Transportation management is no longer a simple strategy for moving products at the lowest possible price. Today, shippers must use resources that aren’t part of their traditional core competencies. Outsourcing, inventory flow, and predictive analytics all play a starring role in a transportation strategy that meets rising buyer expectations. Your customer should be at the peak of every supply chain, no matter which industry or business model you fall into. Your products’ value is no longer limited to the item inside the box. Customer experience has become a critical component, and that means your supply chain should be governed by buyer loyalty.

If you're considering automating your warehouse operations, it's vital to think your decision through carefully before committing to anything. Here are six things to investigate before you take the plunge:

Popular with owners of contemporary warehouses attempting to automate their procedures, automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) are designed to enable companies to store goods in a compact and logical manner, and retrieve them with ease. These computer-controlled systems come in a number of different forms, but here are five ways in which your business could benefit if you install one of these practical systems.

Increasing efficiency within the supply chain has many benefits. It reduces wastage, improves productivity, and enables a faster and leaner system. Controlling a supply chain involves controlling visibility, and software is increasingly the best way forwards. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) technology takes over primary administrative roles, meaning fewer errors and greater speed. Here are some of the ways that the latest supply chain efficiency techniques can help.

If you don’t believe there is a place in social media for how you conduct your supply chain management, perhaps it’s time to reconsider.

Twenty years ago you might have been right. The only thing people would have been concerned about was the quality of the products they bought in the shops and yes, that was before social media as we know it today was born. In today’s world, people are more aware, more focused on reducing their carbon footprint. They want to know if raw materials come from sustainable sources, whether foodstuffs are factory farmed or free range, and whether their clothes are produced in unregulated sweat-shops. If that doesn’t provide food for thought, perhaps the fact that a large number of your competitors and partners are already using social media will. So what can social media really do for your business?

Warehousing and logistics businesses are increasingly under pressure to reduce overheads and streamline operations to remain profitable. If you’re fighting this uphill battle, consider the use of mobile printers. They may be just what you need to improve margins, by streamlining labelling and distribution operations in your organisation.

As e-commerce continues to expand, so will the use of third party logistics (3PL). To make sure your freight business is the one chosen by suppliers, what are the expected market trends to watch for in 2019?

You could insert Brexit, but that would be a bit narrow minded. There is a wide choice to choose from including Trump, Iran, Boris, Italy, China, EU, tariffs, border delays, as well as Brexit. What they all have in common is an impact or potential impact on trading and your business if you use something that originates over the water. No one knows how Brexit will work out is practice - the only guarantee is there will be a lot of hot air generated about it. But with plenty of potential for disruption from elsewhere you should look at strengthening you supply chain anyway, if you have not already done it.

Warehouse management systems are becoming more innovative by the month. Automation improves productivity and accuracy in ways that weren’t possible only a year ago. Orders can be grouped intelligently enough to reduce travel time, and that pace can be further enhanced by high-speed sorting, automatic storage and retrieval systems.

Few aspects of the buying journey are evolving as rapidly as supply chain networks. New technologies are emerging to support what is quickly becoming a global network for even the tiniest of businesses. Buyers can access digital shopping carts from their homes and shop for offshore products set for delivery within mere days. Networks are interconnected and demand-driven, forcing organisations to not only carry their supply networks online, but also adjust their strategies continuously with the analysis of daily data. Social media channels have introduced real-time feedback to the mix, so brands who fail to keep up with demand can attract lasting reputation damage.