ARK India

The logistics industry in today’s world largely operates on the linear model where the products are discarded after consumption. However, this approach doesn’t bode well for the environment as it creates a lot of trash that compromises the ecological balance. Growing concerns towards this “wastage of goods” has led to the development of a new model for the supply chain management which focuses on sustainability for the betterment of our planet.

A circular Supply Chain involves keeping the resources in use for as long as possible and recovering the products at the end of their life cycle to regenerate them into new ones. The restorative property of the circular supply chain management makes it a greener alternative to the conventional linear model.

Also known as reverse supply chain management, the circular economy has garnered a lot of attention in recent years due to the safety regulations laid down by local governments to decrease the carbon footprint. Moreover, by connecting the end of a supply chain with its starting point, companies have understood that this method generates more profit and less waste. Following are some more benefits of a circular supply chain for a company:

1. Low Production Cost

Since the materials are reused in circular supply chain management, a company can save its production costs by re-manufacturing the waste products. You do not need to procure new raw material every time as most of your demand will be met by the reusable products you recover.

2. Environment-Friendly Approach

The circular supply chain aims to reduce the wastage or at least keep it to a bare minimum to prevent it from piling up in landfills. This method allows the companies to embrace sustainability by converting the "waste" into a beneficial resource for the environment. By implementing this approach, you are doing your part to save the environment by minimizing waste and reusing whatever possible.

3. Adherence To Government Guidelines

Governments across the globe are getting stricter by the day when it comes to environmental issues. Laws and regulations are being made that are forcing businesses to go green and make recycling a top priority. If a company fails to adhere to the regulations, then heavy fines are imposed, thereby reducing the profits as well as brand image for the company. With the circular supply chain, you are able to abide by these guidelines and prevent any restrictions on your business.

4. Protection Against Price Volatility

In today’s world, anything can happen that can disrupt your capacity to do business or make it difficult for you to procure raw materials due to rising costs. A circular supply chain model protects you from this kind of volatility. By knowing the quantity of raw material produced through the recycling of products, you can accurately determine the budget required for the production of new goods.  

5. Improved Customer Loyalty

People are becoming more conscious of the environment and are thinking twice before buying anything to understand the product’s impact on the environment. Even though sustainable products cost more than traditional ones, people are willing to shell out more money for the sake of the earth. By embracing the circular supply chain method, you can improve your image in your consumer’s mind and strengthen their loyalty towards your business.

The four primary modes of transportation in logistics are shipments by truck, ship, train and plane — also known as road, maritime, rail and air shipments. Secondary Transport(distribution) services include delivery of products from warehouses to distribution centers and customers.

For any business, inventory is the biggest expense. But the second biggest expense is the workforce, and efficient management of people is more difficult than managing the inventory and products. Especially manpower management and planning for warehouse and logistics systems can get tricky and challenging. The workforce takes up about 50-70% of the warehouse budget. It should be a top priority for people to manage the workforce efficiently to make the best of the capital spent on it and get the highest returns. So today, we’ll talk about some tips on managing manpower and planning things in a rather strategic way.

1. Be Diligent in Hiring the Right People

Some companies take this part more seriously than others, and the ones who do, have positive results to show for it. This is the single most productive way to increase turnover and improve efficiency. At every level, you need workers that are dedicated and care about their job. One good rule to focus on is hiring on the basis of attitude and not skills. There are plenty of skilled people on the job market, but the people with the right attitude will care enough about their job to be their best versions, no matter what the challenges are. These are the kinds of people who will take your company to new heights.

2. Be Mindful of Developing Better DC Managers and Supervisors

Your distribution centres have a high monopoly in terms of impact. Inside these distribution centres, there is a disproportionate impact that the supervisors and managers have on the productivity of distribution centres. Associates are happier when you have a manager who is good at his job. For the logistics workforce, these mid-level managers are who represent your company. So for the workers to be invested in their job, you must take your time and hire good managers and supervisors with great communication and management skills.

3. Prioritizing Workforce Retention

Workforce retention is necessary, especially in the logistics department. The more time your workers spend repeating your processes, the more they get adjusted to it. When associates keep rotating in and out of the company, a lot of resources, time, and capital is spent in training new people and replenishing the roles of the old workers. It could take some time to get new workers trained and effective at par with the productivity levels of old experienced workers. Thus, strategies and plans must be put in place to prioritize workforce retention.

