/ By Zip Xpress / Custom Carrier Solutions/ 0 Comments

Recruiting Supply Chain Talent

Supply chain jobs are abundant in America, but that doesn’t mean that it’s easy to fill them with qualified talent. Recruiting in logistics can be a stressful, confusing task as there are many different qualities that are required to be successful in the field. One of those qualities is the willingness to learn – that is, being ready and eager to take on new tasks and roles in order to solve the unique problems that will inevitably occur on a regular basis.

Here at Zip Xpress we place a lot of value on an individual’s willingness to learn, which is why so many of our employees have been promoted from within. Someone who starts on the warehouse floor can learn a lot about how the freight looks, how to handle it, and the best ways to package it. This knowledge can translate to becoming a great planner or dispatcher, as they will be able to visualize the freight and speak from prior experience. The world of logistics is always changing, and those who are constantly adapting have a great opportunity to advance their careers.

At Zip Xpress, we place a major focus on company representation. We recruit people who we believe could be the face of the company at any time. This means that candidates should be personable, communicative, and have a willingness to provide the highest level of customer service at all times. This can be seen from the ground level in evaluating how people answer the phone or respond to emails. Answering the call is only the first step, but the ability to listen to the customer and come up with unique and creative solutions is what sets our elite talent apart from the rest. In logistics, one should always be motivated to go above and beyond what is necessary to get the job done. The employees at Zip Xpress believe in this philosophy, and it is our goal to always see a customer satisfied.

To see how our team can service your business, get started with Zip Xpress today!

Don't Ignore Administrative in Logistics
/ By Zip Xpress / Sustainability/ 0 Comments

Reducing Administrative Waste in Your Office

Working in logistics can be fast-paced and exciting, but many people forget about the administrative tasks that take place throughout the life of every shipment. However, these back-office jobs are highly important and should be treated as such. It is vital to take a look at administrative tasks, and that includes keeping a clean office in order to streamline operations and keep everyone on the same page.

Cleanliness is often underappreciated, but we at Zip Xpress make it point to run a well-organized office. We saw that organization was not a priority for many other logistics companies, and they noticed that this led to mixed up orders, late shipments, and even lost freight. Our focus emphasized a strong work ethic in our employees, and that included focusing on organization and cleanliness. This starts with even the smallest things – finding consistent homes for supplies such as staplers, documents, and pens – and it begins to translate to organizational skills at higher levels.

As people learn to reduce administrative waste, they become more efficient and can focus on improving supply chain operations on a daily basis. Our internal phrase ‘Being Current’ is a major benefit to eliminating waste, as it allows other workers to come in and take over seamlessly without needing to backtrack or find old documents to catch up. When everyone is operating at maximum efficiency, the company will perform better as a whole.

With technology always improving and cloud services becoming the norm, organizations should use services like Google Docs to reduce paper waste. Some industries, such as logistics, require at least one physical copy of documents, but you shouldn’t have to go any further than that. Sticking to one original and keeping backups in the cloud help to reduce unnecessary printing of paper and contribute to a more productive atmosphere. To learn more about what we do to remain sustainable, get started with Zip Xpress today!

zip xpress ltl
/ By Zip Xpress / Custom Carrier Solutions/ 0 Comments

How to Achieve Perfect Order Fulfillment

One of Zip’s primary goals is to achieve what is known as ‘Perfect Order Fulfillment.’ This is described by the Supply Chain Council as a discrete measurement defined as the percentage of orders delivered to the right place, with the right product, at the right time, in the right condition, in the right package, in the right quantity, with the right documentation, to the right customer, with the correct invoice.

The best method to achieve perfect order fulfillment is by extended visibility across the supply chain. Zip does this by making every step of the fulfillment process as visible as possible with our employees. We’ve designed the layout of the office, dispatch board and shipment binder to make every step of the process as easy to understand as possible. Our goal is to have everyone trained to be ready to step in and help out at a moment’s notice. We track each shipment carefully from start to finish and keep communication with the customer as open as possible.

We monitor the entire process of the shipment, searching for ways we can improve service to the customer. We keep desks neat and tidy to ensure orders don’t get mixed up. We collaborate together to find shipping solutions and ensure everyone gets what they need in order to achieve satisfaction.

