If you’re in the business of providing products to consumers, then you no doubt have a lot of decisions to make.  Among those decisions, your team will have to consider ways to deliver products into people’s hands; plus, find a way to store those products before they’re ready to ship.  That means that you’re going to need to find a delivery and storage solution that is dependable and trustworthy. 

In the past, these have been entirely separate services that are provided by individual, unconnected parties.  Company A would be responsible for figuring out how to get your product from one location to another.  Company B would be responsible for figuring out how to safely store your product until it was time for delivery.

Although this solution works fine, there has been a shift in recent years that shows the appeal of using a one-stop shop that offers both courier and warehouse solutions.  Courier companies, like ‘MC’ Dispatch, have started to realize that there are some major benefits to offering storage solutions in addition to their delivery services.

We have seven reasons why you should consider using an all-in-one warehouse and courier service for your business:

1. You can rest easy knowing your stock is safe and secure.
2. Your business will receive real-time updates and tracking.
3. You can look forward to an improved inventory management system.
4. Your inventory’s storage & transport requirements will be consistently met.
5. You have access to adaptable space options that will shrink and grow with your needs.
6. You’ll have even MORE options for flexible delivery times.
7. Your company can reduce costs overall.

Let’s do a deep dive into each of these reasons.

#1 Safe and Secure

One of the major perks of a courier/warehouse joint dynamic is that you can be sure your inventory is safe and secure every step of the way.

That security starts with the warehouse.  Any good warehouse is equipped with a full security system.  This protection may include:

• Security cameras.
• 24/7 lighting.
• Alarm systems.
• Trained security staff.
• Inventory management and tracking.

Your inventory will stay safely secured in the warehouse right up until the moment it’s loaded onto a vehicle.

Once on the road, you can be sure that your goods will stay safe and secure with cages, tying straps, locks, or whatever else is unique to your cargo.  Often, your items will also be insured throughout the entire transit.  This means that you can rest easy knowing that in the unlikely event your items are damaged while inside the vehicle, you’ll be fully covered.

Selecting one company that is responsible for both shipment and storage means that the onus is totally on them.  You can be sure that if any harm comes to your inventory, the company responsible will completely own the results.

#2 Real-Time Updates and Tracking

Choosing a courier/warehouse combination means that you’ll have even more accurate shipment updates.  This is because you have two different areas that work for the same team.  One united team improves communication and makes the logistics process seamless.  In other words, a proper tracking system will keep you updated on your request every step of the way: picking, packing, transit, and delivery.

Alternatively, working with separate warehousing and courier companies means decentralized communication.  There won’t be that same connection between operations.  Often, each company will have its own system for tracking numbers, packing slips, and barcodes, which are not compatible with each other.

This approach is begging for human errors to happen.  Not only will these errors result in less efficiency, but it’ll also be hard to pinpoint exactly when and where the mistake happened.  A mistake with one company means they can pinpoint exactly what went wrong and continually improve their processes to make sure the error doesn’t happen again.

#3 Improved Inventory Management

Courier companies with a warehouse component excel at inventory management and proper tracking of stock.  As soon as a courier is dispatched with an order, no matter what size, the amount of inventory picked & packed can be logged in the warehouse management system.  You’ll have constant, real-time updates on how much stock is on hand at any given moment.  Additionally, a professional company will have systems in place to know exactly where your inventory is stored.  Gone are the days of trying to find a single, misplaced box.

This also saves your business money because you’ll know exactly when it’s time to place an order for new inventory or materials.  Business owners are all too familiar with the repercussions of getting dangerously low on stock, scrambling, placing a last-minute order, and ultimately paying the price for a rush order.  And what’s even worse than paying extra fees? Not being able to get what you need in time and losing out on business.

By using a warehouse system, you’ll be able to optimize your operations every day.  You can say “goodbye” to any late order fulfilments due to inventory shortages.  Instead, you’ll be able to meet orders faster and more efficiently. 

#4 Consistent Storage & Transport Requirements

Your team should consider using a combined service for your courier and warehouse needs if you have special requirements for storage and transportation.  Some examples of “special requirements” include, but are not limited to:

• A temperature-controlled solution.  This could mean chilled/refrigerated, frozen, or heated storage and transportation.  This is often a requirement for food, beverages, and medication.
• Sanitary environments without carpeting.  This is often ideal for pharmaceutical or medical deliveries.
• Increased security and confidentiality options for high-profile items.

