There’s no denying that the rapid growth and evolution of e-commerce retail has created a fiercely competitive environment for Canadian companies in this sector. Furthermore, it doesn’t seem like this trend is likely to slow down any time soon, so you’ll need to take every step and leverage every advantage you can in order to ensure the success of your business today and in the future. This includes investing in a supply chain that is efficient, flexible, and capable of scaling to meet the demands of your growing business.
Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities that exist to improve your supply chain, streamline the flow of products, and enhance the overall customer experience. E-commerce retail companies need to carefully evaluate each area of logistics, from warehousing and transportation to order fulfilment and returns handling. Only by optimizing your entire supply chain can your business achieve the maximum competitive advantage in your markets, and SCI’s range of 3PL logistics services are designed to do exactly that.
SCI’s omni-channel retail capabilities have made a huge difference for many Canadian businesses who are challenged with increasing aggressiveness from domestic and international competitors. By leveraging SCI’s vast array of logistics capabilities and resources, these companies have been able to deliver a better retail experience for their customers, resulting in increased satisfaction, greater customer retention, and a boost to their bottom line.
Here are just a few of the advantages that SCI is able to deliver.
Coast to Coast Coverage
One of the keys to efficient nationwide distribution and fast order fulfillment is the ability to warehouse product in strategic locations across the country. Canada’s population is mainly concentrated near the US border, with scattered pockets of densely populated areas in varying frequency as you move north. Since many of these urban centers are separated by great distances, the time savings that can be achieved through a coast-to-coast warehouse and distribution network can be substantial. Fuel costs, vehicle maintenance, and capital investment can all be minimized by utilizing SCI’s extensive transportation and warehousing resources.
Emphasis on Speed and Accuracy
As your company continues to grow, it can be difficult to maintain speedy turnaround of customer orders, accuracy of picking and packing, and quick delivery times. This is an all-too-common problem for companies as surging order volumes can stretch limits of your facilities and your employees to the breaking point. Eventually, you need additional help with these processes in order to maintain and improve customer satisfaction. SCI’s 3PL services place an emphasis on both speed and accuracy to ensure that your products are picked, packed, and shipped quickly and correctly each and every time.
Improving the Final Mile
It will probably come as no surprise to you that the final mile accounts for a disproportionate amount of the total cost of the transportation of goods. However, you may not be aware that this can be up to 30%, or possibly more, of the total cost of transportation of products for some types of businesses. This makes the final mile a critical element of your logistics operations, and one of the biggest opportunities for companies to improve their ability to serve their markets. With a nationwide distribution network and a fleet of trucks of all sizes, SCI helps ensure that your final mile will be much more effective.
Data-Driven Recommendations
We live in the world of big data. With an overwhelming amount of information available to businesses about customer habits, logistics performance, competitor intel and sales patterns it can be hard to sort through the massive piles of data and extract truly valuable insights from it. Having SCI’s team of transportation management experts on your side, who can analyze the data and provide deep insights and recommendations, can help your company develop and implement an effective growth strategy and allow you to surpass your competitors. Having the data available is one thing, but being able to decipher the underlying messages within is where the real advantages come from.
Full Product Lifecycle Management
All too often, companies underestimate the importance to the customer of the returns experience. Whether the product was ordered in error, or perhaps arrived damaged or defective, the ability to provide an easy and hassle-free returns experience can be a major factor in customer satisfaction and retention. If the customer feels frustrated by the returns process or needs to jump through too many hoops in order to complete it, they may very well opt to do business with one of your competitors next time.
Time and time again, research tells us a negative customer experience that is turned around and has a positive outcome can have a greater likelihood of generating repeat business than a normal, problem-free experience. This is because a company is often judged with greater scrutiny on how they handle fixing a problem than they are when things go smoothly. The way in which they solve the problem is an opportunity to showcase customer service dedication and commitment to excellence. SCI works with your business to develop a returns process that works for your customers and delivers a smooth, hassle-free experience to help keep your customers satisfied and boost retention.
Conclusion
As you can clearly see, there is a great deal of value that SCI has to offer through 3PL logistics services. Whether your company is challenged with reaching distant markets, speeding up delivery times, or providing a seamless returns experience, SCI has the experience and expertise you need to succeed.
If you’re ready to learn more about how you can leverage SCI’s 3PL logistics services to boost your retail e-commerce business, contact us today and we will be glad to arrange for a consultation to help answer any of your questions. So, don’t hesitate, get started down the right path with SCI.
