As autumn approaches, many businesses will be looking ahead and planning how best to fulfil their orders in time for the Christmas period. One of the biggest challenges our UK courier companies face, is how they will respond as the demand for deliveries grows over the coming months.
Volume increases, peak busy days and cut-off dates on orders, can amount to just some of the supply chain bottle necks. Whilst practical obstacles could entail, reliance on extra staff and vehicles, increased traffic volume on roads and unplanned weather conditions. All these unexpected challenges should be considered when planning to meet Christmas delivery deadlines.
Building a Christmas order delivery plan
A useful planning approach should be considered in 3 clear segments:
Building-up to meet demand – Growing staff and vehicle capacity to accommodate order growth is paramount to meet nearing deadlines. Consider where vulnerable areas of the business will need extra support during the coming months ahead and how as a leader you can relieve the pressures. Will it mean employing extra employees or moving existing staff temporarily into different roles? Are there opportunities to leverage new technology? Will investing in extra equipment and /or vehicles bolster your service level? Or are there any processes that could be streamlined to improve efficiency?
Meeting peak demand – Ensure capacity is protected to meet the largest daily volumes and disruption. Prioritise which orders need to be distributed first over others, especially if they are at a further distance, or higher in volume or value. Who is involved in the dispatch process from start point to end point and how many manpower hours do you have as a team to accomplish your fulfilment obligations?
Post Christmas obligations – Whilst meeting the demand of returns and exchanges is a priority, this is a period when you can begin to reduce delivery capacity steadily. Temporary staff teams can reduce, whilst main staff support can return to their regular roles. It’s also a time for reflection, to understand what went well and what you might do differently next year. Finally, some of those changes that you made to your business prior to Christmas may have paid off and can now implemented as a long-term solution.
Growing business support for Christmas deliveries
Are you looking to grow Christmas support for your business during this Autumn season? JRW Risk Solutions assist companies who are looking to protect temporary staff, protect stock, build courier fleets and help those with longer term growth plans.
To find out more about JRW Risk Solutions courier insurance and liability insurance policies, please contact our dedicated insurance team or see our website for further details.