TransImpact

In the era of growing technological advancements, the landscape of parcel spend management has undergone astonishing transformations. The concurrency of global trade, e-commerce, and innovative logistics solutions has given rise to a complex web of small parcel carriers, each contending for a share of the parcel shipping market.  

Effective parcel spend management is no longer an option but a critical requirement for businesses of all sizes. Providing timely delivery while controlling costs is essential to remain profitable in today’s dynamic market. Companies that fail to implement efficient and cost-effective ways of managing parcel spend will undoubtedly fall behind. 

Advanced data analytics, rapid software solutions, and real-time tracking capabilities have allowed businesses to gain critical insights into their shipping expenses, the performance of their carriers, and what their customers want. The information is easy to understand and helps companies make rational decisions. 

Effective parcel spend management that utilizes these technological advancements can prove to be a differentiator in the upcoming holiday season. With major celebrations knocking on the door, the market always experiences a surge in online shopping, resulting in greatly increased parcel shipping volumes. Lack of proper parcel spend optimization during peak periods can increase shipping costs and result in delivery challenges. 

A vital question that haunts many businesses is: What is the preferable way to avoid deflating profits and potential customer loss due to shipping challenges? For starters, companies can navigate through erratic times using parcel spend optimization strategies. 

Parcel spend optimization is a vital aspect of parcel management that helps organizations reduce their small parcel shipping expenses. It enhances overall efficiency, improves productivity, and positively impacts your bottom line.  

This article delves into the factors that make parcel spend management strategies successful. So, hang tight — here we go. 

The critical success factors for effective parcel spend management are: 

Data transparency & analysis: Technological advancements have enabled companies to streamline parcel shipping operations by effectively utilizing shipping data. This includes analytics, rate optimization, and real-time tracking for informed decision-making. Essential data points such as shipping volumes, carriers, destinations, and costs are collected, consolidated, and analyzed for successful parcel spend management implementation. 

Shipping rate negotiation: Another factor for success lies in how well you negotiate (or renegotiate) your shipping contract with your carrier(s). A skillful negotiation is necessary to ensure favorable shipping rates and terms. Key elements of the negotiation process include conducting periodic agreement reviews, comparing and benchmarking current rates with industry standards, and employing modern technology such as data analytics to identify new cost-saving opportunities. 

Service level optimization: It’s crucial to strike the right balance between the cost and the level of service you’re receiving. To achieve this balance and optimize your parcel spend, you must carefully evaluate the available services and then select the most cost-effective options that will help you meet your customers’ expectations. It’s essential to avoid paying for speed or features that may not be required for your specific needs. 

Real-time tracking & visibility: This is a valuable tool for businesses to enhance the customer experience and streamline operations. Providing customers with up-to-date information on their shipments’ status empowers companies to improve transparency, build trust, and promptly resolve any address-related issues. Additionally, businesses can optimize delivery routes by analyzing the data collected through shipment tracking, thus reducing transit times and improving efficiency. 

Packaging optimization: Carriers use dimensional weight as a pricing factor for parcels, making the package’s size as crucial as its weight. Minimizing the shipment’s dimensional weight is the key to getting the most cost-effective shipping rate. Selecting the correct package size, using efficient packing techniques, and ensuring the parcel is securely packed to prevent damage during transit are all important. 

Invoice audits: Businesses must review carrier invoices regularly to detect and rectify billing errors or discrepancies. This ensures accuracy in billing and prevents the incurrence of unnecessary expenses. By auditing your carrier invoices, you confirm that you are paying only for the services you received, which helps maintain financial accountability and avoid unnecessary expenses. 

In the current dynamic market, where customer expectations and shipping volumes are changing rapidly, companies need to implement effective parcel spend management strategies in order to maintain profitability and deliver a positive customer experience. By embracing these strategies, companies can effectively manage their shipping expenses, optimize shipping processes, and enhance visibility across their supply chain.  

With the holiday season just months away, it's time businesses start ramping up their supply chain and look for solutions that will aid their operations and maintain their profit margins. The rise of technology has increased customers' demand for a more accessible alternative to physically going to market, providing rapid growth to online industries.

However, ensuring you reach the right place with the right product at the right time is not straightforward. It involves many stages, from shipping products out of manufacturing facilities to managing warehouses, fulfillment centers, and final timely delivery.

