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Do not develop the mistaken idea that order fulfillment is the most important component of a business. While orders are essential to the profitability of any business, if those orders do not reach the customers, they will not create additional cash flow for the company.
This is why the process of order fulfillment begins when the customer places an order and continues through the transport logistics function when the customer has the order in his hands. It is ludicrous to call any order complete until it is in the hands of those who need the goods your company is providing.
While transport logistics is an important function of any company and is the essence of profitability, that doesn’t mean a company must do its own freight shipping. Many companies today are either outsourcing all of their logistics management functions or they are hiring someone else to provide delivery to their customers. Hiring a shipping company doesn’t remove the responsibility of providing efficient transport logistics services to its customers by any means. It is still the responsibility of each company to make sure they choose a shipping company that is willing and able to provide the quality of service your customers are used to receiving.
In order to make sure your customers receive their products when they are necessary, you need to understand the importance of hiring or good transport company or maintaining high quality in house transport logistics. Your customers are not going to accept that you can no longer provide the same speed you once provided just because you changed to a different shipping company or decided to begin outsourcing your transport logistics functions. Any changes you make with transport logistics must be made with the needs of your customers in mind and without inconveniencing any of your customers.
Shouldn’t it be normal for your customers to expect changes in the way you handle logistics transport? If you make decisions with that line of thinking you will surely not be able to maintain a good database of customers. No matter what changes you may make with transport logistics or even logistics management it should not be at the expense of your customers. If you are unable to make changes within the order fulfillment sector of your company without creating problems for your customers, you should avoid making those changes. Your customers depend on you for their needs just as you depend on them for yours.
