Putting Logistics to Work for You in 3 Simple Steps

Karen Reddington, Regional Vice President,

FedEx Express South Pacific

November 2013

Thanks to the huge growth in ecommerce, small and medium sized enterprises are no longer disadvantaged by size or economy of scale

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International trade continues to open up many doors to SMEs all around the world

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How can you best maximize this potential?

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1. Understand how logistics can help your business

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Logistics is about more

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than simply transporting

goods from A to B

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It’s a solution for getting the right thing to the right place at the right time – and in the process bringing real value to your supply chain

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Logistics is about access…

…access to a solid integrated supply chain …access to new markets anywhere in the world …access to new revenue streams

It’s about maximizing your business’ potential in the complex marketplace we live in

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2. Ask the right questions up front

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Reap the benefits of selecting the best logistics partner by asking the right questions and sharing the right information from the beginning 11

Not tactical questions about prices, terms & conditions and transit times

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Those are necessary details, but much more valuable strategic advice lies behind these questions…

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How can you support my

business objectives?

How can you help

me be successful

launching in new

markets?

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• Do you have a deep

understanding of

customs processes and

requirements for

different regions of the

world?

• What is the coverage of

your transportation or

logistics network?

• Can you tailor your

logistics solutions to

meet my needs?

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Can you provide me with

previous examples of

how you’ve helped other

SMEs achieve this?

How does your business

model fit with my

business?

How can I prepare for

the unexpected?

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Besides general service and

reliability levels, do you

provide recovery and

contingency plans?

How about regular customer

communications and

emergency contact

information?

What is different about your

service offering?

Direct comparisons between providers can be tricky because of the different ways they all deliver their quotations

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Don’t be afraid to keep asking questions until you have the right information

3. Knowledge is power: your transportation and logistics provider is a mine of information

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There’s a host of information in play throughout the supply chain:

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• Physical movement of goods • Monitoring inventories in different

places • Securing access to new locations

Make sure your provider puts this information at your fingertips

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So you can see where your packages are at any time

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Know what the costs of delays are

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And how quickly your goods will reach their destination

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Be equipped to best manage your inventories and your business

A good transportation and logistics provider should see customer pain points which may previously have gone unidentified

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Describing your supply chain in detail to spark value-added ideas

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These are exciting times for you, and if you ask the right questions to your logistics provider, you will soon be able to benefit from global trade

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Logistics isn’t just a tick list of costs at times. It’s about adding value

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Then see your business grow from strength to strength

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Karen Reddington Regional Vice President, FedEx Express South Pacific

Dr. Karen Reddington is Regional Vice President of FedEx Express, South Pacific. Karen is responsible for leading and driving the FedEx business in the South Pacific region, which comprises some of the world’s fastest growing economies.

http://www.fedex.com

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