Most companies prefer outsourcing their logistics. After all shipping is a time-consuming and costly process. According to many industry experts, shipping expenses can consume up to 40% of a company's operational budget, which can significantly deflate profit margins. To mitigate reducing margin, effective and prompt contract negotiation is essential.

What Is Parcel Contract Negotiation?

Parcel contract negotiation refers to the agreement between a shipper and a carrier regarding the terms and conditions of the parcel transportation services. The main objective of contract optimization is to establish a mutually beneficial contract that outlines the pricing and service levels for the shipment of parcels. A balance of interests for both shippers and carriers is essential for a shipping contract negotiation to succeed. Achieving goals while maintaining a productive and mutually beneficial business relationship is crucial.

Contract Negotiation in Supply Chain Management

Contract negotiation in supply chain management is the process of reaching agreements between parties involved in the supply chain, such as buyers and suppliers. It specifies the terms, conditions, and expectations governing the procurement of goods or services. Contract optimization is necessary to identify and mitigate risks that can lead to monetary loss and waste time.

For instance, a contract optimized to reduce costs and improve resource use ensures companies get the best deals and avoid unnecessary expenses. Furthermore, it provides all parties involved with legal and ethical standards that set clear expectations and guidelines. This can prevent legal disputes, associated costs, and damage to brand reputation.

The contract negotiation process helps companies reduce costs, optimize resource use, and improve their bottom line by identifying and mitigating risks and determining growth opportunities.

7 Crucial Tips for Effective Shipping Contract Negotiations:

Effective parcel contract negotiations are essential for building strong and mutually beneficial relationships, mitigating risks, and optimizing supply chain operations. Here are seven crucial tips for successful contract negotiations in supply chain management:

1. Thoroughly Prepare

Before entering negotiations, conduct thorough research on the carrier, market conditions, and industry benchmarks. Understand your own needs, objectives, and constraints. Preparing well is more likely to aid you in achieving favorable terms.

2. Transparently define objectives

Define what you are looking for through negotiation, like cost reduction, delivery schedules, service levels, and risk mitigation strategies. Figure out what you want to achieve and prioritize your goals.

3. Go with a win-win mindset

Always look for win-win outcomes where both parties benefit from the contract. Seek solutions that create value for your organization and, at the same time, benefit your carrier, fostering a long-term partnership.

4. Look past the price

While lowering your costs is essential, don't base your entire negotiation on it. Determine added terms and conditions or payment terms, quality standards, delivery schedules, volume commitments, and dispute resolution mechanisms.

5. Guard against hidden costs

Don't hesitate to scrutinize the contract for hidden costs and risks. Examine details on factors like transportation costs, storage fees, and penalties and address them in the agreement.

6. Build relationships

Establishing a positive working relationship with your carrier during and beyond the negotiation process can lead to more favorable terms and smoother cooperation. Remember, trust and open communication always help.

7. Seek expert advice

Seek advice and assistance from industry specialists in negotiating, especially for complex contracts. Experts like TransImpact, with decades of experience, can ensure the contract is sound and that you fully understand the implications of all the terms.

Conclusion

Successful contract negotiations are a game-changer. It allows companies to secure better terms, optimize routes, streamline processes, and reduce shipping expenses. By partnering with carriers, shippers can access competitive rates and tailored solutions that align with their unique needs and objectives.

Parcel shipping has picked up the pace post-Covid, but with shipping becoming ever more expensive, you need to negotiate your carrier contracts as precisely as possible, because those costs could very well be the difference between profit and loss. For an effective negotiation, you need a technologically driven parcel contract negotiation service.

For most companies, shipping and delivery through external carriers occupies a substantial chunk of their annual budget. This is why businesses seek the assistance of the best parcel contract negotiators and their contract negotiation expertise.

TransImpact is the pioneer of the parcel contract negotiation industry and can assist you in parcel contract optimization. Via our proven negotiation process, proprietary technology, and, most importantly, the market expertise of our people, we find savings that no one else can. Our flawless winning record and guaranteed parcel cost reduction ensure that you get:

100% Savings – We find savings for every shipper.

Our expert team finds 15%–40% of meaningful savings for 85% of the businesses that seek our parcel contract negotiation services.

This year our average annual savings are 23.6%.

Weekly Report Card – We give you actual figures of optimized and real savings so you can hold us accountable.

Keep Your Carrier – Our coach and counsel method ensures that your relationship with your carrier is not jeopardized.

