Note: Today’s post is part of our “Editor’s Choice” series where we highlight recent posts published by our sponsors that provide supply chain insights and advice.
Coronavirus, and the supply chain impact are being felt worldwide. As my colleague Steve Banker and I wrote about last week, coronavirus is leaving its mark on the global high tech supply chain as well as the automotive and pharmaceutical supply chains. Yesterday I read a blog from Logistyx about how retailers are responding to coronavirus concerns.
In response to the coronavirus outbreak, many retailers have closed stores and factories in China, disrupting their supply chains – on top of transportation restrictions already limiting travel to and from the country. However, retailers will have to determine the best way(s) to move inventory out of China to stores in other regions, which could prove increasingly difficult as demand for various modes of transportation grow and cargo capacity becomes more limited.
Many retailers’ supply chains are already starting to feel the strain of mandated quarantines and store closings from the coronavirus outbreak. While many brands build a buffer inventory into their supply chains, now’s the time to initiate a contingency plan for redirecting inventory to retail stores in other regions to diminish any further fallout.
So how can brands move inventory quickly at the least expensive cost? By staying nimble, and a Transportation Management System (TMS) for parcel shipping can help. A TMS for parcel shipping enables retailers to quickly scale their shipping operations while keeping costs in check by automating processes to easily measure actual transportation costs and identify opportunities to deploy optimal parcel delivery strategies.
(For the rest of the article, click HERE)
