Insider Media Limited

Tracey Simpson, service centre manager for logistics company CitySprint, helps businesses prepare for the festive season and impending severe weather.

As if the headlines on the business pages weren't enough to worry about, the prediction of another harsh winter only adds to the headache of many businesses in the Midlands during the busy festive period.

The transportation of goods, products, parts and documents across the region is vital to the success of organisations in the region. A number of simple measures can ensure that a flurry of snow or sudden increase in sales does not impact 'business as usual'.

Planning

It seems an obvious point but last year's experience demonstrates that many businesses did not plan sufficiently for the winter season.

So, what can you do?

It is important that logistics mangers fully assess the needs and demands of their businesses over the festive season. Then they can plan appropriately to ensure the resources and delivery options are in place to provide the high level of service required.

If you use a courier company you should already be in regular contact with them, but you should arrange a special meeting with them to discuss working schedules and contingency plans well in advance of the start of the busy period.

It is vital to ensure that you have more than one option when it comes to delivering goods to your clients or across multiple sites within your organisation. Many courier companies will already have winter contingency plans in place. You should ask your courier company to share their plans with you so that they can meet your requirements and you can let your customers know what to expect.

Understanding your schedule

Your courier company should make it very clear how, and if, delivery schedules are likely to change during the winter season, especially if your customers require a same day service. This will ensure that you can make clear and concise decisions regarding which service should be used to guarantee customers receive their deliveries within their expected timescales.

It is also advisable to ensure extra 'buffer' time is built into the ordering process to pre-empt any issues in transit during busy periods or poor weather.

It could be a good idea to share relevant schedules with your customers to ensure they are fully aware of timings and changes during this period to avoid nasty surprises.

Use of technology

The use of advanced technology, such as 'track and trace' systems, allows customers to track every step of their delivery and is especially useful when bad weather strikes or as its gets close to Christmas.

Make sure you understand what technology your courier company is using and how you can share it with customers. The more transparent you can be with customers the better.

So remember…

While you can't mitigate every single challenging scenario this winter there are several practical steps you can take to prepare yourself for the bad weather and festive onslaught.

No matter the size of your business, working with a delivery expert will help you properly prepare and ensure your customers know what is round the corner over the coming months. So don't be left out in the cold, plan appropriately and make sure your business is ready.

Tracey Simpson is service centre manager for CitySprint's Warwick operation.