When discussing a strategic supply chain, one of the areas that many shippers feel overwhelmed by is the sense that they’re always putting out ‘fires’ in their organization. That is, solving problems that take time and attention away from creating products to be sent to your customers. Oftentimes these ‘fires’ are caused by confusion since a lack of processes and procedures can result in ‘different ways of doing things’ between associates or a lack of proper training. Both of these result in questions for management and thus fires that need to be put out.
To create a more strategic supply chain, it would be wise to create a set of processes & procedures that standardize the steps your organization takes to complete a task. When creating these processes and procedures, be sure to get everyone assigned to a particular task involved so that they can provide you with a preferred list of steps everyone can agree to. Including screenshots, pictures, lists and any other resources you deem necessary that help make these instructions crystal clear will help current associates get their tasks completed faster and provide clarity with getting all assigned tasks completed in the best way possible.
Devising processes and procedures will allow you to create a company playbook that will grant a lot of independence for your associates while also maintaining standards for your organization. Such clarity will make your supply chain operations run smoothly and in time you’ll find that there are fewer questions or operations where your input is needed. As long as you’ve provided proper input as well as documentation and the procedures are being followed, you’ll find that over time your organization will operate like a well oiled machine. You’ll find yourself spending less time putting out fires and more time building your business, a place where every founder wants to be.
Here at Zip Xpress, we understand the importance of processes and procedures. Every role in our organization has a series of processes and procedures that provide clarity in how every job is done. Combine this with our focus on a positive attitude from all of our associates and we have a winning combination where we’re able to ensure that every shipment in our care will be delivered on time and undamaged. We have tested and verified all of the steps we utilize in getting your shipments to your customers, and this is one of the ways we’re able to ensure a 99% satisfaction rate with all of our customers. To see for yourself, start today with Zip Xpress!
