapt to fluctuations in business volume that are part of any company's life.

Operational Planning

This is day-to-day planning: how to set schedules, manage inventory and other coordination and organization tasks. An approach such as the so-called “just-in-time” inventory belongs at this level, that is, a system that does not allow inventory to accumulate and only receives or processes what is needed at any given moment.

2. Partnerships

A company is typically part of a complex network of suppliers, whether of materials or services, and choosing and maintaining efficient logistics partnerships is one of the most critical factors for customer satisfaction and for your store's success.

The availability of more than one transportation mode is important not only for consumers, but also for companies, minimizing risks and ensuring greater flexibility. The approach in which InPost specializes – out-of-home delivery, through our network of Pickup Points and Lockers – is winning over more and more consumers, thanks to its convenience and prices, as well as being less vulnerable to delays and complications.

3. Production

This is a point that applies more specifically to manufacturing companies, which have to closely consider internal logistics during the production process. This includes the receipt of raw materials and the way the product is transferred at each step of its journey.

The internal logistics of many companies is undergoing transformations not only because of the possibilities offered by modern markets, but also due to technological innovations. See this other article of ours, for example, about smart warehouses.

4. Distribution

Distribution corresponds to the way products reach the consumer. The most critical phase of distribution is the so-called “last mile”, the final stage of the journey before delivery to the consumer, which is especially prone to inefficiencies and problems: from traffic delays to failed deliveries because the person is not at home.

InPost represents a last-mile strategy perfectly designed for digital commerce and for the challenges of the modern world. Our extensive hybrid network of collection points – with more than 12,000 points on the Iberian Peninsula – makes it possible to avoid many of the problems of conventional home deliveries and is a more economical and convenient way of approaching distribution for the consumer. Find out more about our offer for businesses by clicking here.

5. Performance

Of course, measuring and trying to improve performance is one of the major priorities of current companies, in logistics as at other levels.

When it comes to parcel delivery, several indicators are sometimes used, many of which are unsurprising, such as average delivery times or customer satisfaction. Meanwhile, some subtler factors may not be so obvious, such as sustainability, which has become an important concern for many consumers and companies.

On the other hand, a technology like tracking is an important element of performance today, being used by many people when they are waiting for a purchase and promoting transparency during the transport process. To locate an InPost shipment at any time, simply visit our tracking page and enter the necessary information.