The reason a combined service is ideal for the above circumstances is that you can guarantee your product is being properly handled at every logistical step.  If you have inventory that needs to be constantly chilled, you can be sure that there will be a proper transfer between the storage facility and the transport vehicle.  A single, unified company can ensure that all employees fully understand your business needs.

#5 Adaptable Space Options

Finding your own storage facilities can be stressful.  Whether you select a small warehouse or storage container, you’re limited by leasing on your own.  A lease means that you’re restricted to one size; you won’t be able to adjust the amount of space based on the natural fluctuations of your inventory.  Imagine paying for a storage container that sometimes seems completely empty, while other times isn’t large enough to handle a particularly bulky order. 

This is just another reason to select a courier that also offers a warehousing option.  A multi-faceted company will be able to fluctuate your space rental to what you actually need.  On the days when you have less stock, your inventory can be confined to a smaller space.  On the days when you have more inventory than usual, they’ll be able to free up space for your needs.

This is also great when you consider scalability.  If your business is undergoing a tremendous growth period, you may need to quickly figure out courier and warehouse solutions.  The communication between these two teams will allow for your product to keep moving quickly in and out of one area, as needed. 

#6 Flexible Delivery Times

Another fantastic reason to use a joint courier-warehouse company is because of your increased delivery options.  You’ll see an increase in flexibility for how quickly and when you can dispatch a shipment.  Storing your product with a van or truck that’s just a few feet away can mean that your delivery times will break records (maybe not literally, but trust us, it’ll be faster).

In other words, storing your inventory in a warehouse gives your courier company easier access to your product, allowing them to offer you more delivery solutions on a quick turnaround, such as:

1. Same-day deliveries.
2. Next-day deliveries.
3. Next flight out.
4. Hot shot deliveries.

You can also rest comfortably knowing that your packages will be received on time as well.  You won’t need to worry about miscommunication between a warehouse’s loading times and a courier’s final drop-off times.

#7 Reduced Costs

And finally, a major appeal of combining your courier and warehouse service is that ultimately, you’ll reduce costs! In addition to only paying for the amount of space that you need (see #5), you’ll now be using a hub-and-spoke model by combining your courier and storage provider.

A hub-and-spoke model is a lot like a bicycle wheel.  The hub (i.e., the very centre) is the warehouse.  That’s where all your inventory is stored.  The spokes represent the different routes that courier vehicles will travel to deliver orders.  One centralized location means that you can have multiple vehicles dispatched from the same centre, but travelling in different directions and if needed, at different times.

This type of model is often way more efficient than a traditional, point-to-point courier model.  A point-to-point model is when a courier vehicle starts at Point A (dispatch centre), travels to Point B (the goods’ pick-up location), and continues to Point(s) C, D, E, etc.  (the goods’ drop-off location[s]).  Sometimes, this means that one vehicle is delivering goods to multiple locations that aren’t necessarily on the same route.  Other times, this means multiple vehicles all travel to the same pick-up location—which can amount to a lot of unnecessary fuel costs.

Simply put, using a hub-and-spoke model means less fuel is used and less time is spent figuring out the logistics.  This can have major impacts on your budget. 

In Conclusion

If you need to find a solution to store and transport your goods, you need to consider a company that does it all.  There are so many benefits to relying on one company that offers you an end-to-end solution for your inventory.

With a holistic solution, you can be sure that your product is safe and secure throughout every step.  A team that is on the same page about the movement and storage of items will have an effective monitoring system so that there isn’t a second when your supply is unsecured.

This means you can rely on real-time updates and tracking—there will never be a moment when you don’t know where your inventory is.  You can improve inventory management by receiving updates on when your stock is running low and when it’s time to replenish supplies.  This will help you fulfill your orders on time and efficiently.

Throughout the entire process, your items are going to be properly stored and transported according to your specifications.  Whatever special requirements you have, you can be confident to know that they’ll be met if one party is responsible for your business’ entire warehousing and delivery solutions.

Your storage space will also be adaptable to your company’s needs.  A courier service that provides storage will be willing to fluctuate your rental space with the amount of inventory you have.  Don’t forget, having your product on-site, easily accessible to the courier fleet will mean that you have more options for flexible delivery times and quick turnarounds.

And finally, in the long run, you’re going to reduce your overall operating costs.  Save money on transportation times and fuel by using a system that’s built on a hub-and-spoke model.

Did you know that ‘MC’ Dispatch offers more than our exceptional courier services? Our team is also fully equipped to store your items in our warehouse.

Put your trust in a team that does it all.  Contact us to take advantage of our perfect courier and storage solution.