To give you an ace up your sleeve for your next parcel contract negotiation, here are a few important factors to know about:

Get a summary of your shipping profile – An in-depth picture of your shipping profile will provide vital insights like your shipping volume per annum, typical weights and dimensions of your packages, rate surcharges (if any) and how they affect shipping costs, and more. Every business has a distinct shipping profile, and you need to know yours in order to negotiate effectively with your carrier.

Do an in-depth analysis of your current contract – Take your time and dive deep into your current contract. Learn about your existing rates and your shipping needs. Understand how the carriers are pricing their services. The analysis will help you connect the dots, as it will portray a clear image of the critical areas that need to be adjusted in the negotiation so that you can save more.

Avoid making hasty decisions – Once you understand your contract and your shipping profile, do not rush into the negotiation. Parcel contract optimization does not happen with a snap of your fingers. It is a step-by-step process of analyzing your shipping data, inviting bids from multiple carriers, and waiting for the approval of your proposal. The process demands time; if you don’t have it, hire an experienced parcel negotiation expert like TransImpact. Our typical small parcel contract negotiation takes 4 to 6 weeks with minimal time commitment from you.

Never burn the bridge – Small parcel contract negotiation goes beyond “quid pro quo.” It is a chance to develop a robust positive relationship with your carrier. Avoid going into negotiations with the mind set of beating your opponent. Try to reach an agreement that is beneficial for all parties.

Avoid restricting focus solely to rates – It is evident that when you enter negotiations with carriers, your key focus is to reduce your shipping cost and minimize its impact on your overall revenue. However, you should also look beyond rates to less tangible factors such as technological superiority, customer service, and on-time delivery. You can make a list of the factors that are important to your business.

Employ the right technology and expertise – Parcel contract negotiation is a daunting task. You must be patient, learn highly technical shipping vocabulary, and collect as much information and insight as possible. Still, you will lag behind the expertise of the carrier reps. And you likely want to focus more on growing your business than negotiating shipping rates. That’s why we say leave it to the experts.

TransImpact pioneered and has led the parcel contract negotiation industry for more than 15 years. We know that negotiating contracts requires expertise and experience. Our experts have 800+ years of combined experience in the industry. We have a proven 5-step negotiation process from cost-free analysis to contract compliance. Our proprietary technology enables us to minutely analyze your shipping data and pinpoint the areas where you can reduce costs.

The most stubborn and expensive issue business leaders face is related to demand planning. 

Demand planners who rely on poorly researched demand planning disappoint customers, bleed profits, and lose market share to more efficient and tuned-in competitors.  

Gut instincts and spreadsheets cannot understand the sheer scale and complexity of the supply chain management operations. That is why, in order to thrive in this competitive market, industry leaders use technologically backed demand planning software to get consistently more accurate results. 

So, how can you meet these demand planning challenges and improve your profits and future sales? 

Before finding the solution to these challenges, we need to address them first. Let’s find out more about the challenges the demand planners face during the planning process: 

1. Gathering Information from Across Different Departments 

Creating a demand plan means gathering information across all the different departments in your business, which includes activities like sales reports or promotion information. So, what’s the problem? Most of these departments do not have a dedicated interest in providing you with comprehensive information reports on time. This activity takes time and adds extra pressure on your already delayed process. 

2. Making Sense of Contrasting Data 

Collecting information from various multidisciplinary departments in your organization means managing spreadsheets. Lots of differently formatted spreadsheets. How can you figure out what kinds of specific changes were made to the process if someone has already forgotten to update it in the spreadsheet? That’s why data automation with the help of demand planning tools is very crucial for your business. 

3. Creating the Demand Plan  

Once you have diligently gathered as much data as you can, you upload it into your demand planning systems and create your own demand plan. But once again – something just doesn’t feel right. Once you work up your magic, it feels like the problem is still unresolved. Department data and historical data manually updated in the spreadsheet are helpful at some point, but it's only giving you a two-dimensional forecast. If only your well-experienced demand planning skills were powered by real-time data and essential demand indicators to create an updated comprehensive forecast. 

4. Enabling Teams to Implement the Demand Plan  

Your demand plan is finally approved. Awesome! Once your demand plan is implemented, it will generate impressive results, right? We wish it could have been that simple. But as it turns out, the supply chain team from your organization didn’t even implement your plan because they were not able to see or understand any of the assumptions you put into it. Sooner or later, because of the lack of implementation, your business ends up with overstocked or understocked inventory. This is where you need a suitable demand planning tool to help you thrive. 