4. Promotions from Within the Company

The thing about the logistics business is that it is very customized to every single company. Companies tend to look at outside hires whenever new upper management or mid-management positions open up and look for professionals with years of experience and impressive resumes. But it is always a better option to promote a lower-level worker who has been with the company for several years to that position. There should be programs in place to nurture your workforce to grow and take on more responsibility if needed. If nothing else, they’ll be better at their job.

5. Measurement of Individual Productivity

Data can never be a bad thing, especially if it is organized well and actionable. One such metric is productivity percentage which can be tracked using many software systems. Using this data, you can create an air of strictness without any strict actions, where workers will always keep a constant check on their performance. Doing this encourages everyone to perform better because they know that there will be statistics involved in their performance reviews. On the other side of the coin, companies can have a more detailed look at what holes to plug and which area needs more attention to improve productivity.

Supply chain analytics refers to the processes organizations use to gain insight and extract value from the large amounts of data associated with the procurement, processing and distribution of goods.

Global trade has evolved so that any kind of product is available to buy regardless of geographic location. The interesting thing is that this includes perishable items like meat, medicines, and even flowers. How do you suppose imported meat gets delivered worldwide? The answer is through cold chain logistics.

Supply Chain Management has come a long way in the past few decades. Managing inventories and transportation to aid global trade has been bolstered through technological advancements. This includes the storage and shipping of perishable items that need to be refrigerated throughout the way to be able to survive the entire process.

Cold chain logistics is precisely what the name suggests; a method of logistics that involves refrigeration techniques to provide customers and clients with temperature-sensitive products in usable condition. The process consists of a series of tasks to prepare products for preparation, storing them appropriately and transporting them carefully in refrigerated storage all the way through.

A failure to ensure proper refrigeration renders the product useless, making it a loss for the customer, which means it is wastage and a financial setback for both the business and the end consumer. It is not just about refrigeration even. It is about maintaining the ideal temperature for the specific product. For example, ice cream needs freezing temperatures, whereas something like meat would require a lesser yet cold temperature.

Let’s take a look at the critical aspects of a cold storage chain. These components are all equally essential to make a cold chain successful.

1. Storage Some might think that the refrigeration starts at the point where the product leaves the manufacturer. But it is actually storage of the products that require the first level of refrigeration. The manufacturers need the appropriate storage facility for temperature-sensitive products to keep them cold. If they don’t have this arrangement, they’ll require a third-party logistics partner that does have it. This arrangement includes things like containers, cold rooms, cold boxes, vaccine carriers, blast freezers, and chillers.

2. Packaging This is the tricky part where temperature-sensitive products can be ruined if not done correctly. Proper packaging is required to minimize the risk of ruined product through spillage or contamination. Refrigeration also requires the packaging to be proper; otherwise, the insides of the package can be spoiled.

3. Monitoring Temperature-sensitive cargo requires more than usual types of monitoring. This data can include the temperature levels, humidity, and other environmental factors and the regulation tracking factors of a shipment. This information is key for suppliers to be able to tailor their process to make sure that no calamity strikes in the transit of the products. Data logging is a method that is used to keep this information and use it wisely. It can be done remotely through web-based computers or even smartphones wirelessly.

4. Transportation Transportation is essential since sometimes packages can take a lot of time to be delivered based on the mode of transportation. Luckily, cold storage options are available for air, rail, sea, and even road. There is a variety of specialized transport available for this exact need. These include refrigerated vans, trucks, reefer containers to keep the shipment cold.

5. Customs Cold chain logistics could be on any scale, including local, regional, or global. When the products need to be shipped overseas to clients, it is international trade. For that, some legalities need to be taken care of. A specialized cold logistics operator will be able to take care of the legal hassle and the paperwork with ease when it comes to international shipments.

6. Product Handling Temperature-controlled products require specialized handling equipment like boxes, crates, pallets, and sometimes seven conveyor belts. The lack of such equipment can cause loss of shipment or difficulty in fulfilling product deliveries.

7. Delivery The last item on the list is the fulfillment of the order, i.e. Delivery. The delivery process should also be made using well-equipped means like refrigerated vans or trucks.

If you are in a business that requires cold Chain Management services, we have highly professional Temperature Controlled Transportation services to offer. At ARK India, we pride ourselves on providing quality of service with technology and personnel to help you reach your customers most cost-effectively.