Finally, we focus on making every step of the process as consistent as possible. Our team is in constant communication with one another, ensuring that if there’s a problem we’ll fix it right away. Our team of experts has been consistent for years, which allows us to provide the same results shipment after shipment.

Perfect order fulfillment is not simple, or even easy, but it can be achieved. It is a process, one that we strive for every day. It is a challenge we love taking on, and if you’d like to see how we can make your order perfect, get started with Zip Xpress today!

Manufacturing Metrics Supply Chain
/ By Zip Xpress / Industry Partners/ 0 Comments

Key Metrics for Manufacturing in Supply Chain Management

Supply chain management is a challenging area of business for manufacturing companies. A well-run manufacturer must find a healthy balance of communication, logic, and execution in order to ensure that their supply chain is running smoothly. There are many metrics that these organizations can use to evaluate their performance. Here are some of what we believe are the most important metrics for a supply chain’s success.

Perfect Order Fulfillment

This is a discrete measurement that essentially shows the percentage of orders that are fulfilled without any errors. A perfect order is one that sees the right product being delivered to the right place at the right time in the right condition. By constantly working to improve perfect order percentages, manufacturers show that they are working in the best interests of their customers.

Customer Order Cycle Time

This metric measures the average time that it takes to fulfill a customer delivery after a purchase order has been received by the manufacturer. This is an important metric to analyze the efficiency of your supply chain, as it shows how well different departments work together to complete a job after a customer makes a request.

Freight Cost per Unit Shipped

This calculation involves dividing the total freight costs incurred by the number of total units shipped. Generally, these are calculated over a certain period of time, e.g. weeks, months, quarters, or years. It’s important to compare this to the total cost of producing individual units, since each time product breaks during shipment means your company will have to manufacture a replacement.

On Time Shipping Rate

This metric is the percentage of items or order value that arrives on or before the requested ship date. The On Time Shipping Rate is the key to customer satisfaction. A high rate indicates an efficient supply chain. The more accurately your supply chain can get the product into customer’s hands, the happier they will be, and that will build long-lasting trust between you and your customer.

We hope that we provided some insight into how you can measure the performance of your supply chain management. Our goal is to be as efficient as possible while keeping our customer as our number one priority. To learn first hand how we do this with each shipment, start today with Zip Xpress.

hotshot freight
/ By Zip Xpress / Custom Carrier Solutions/ 0 Comments

How We Build Custom Carrier Solutions

At month’s end within Zip Xpress, it’s a hive of activity. We know the days will be long, fulfilling orders that come flying in. We order pizza, our sales staff brings in sweet treats and there are bowls of gummy bears everywhere. We dig in, prepare for our month-end shipments, and most don’t leave until it’s done.

Across Zip Xpress, every employee knows about every shipment. We’re always solving problems, asking questions out loud of what we do with shipments that require our special attention. Anyone who has an idea can chime in, which helps us come up with the most innovative solutions. As we deliberate, everyone passes by our new customer board, which lists in big bold letters who our newest customers are.

Everyone at Zip is trained on how to give a basic quote. It’s not uncommon to see someone running from one computer to another to fill out a quote because our goal is to get a customer a quote within five minutes of receiving an inquiry. We want you to be able to make a decision as quickly as possible, and respect your time in the process.

We build our shipments by stacking our slips in order of delivery, which is shuffled multiple times right up until the shipment leaves our dock. When building each shipment, we have to consider the route and the order the products are placed within the trailers. Our warehouse experts work diligently to secure each customer’s product, doing their best to ensure nothing will move during transit.

Everyone at Zip is ready to answer the phone. Every call comes in, and the first person who’s available answers the call. That’s why whenever you call Zip Xpress, you’ll talk to a human being and you’ll never have to wait on hold listening to a machine.

At Zip Xpress, every part of our system is built to serve the customer. We work to solve problems, and include everyone in the company because collaboration creates great ideas. Everyone in our company is here to serve, so if you’d like to see us in action, feel free to schedule a tour or better yet, start today with Zip Xpress and see for yourself!