5. Getting Blamed for Unsatisfactory Forecasting Accuracy 

After overcoming all the silos-related hurdles and dealing with numerous technical delays, your management is still unsatisfied with your demand planning methods. And the worst part is you get all the blame for poor on-shelf availability or excess inventory. 

Whenever you raise an issue with the management, all you hear from them is their instance on results, not problems. As you have unquestionably realized, dealing with these challenges that you face on a day-to-day basis is going to take more than an agile methodology and a whiteboard cover. 

6. A Fragmented Approach to Demand Planning  

The digital transformation over the past few years has enabled customers to use various omnichannel platforms for their shopping needs. Be it your bricks and mortar store or the e-commerce websites, in this scenario, you cannot predict accurately on what platform the order will be placed by customers. This ultimately leaves you with overstocking at one inventory location and understocking at another. If your demand forecasting is backed with state-of-the-art and automated demand planning software, then you won't have to worry about what platform the customer is going to use for their order purchase. 

7. The Dynamic Nature of Your Business 

The only consistent thing in your business is its inconsistency. Its ever-changing format makes it difficult sometimes to create an accurate demand planning method. 

There is a host of factors that affects the demand planning process, like changing trends, customer behaviors, industry standards, and constantly evolving competitors' strategy. To deal with such problems, you need an automated dashboard to help you with all your demand planning requirements. 

Fortunately, There’s a Solution  

One efficient way to find a solution to this problem is to connect, with an expert data professional who can help you understand the complexity hidden in big data, such as market trends and performance. This better understanding will eventually help you make better decisions through actionable insights for reducing costs, increasing margins, and enhancing the overall quality of the product. 

Take a Deep Dive into the World of Supply Chain Management

Capture Big Savings on Parcel Spend Management

Save More Than Expected with the Help of Parcel Spend Management Software

This is the golden era for the e-commerce industry and fast and free shipping as both customer expectations and demand are growing exponentially. However, many businesses are facing difficulty dealing with parcel shipping. Carriers across the globe are running at full capacity, and shipping costs are unparalleled. That’s why it's crucial for businesses to find parcel spend management to optimize their parcel spend. 

What Is Parcel Spend Management? 

Parcel spend refers to the transportation cost associated with parcel carriers. That includes parcel weight, distance, and service level. Parcel spend management is using technology to analyze your parcel data and manage your parcel spend costs. 

There are also several additional fees squeezed into your parcel contract that could affect your shipment invoice unexpectedly. 

When it comes to parcel contract management, the goal is to select the most cost-effective and optimized carriers so that you won't leave money on the table. It's all about having the just right partner, strategy, and technology.  

Conventional parcel delivery business models have revolved around service level and pricing capabilities usually catered by USPS, DHL, FedEx, or UPS. But not around the constantly changing needs of the shippers who purchase and use these services to meet their customer demands. 

As a business entity, you need to keep your eye on the pricing ball: 

Many of these parcel providers are asset-based, have stakeholders to report to, and government regulations to follow. That’s why they add extra fees and rates in order to meet their sales targets. Now, this is the kind of money you can save and use somewhere else. 

This pricing puzzle gets more complicated by excessively complex matrices like third-party billing fees, shifts in the dimensional pricing index, oversized and unauthorized packages, frequent changes to fuel charges, handling charges, etc. 

Almost every parcel carrier makes changes to their individual tariffs, which can make a sizable difference in your parcel spend, parcel shipping, and parcel cost management which eventually hamper your bottom line. 

Pricing ambiguity and constant pricing changes can specifically impact growing businesses that struggle to thrive in the market and compete with the big players. Considering all the above factors, you need a proper tool with adequate amounts of technological backup to full fill all your parcel spend needs. 

Where Does Parcel Spend Management Add Value? 

It identifies each business's distinctive characteristic, which parcel service providers use to build their cost-to-bill model. 

It identifies key driving points in parcel service provider's profitability metrics, including pick and drop cost, line haul, air feed, and total cost per stop. 

It builds a business model that factors in package cost and clearly defines a comprehensive strategy around technology, pick-up and delivery densities, freight rates, dimensional weight factor, seasonality, fuel surcharges, and service level demand from your customers. 

