Fulfilling B2C or B2B orders faster and more economically is paramount for improving customer satisfaction and the bottom line. Integrated solutions make this possible. Alternatively, shippers using multiple service providers and systems experience higher fulfillment costs and greater complexity.
Let’s explore how integrated solutions can propel success in a fast-paced business environment.
b2c: Speed vs. price
E-commerce is a balancing act between speed and price. Increasingly, speed is the more critical factor. Imagine you're shopping for a personal item online and have two options:
- Company A offers the lowest price but will ship your order in 3-5 business days.
- Company B has a slightly higher price but guarantees two-day delivery.
If the prices were equal or Company B’s was lower, you would always choose Company B. Still, you might be willing to pay more for speed. Shippers that use integrated solutions can gain speed and low-cost advantages.
b2b: complexity vs. simplicity
In B2B commerce, shippers often juggle transactions among multiple entities such as suppliers, warehouses, trucking companies, and freight brokers to fulfill orders of less-than-truckload or full-truckload quantities. This approach contributes to supply chain delays and excess costs.
Partnering with an integrated solutions provider is the better alternative.
the one-stop shop advantage
Integrated solutions offer a "one-stop shop" that simplifies supply chain management. They eliminate the complexity of dealing with multiple vendors and systems, resulting in a seamless flow of information and tightly coordinated activities for fast and efficient order fulfillment. This leads to faster speed, lower costs, and more accurate and actionable data
Aaron Nussbaum, Vice President of Logistics Operations at Jarrett, explains how a best-in-class integrated logistics service works by combining technology integration, international shipping, warehousing, and domestic transportation services.
Technology integration
Robust technology integrations are the bedrock of Jarrett’s integrated solutions. These include customer ERP systems that share data back and forth with Jarrett’s warehouse management system (WMS) and transportation management system (TMS) using electronic data interchange (EDI) and application programming interfaces (APIs).
When shippers do business with Jarrett, orders from ERP systems automatically flow into Jarrett's WMS. The order details include demographics, weight, dimensions, pallet count, and commodity information. Jarrett’s warehouse picks the order, automatically creates a bill of lading, and generates pallet labels for proper documentation.
capacity management
After integrating with customer ERP systems, Jarrett encourages customers to use its Bill of Lading (BOL) for added technological advantages. With Jarrett’s electronic BOL process, customers can get instant shipment pick-up notifications and electronic signatures for proof of delivery.
Additionally, Jarrett’s warehouses can prepopulate PRO numbers on shipments for fast, error-free shipment tracking rather than placing PRO number stickers on pallets before the driver arrives for pick-ups.
Using Jarrett's BOL and PRO numbers ensures that signature capture and shipment tracking details enter its system as soon as they are generated for real-time tracking updates.
Once an order is received, Jarrett selects a carrier to ensure timely delivery and the right product is shipped to the right place at the right time. Jarrett dispatches the carrier electronically to the warehouse facility for pickup and then sends tracking updates to the customer's ERP system.
This integrated solution eliminates manual data entry, reduces errors, and speeds up fulfillment. It also allows for real-time inventory management, ensuring accurate and up-to-date stock levels.
strategic warehouse placement
Integrated solutions providers like Jarrett understand the importance of strategic warehouse placement to improve delivery times, reduce transportation costs, and meet modern consumer expectations for fast delivery.
Jarrett's warehouse network is designed to service the United States within two days or less from an East Coast warehouse in New Holland, Pennsylvania, Midwest warehouses in Orrville, Ohio, and a warehouse in Salt Lake City, Utah, to be opened Jan.1.
Additionally, Jarrett operates a small trucking division to support freight movement between customer manufacturing facilities and its warehouses within a 100-mile radius.
customer-centric approach
To ensure seamless customer experience for integrated solutions Jarrett employs a Customer Account Team (CAT) to manage all a customer’s warehousing and transportation communications. This structure provides dedicated support and seamless coordination between different logistics aspects, with 6-10 people per account. The CAT team answers customer phone calls in 3 rings or less and responds to emails within 10 minutes.
customized solutions for unique needs
As an integrated solutions provider, Jarrett handles all aspects of customer supply chains. We quickly adapt to various challenges, such as handling specialized products, managing complex projects, and adapting to sudden changes in demand.
For example, we assisted a paint manufacturer during an acquisition. With just a week's notice, we moved 40 truckloads of product from a Chicago warehouse to Orrville, Ohio, and began outbound shipping within the same week.
The paint company's customers include major retailers and small shops across the United States. Today, Jarrett fulfills orders for the customer totaling 500,000 to 600,000 cases of paint products annually.
In another instance, we onboarded a pet food company by moving 2,500 pallets to an Ohio warehouse within a month. This strategic relocation from Connecticut resulted in significant double-digit percent savings on freight spend and warehousing costs. The more central location positively impacted the business, which supplies major pet retail stores and e-commerce
Jarrett implemented full system integration within a few months for both customers, allowing them to work directly from their ERP systems while accessing our data and analytics on warehouse and transportation performance.
MEASURABLE cost savings and performance IMPROVEMENTS
Integrated solutions offer significant potential for cost savings and performance improvements through reduced transportation costs, optimized inventory management, improved labor efficiency, and robust analytics and reporting capabilities.
For instance, Jarrett’s systems track the overall performance in hitting customer compliance metrics. Building dashboards and reports around these metrics helps customers improve compliance with their on-time and in-full (OTIF) policies. This results in avoiding customer fines and penalties, which leads to happy customers.
take control of your supply chain today
Businesses must be prepared to respond quickly to today's globally interconnected business challenges. Integrated solutions can provide the flexibility and visibility to adapt rapidly to geopolitical issues, inbound supplier delays, weather issues, port strikes, and international events like the Suez Canal rerouting, wars overseas, or events like the Panama Canal drought.
Jarrett’s integrated solutions deliver customer-centric warehousing, transportation, and cutting-edge technology backed by people. This powerful solution streamlines operations, reduces costs, and improves customer satisfaction.
Is logistics complexity holding your business back? Are you ready make your supply chain limitless?
To take the first step towards supply chain excellence:
Schedule a free consultation with our logistics experts
- Get a customized plan tailored to your unique business needs
- Watch your supply chain transform, and your business thrive
Book your free consultation now.
