You're facing a logistics provider switch. How can you maintain smooth transportation operations?

To keep transport operations running smoothly during a change of logistics provider, it is crucial to plan the transition in detail, communicate clearly with all involved, evaluate the new provider to make sure it meets the needs, conduct tests before the transition is complete, closely monitor the new provider's performance, have a contingency plan for potential problems and collect feedback for continuous improvement. By following these steps, you can aim for a smooth and efficient transition.

Identify your requirements before you start to the next step, including size of your Operation depends of how big is your next scope of business, man power & their skill sets, level of digital alteration that support operation as well as data integration

When switching logistics providers, it's crucial to plan the transition carefully to ensure smooth transportation operations. Start with detailed planning and clear communication with all parties involved, including your internal team, customers, and the new provider. Train your staff to become familiar with new systems and closely monitor the new partner’s performance by tracking critical KPIs. Maintain flexibility to address any unexpected issues and have a contingency plan ready to minimize disruptions. After the transition, evaluate the process, gather feedback, and adjust operations as needed to optimize efficiency and align the new provider with the company’s goals.

We have to be very aware and understand deeply our logistics needs, and based on that evaluate posible vendors change, do trials and put them in challenging situations to understand their react capacity, as logistics is such a key area often misunderstood but when it fails, everyone notice.

It's crucial to ensure minimal disruption to transportation operations. Maintain smooth operations by thoroughly vetting potential providers, preparing a detailed transition plan, and providing clear communication to all stakeholders. Additionally, closely monitor the transition process to address any issues promptly and ensure a seamless changeover.

The last thing you want to do is change because of you have a new one with lower costs, yo need to choose wisely based in if you are an important client for the vendor or not, if you have a taylor made solution created based in your operation etc, this could look expensive, but in long term is the better and cheapest because you save time, human resources, and less problems

Smooth transition will always be substantially easier if shipper has own TMS with capabilities to quickly onboard carriers in terms of standardized procurement/rate management and standardized execution with visibility resulting in directly comparable KPIs. With this setup it's also less risky to introduce new LSPs with just partial biz allocation and retain incumbents, so both can compete for higher share based on actual, verifiable performance and cost.

Logistics is about plan plan and plan, be aware of that you will have problems, in such a dinamic activity is inevitable to have problems, but if you work in a good planification for the change and think on as many scenarios as possible you will have a good transition, is imoportant to work with your team, as is very possible that many dificulties came from them and the way they are used to work woth the old vendor that they don't want to change

in all activities, for me, the team is the most important part of any operation, soy you need to plan all as a team, this way they understand the need of change and they will be open to learn and propose new procedure and improvements

in logistics you always have to be looking close the operation, so when you make this kind of changes you need to be even more aware of this