The global pandemic changed the way most businesses do business. Indeed, 2020 was a challenging year for many businesses who had to learn to adapt to changing conditions and regulations. COVID-19 definitely altered supply chains. It also led to a shift from retail to e-commerce. As if online orders weren’t already exploding, with most people staying at home for much of 2020, more and more packaged products needed to be shipped and delivered.
Because of COVID-19, third party logistics partners had to keep track of and/or move goods. They were (and are) helpful to the warehousing industry. Third party logistics partners helped pick up the slack regarding things like accelerated delivery of online orders as well as distributed logistics, direct-to-consumer order picking, and even outsourcing.
While some of the bigger retailers could afford technology investments to properly adjust to the aforementioned shifts in how business gets done, some of the smaller companies had (and have) limited budgets. Therefore, smaller companies have been turning to third party logistics partners. These partners have had to upgrade their material handling equipment to keep up with demands. From installing speedy conveyors to employing the use of autonomous mobile robots, these partners are helping shippers handle today’s ever-increasing warehousing challenges.
In busy times like these, when demand is “through the roof,” companies are on the lookout for help from wherever they can find it. Oftentimes, third party logistics partners fill the void or need. Working together, these partners can come up with attractive and cost-effective solutions to problems, such as how to move products quicker to their intended destinations.
Time is of the essence. You have probably heard companies in the news saying they cannot do their jobs because they can’t get the goods they need to do those jobs– a lot of that has to do with COVID-19 essentially stopping everyone in their tracks for not just weeks, but months. Therefore, goods were “backed-up” and now it’s literally all hands on deck to get goods to where they need to go. Therefore, the warehousing industry is relying more and more on third party logistics partners to handle this big bump in the road.
As a long tenured third party logistics partner, Affiliated Warehouse Companies has helped customers persevere through these difficult times. If you would like to learn more about the benefits of working with Affiliated Warehouse Companies, contact us today.
