A lot of focus is placed on improving the last mile of the delivery process, where the product makes its final transition into the hands of the consignee. Companies often concentrate on this last part of the shipping equation in order to find ways to cut costs and increase on-time performance. But, what about the first mile?
Typically, how goods initially enter into a logistics network from an overseas manufacturer to make their way on to a ship or plane and move through the supply chain is an area that doesn’t get the attention it deserves. This is especially true from shipments originated in China, which for many forwarders and shippers is a sort of black box. In other words, there’s a lot that needs to happen to get a customer’s freight out on the water or in the air, but the domestic-side forwarders don’t fully understand it. So, while nailing the last leg of the journey is a crucial part of ensuring seamless transportation, not enough companies are realizing how important getting the first mile right can be for improving efficiency.
When you’re racing to keep up with sky-high customer expectations, every step in your forwarding operation needs to be executed as effectively as possible. Don’t make the mistake of overlooking the impact the first mile can have on your bottom line.
First-Mile Hurdles
There are many reasons coordinating the first mile can be so difficult, especially in China. Whether you’re:
- struggling to overcome confusing language barriers,
- misunderstanding the local business culture,
- or finding yourself completely overwhelmed trying to navigate the largest, and arguably most complex region in the industry,
this first stage can be a pain for any freight forwarder to manage, especially from a distance. Another common problem forwarders face is having to deal with incomplete or inaccurate product information. This hurdle leads to delays in customs clearance and causes frustration for consumers when their goods fail to show up on time.
One method companies can use to enhance coordination between Chinese suppliers and logistics providers responsible for key first-mile transportation services is to integrate a locally based team that’s supported by automated processes. With this solution, you can improve your first mile by:
- preventing time-consuming communication issues
- accounting for local traffic and scheduling congestion
- ensuring accurate and consistent paperwork
- boosting online fulfillment and ecommerce practices
Generally, the same strategies you rely on for increasing transparency and profitability in the last mile can also be applied to the first. There are many opportunities available for forwarders to speed up the time it takes for their customer’s products to get to market, generate savings, and ultimately offer more competitive prices.
What happens during the first mile of delivery sets the stage for the next steps of your customer’s delivery. So, it needs to be done right. Your company will have a much better chance of providing a seamless international shipping experience once you’ve done the work to establish a smoother start. To learn more about how Blinkfreight can help forwarders in the first mile for any shipment originating in China, click here.
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