As we near the end of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has unfortunately gained momentum again, throwing many aspects of our lives into disarray. Despite this disruption, third-party logistics (3PL) providers have gone to great lengths to keep their 3PL services running full steam and prevent interruption. In this article, we’ll look at some of the things 3PLs are doing behind the scenes to keep your products flowing to your customers.
For starters, we continue to adhere to CDC guidelines for preventing the spread of COVID. These guidelines cover everything from development of a workplace safety plan to procedures to follow if an associate were to test positive or exhibit symptoms of COVID. When we keep our employees safe and healthy, we keep our clients’ supply chains moving.
We also recognize that this is a challenging time for our employees, so we work with them as they confront issues related to childcare and other non-work responsibilities. In the event, however, that we find ourselves understaffed on a given day or for a given project, we are fortunate that we operate seven logistics facilities across three campuses, which are all located in close proximity.. As our associates are cross trained for different customers, we can pull associates from one building to fill in a gap at another.
Like many other companies, we also rely heavily on technology. In keeping with CDC guidelines, we practice social distancing and rely on virtual meetings to be safe and productive at the same time.
And meetings aren’t the only thing we perform virtually. Just this past week, we had our annual audit to maintain our ISO-9001 and AS9100 certifications. The audit process this year involved a full week of review and assessment – all of it virtual. During these meetings, we would take our laptops out to the warehouse floors to allow the auditor to observe (via the laptop camera) operations and the storage of product, and to interview associates. We also shared documents via the ‘share screen’ function. It proved to be a successful way of working as, by the end of the week, we felt as though the auditor was there in person with us each step of the way.
In addition to the above interventions, perhaps our biggest area of focus throughout this difficult year has been communication with our customers. It’s our job to serve them and, as their needs changed, we’ve remained in lockstep with them to proactively support their business through the ebbs and flows of 2020. This involves everything from expanding warehouse space to support increased inventory to working with retailers directly to adjust receiving details on our customers’ behalf.
This commitment to customer service has enabled us to provide 3PL services during peak season without a hitch – even as the pandemic rages on. To learn how Kanban Logistics can flexibly support your operations during unpredictable times, contact us today.