So how can you harness these constantly growing changes, to take control of your parcel spend, avoid getting stuck into overly charged costs and inefficient practices, and achieve advanced service levels and retail customers? Find a parcel spend management service. 

But you shouldn’t settle for any parcel spend management. After all, any service provider can offer you with a total savings of 4-5% on average. 

But at TransImpact, we have not only the expertise but the technology to find 15-20% hidden savings on your parcel shipping agreement. 

If you are selling a product, supply chain management is involved. For a successful business, the journey of a product from the factory to the customer's doorstep is not complete without proper inventory planning. 

What is inventory planning? 

Inventory planning is the process of estimating and forecasting a product's requirement in the future in order to efficiently plan upcoming sales. Just by looking at its name, this process might sound easy. But inventory planning plays a significant role when it comes to dealing with the issues of sales fulfilment and overall customer satisfaction experience. 

Why is inventory planning important? 

Any business's bottom line can be immensely affected by poor inventory planning. That's why it's vital for your business. 

Increased Transparency  

A business can have far better clarity and transparency if they have optimized inventory. Having transparency in your inventory can avoid situations like understocking or overstocking. 

Intensify Demand Forecasting 

You need an accurate prediction of your product demand if you are planning to come out on top and stand out from your competitors. Your inventory management system should have the latest technology to provide you with accurate demand forecasting. 

Grow Profits 

With a powerful inventory planning tool in your arsenal, a business can waste less capital on ordering, storing, and handling excessive stock. This will also lower extra expenses like labor costs, transportation, warehouse expenses and security costs. Saving up on all this additional spending adds more profits to your bottom line. 

Improved Customer Satisfaction  

Unexpected shortages can result in losing customers and brand value. For both e-commerce and brick-and-mortar stores, running out of bestseller products can be fatal. These missed opportunities and disappointed customers will mostly shift toward your competitors. 

Better Quality Control  

With the help of inventory forecasting software, you can closely monitor your products in stock for better quality and perfect delivery. A perfect order rate (POR) is something that every business should look for. And inventory planning will help you deliver such results. 

Demand Planning Systems enables You to Look Beyond Forecasting

Need to Forecast Demand Precisely? Use Demand Planning Software

Demand Planning Software Uses Past Data to Forecast Accurately

Sales and Operations Planning Software is Essential for Your Sales

Consider Following Feature Before Implementing S&OP Solutions

Key Things to Consider Before Implementing S&OP Software

Implementing Sales and Operations Planning Software

The demand of customers is increasing at a rapid pace. Companies need agility and adaptability to tackle the volatile nature of today’s demand. In this fast-paced environment, one thing that bridges the gap between actual and planned demand is Sales and Operations Planning. Many businesses use Sales and Operations Planning Software to make the planning process more flexible, fast paced, and easily accessible.

Globally, an effective S&OP solution is considered a panacea for all the planning failures and inefficiencies. Sales and operations is extremely easy to implement on paper; however, to execute the same in existing supply chain is troublesome and needs absolute precision.

Here are a few things that you might want to consider while implementing sales and operation planning solutions:

The Timeline: How long you are going to use the implemented solutions is one of the elementary questions you should ask yourself before executing S&OP solutions. What data are you going to use? How long will you want the forecast to last? What is the frequency at which you want predictions? Daily, monthly, quarterly, or annually? Before implementation, you need the answers to all these questions and decide on the timeline.

Inclusions: When you are ready to implement the solution, it is critical to identify which products you need to include. It is highly recommended to not put every product of your product line as you do not need a robust solution for each product. Therefore, you need to decide all the inclusions.

Comprehending the Complexities: The major drawback that most of the businesses consider while implementing S&OP solutions is that it is overly complex. It is likely to be complicated at the first glance, you are making changes at both the ends of the supply chain. It is important to understand the process deeply. Draw neat and clean flow charts and always prefer simplicity over complexity.

Identifying Correct Software: The feat you want to conquer is not attainable without high-quality Sales and Operations Planning Software. Choosing effective and efficient Sales and Operations Planning Software is a necessity as the whole planning process is software driven. You need precision when it comes to S&OP planning as you forecast, plan, analyze and visualize based on the data you get from supply and demand ends

Strategies to Incorporate Accurate Data: Once you decide and narrow down on the ideal software, it is time to develop strategies to feed in the exact and precise data. Your software feeds on the data you provide, making it essential to incorporate the right data. The performance of your software entirely depends on the quality of data you provide.