Are you about to set up a courier company? Or perhaps you want to invest in a fleet of vehicles to transport your own products from the warehouse to consumers? Or maybe you’re tasked with coming up with a range of supply chain management solutions for a big company? Whatever your situation, there are some things you should know before setting out in the logistics industry. Let’s start with the importance of analytics.
Invest in Analytics
There are all sorts of analytical tools that are used within the logistics industry, with one of the biggest being fleet management software. Making sure you know what your tools are telling you when they are talking about the telematics and how to transfer data to offices is a big part of your role. And that’s just one small area of analytics so take the time to do a course to make sure you are well up-to-date with how the analytics of your business work.
Put in the Work
Some people go into logistics from the front line of the business because they understand the needs of the people who are doing the physical labor of the job. Therefore, these are the people who can provide insight into the logistical side of operations – insights that may not be obvious to company executives. This is great because fresh ideas are what breed the best people in logistics. If you have been away from that role for a few years then picking up a few shifts maybe once a month or quarter will allow you to gain some perspective on the needs of your workforce a bit better. Sometimes putting the work in can involve reading a book that advises on best practice so make sure you are doing the work behind the scenes too.
Improve Your Resume
Given the current state of affairs you could be forgiven for not necessarily being the most active person, but working on an accredited course or a qualification while working from home is a great way of beefing out your CV. Most employers are really keen for you to undertake some sort of continuing development, so showing that you are passionate about the role and the industry is important.
Learn the Vocabulary
Like most business areas there is a very specific language that is used when talking about logistics. Common phrases include ‘commerce fulfillment’ and ‘packing and kitting’. While a degree of knowledge and situational awareness could provide you with the meanings for most of these terms, it is important to do the research ahead of you going in for these positions because you will quickly be knocked down otherwise.
Build Your Network
Fortunately, tools like LinkedIn make it very easy to do this, but if you are looking to move into logistics from another area of the business, making sure you have network connections already in place is a smart idea. Reach out to other business owners and employees in the industry too and learn from their experience on the road.