The right logistics partnership unlocks significant benefits for your business growth. In this post, we share five essential qualities to demand in any partner you consider.
Change is never easy, especially when it comes to something as important as your logistics. But in a world where technology moves at a fever pace and experts are increasingly difficult to find, let alone retain, moving from in-house to a partner increasingly makes sense. Businesses stand to improve their customer experience while reducing their overhead.
Of course, like any relationship, you need to pick your logistics partner wisely. Let’s look at some of the qualities you will want to seek.
Logistics is becoming an IT business, driven by technology at every level of operation. For in-house teams, this rapid transformation translates into increasing complexity, costs, and stress. Fortunately, dedicated logistics partners like Pentagon continually invest in new systems and tools to keep pace and stay competitive.
What kind of systems and tools, exactly? At Pentagon, we are working to digitize almost every process, from methods of shipment and freight management, to supporting administrative activities. The rise of Artificial Intelligence further opens the door to enhanced analytics and savings, so make sure your potential partner has AI-assisted services in their sights.
At the very least, make sure that your potential partner offers mobile-friendly, always-on tracking that can tell you exactly where your delivery stands every step of the way!
Your success depends on consistently delivering your goods on-time and in perfect condition, just the way your clients/customers expect and demand. Upgrading your logistics partner gives you an opportunity to set the bar high when it comes to the service you receive and, by extension, offer your clients/customers.
Go beyond promises and look for a partner with a formal service program or commitment instead. Pentagon’s Five Point Service Approach is an example of what we mean. Evolved over 16 years in business, our Five Point Service Approach guarantees that our clients will receive the best customer service in the industry.
Every logistics company promises to deliver on-time and on-budget. But what happens when something goes wrong? A formal service program signals that your potential partner will make things right!
It’s easy to be cynical about something like corporate values, but they make a big difference when companies work together. When the values align, representatives of both firms get along better, easing collaboration and communication. When the values don’t align, representatives inevitably clash, especially if/when something does not go as planned.
At Pentagon, our values—responsibility, reliability, integrity, commitment to safety, and professionalism—apply to every employee and every initiative we undertake. While shy of perfection, our leadership prides itself for consistently demonstrating these values throughout our operations and hiring for them as well. This is how we have built a special corporate culture that feels like a family.
What does your potential logistics partner believe in? A company whose employees commit to corporate values will do a much better job of living up to their promises and your expectations.
Some logistics companies vying for your business will “drop their pants” when it comes to price, offering you discounts and incentives for your business. Unfortunately, when the lowest price is the law, something must give. Typically, customer experience suffers as low-cost vendors tend to hire the lowest cost employees and drivers to compensate.
Price always matters, but business value is the real prize. Business value comes from a partner dedicated to working with you on a strategic level to improve your logistics approach and supply chain resilience. And it comes from working with a proactive partner who will come to you with ideas and solutions to improve your logistics and customer experience.
Buyer beware! The logistics marketplace teems with low-cost players who seem willing to say or do anything for your business, only to cut corners later to make up the difference.
The last, but vitally important quality to look for in a logistics company is a proven track record of customer delivery. With so much at stake when it comes to your operations, the last thing you need is for a fledging logistics company to make rookie mistakes delivering your shipment. So, make sure the company you consider has a proven track record.
Pentagon, for instance, has operated internationally for over 16 years serving a growing database of over 2,000 clients in Canada and the United States. And we go beyond maintaining operations across these markets by participating in diverse industry associations, events, campaigns, and certification programs worldwide.
Your logistics partner should have a rock-solid reputation earned by successfully serving long-term clients under every scenario imaginable. Make sure anyone you consider has been in business for at least 10 years.
Ready to get a quote from one of our friendly logistics experts? Contact us today for a fast, no obligation proposal for your business!
Pentagon Logistics Inc
7045 Millcreek Drive
Mississauga, ON
L5N 3R3, Canada
Telephone
Toll Free: 1-866-691-6700
Operations, Sales & Logistics
Billing Information
Dispatch Operations
Safety Training & Equipment
Account Payable
Flatbed Operations
Don’t miss any of our blog posts!
Subscribe to receive email alerts.
Pentagon Logistic All rights reserved Copyrights 2022 | Web Design – Digital Media