Everyone knows that downtime is not good. When business owners hear this word, they definitely get frustrated because they are hearing something awful. It’s like they have heard the name of their arch nemesis, and that’s not a surprise. After all, downtime reduces operational efficiency and erodes trust among the clients, which is not something you would like for your business.
Especially not if we are talking about working in the medical industry, where every second often counts and where the timely delivery of lab specimens, pharmaceutical goods, some surgical instruments, or similar products is critical. You should, therefore, learn more about what you can do in order to ensure timely delivery, and the trick is, as you may have guessed, in choosing the right company to be your courier partner. So, this is something that you absolutely have to pay attention to, and you need to take your time to make the best choice in order to, therefore, reduce downtime and increase operational efficiency.
Sometimes, though, no matter what you do, some items may be stuck in transit. That simply happens at times, and you cannot really do much about it. What you can do, though, is find a way to reduce the downtime when those items are stuck and to make sure that the clients are getting what they want and that their trust in you is not eroded. So, let us now talk about the steps you can, and should, take towards that.
Start with a Great Partner
As I have hinted at above, one of the most crucial things you have to do here is choose the right partner to provide you with the courier services. When you do this, you will automatically reduce downtime, since you’ll be working with reliable professionals who know what they are doing. Furthermore, if there is a delay, these professionals will know how to handle it, which is of utmost importance as well.
So, take your time to make this choice. Check for certifications and training, and remember to check out the actual features offered during the cooperation, such as real-time tracking of chain of custody protocols and similar things that can be quite useful and that are actually essential. Of course, remember to inspect the reputation of the potential companies through reading some reviews and have a few interviews before making your choice, aiming at asking all the important questions and thus ultimately making an informed hiring decision.
Perhaps this could help you make the choice: https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/how-to-choose-the-right-sameday-courier-service-for-your-needspdf/265849471
Know Where Those Critical Items Really Are
When some critical items are stuck in transit, one of the most important things here is for you to know where they really are. This is where GPS comes into play. And then, you also want to know how long it has been delayed, because you won’t act the same if it is a short and temporary delay and if it is a multi-hour holdup, since those two things require different strategies. Once again, though, when you have great couriers on your side, they will make sure that you are properly informed of everything, so you will be in the loop and thus know what to do next, instead of being kept in the dark and hoping for the best.
Build Reliable Communication Protocols
As we all very well know, downtime can stem from poor communication. So, you have to build robust and reliable communication protocols if you want to stay in the loop at all times and to be aware of any delays that may happen. Automated alerts can be of great help here, as well as multi-channel notifications. Then, you should clearly define in advance who it is that’s responsible for resolving those transit issues that may come up, as that will help you solve the problem more efficiently.
Have Stable Alternatives in Place
Now, when a delay happens, and if you find out that the critical items are going to be stuck for a while, you should be able to activate your alternative options, such as backup couriers or internal drivers. Having such stable alternatives in place is sure to reduce downtime. So, don’t forget to think about this as well.
Buffering Is a Thing to Leverage
Inventory and transport buffers can serve a great purpose here as well. In short, you should store extra essentials, have backup vehicles ready, and basically ensure that you are not stuck in your operations just because an item is stuck in transit. Thus, this is a strategy that you absolutely have to leverage.
Be Transparent with the Clients
Being transparent with your clients is also of crucial importance here. If a shipment is delayed, you should let the clients know, as well as explain why, and reassure them that you’re doing what you can to resolve the inconvenience. On top of all that, you should constantly track and analyze performance so that you can ultimately optimize it and thus reduce downtime.
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