The transformation of urban distribution: challenges and opportunities

freepik.esvector-gratisseleccion-ruta-distribución-urbana

La distribución urbana se encuentra en constante evolución, enfrentando desafíos y oportunidades en un entorno en rápido cambio. En un mundo donde la tecnología avanza a pasos agigantados y las demandas de los consumidores evolucionan, las empresas de distribución se ven obligadas a adaptarse y replantear sus estrategias para mantenerse competitivas. En este artículo, exploraremos … Read more

What are the differences between Dropshipping and Crossdocking?

Concepto de ilustración de negocio de dropshipping - Diferencias entre Dropshipping y Crossdocking vector

Nowadays e-commerce is one of the fastest growing sectors in Spain in recent years and this is due to changes in consumer habits at a time when they were not allowed to visit physical stores. That is why many companies and businesses have decided to take the leap and start selling online.

When deciding to sell online, it is important to choose the distribution model that best suits the characteristics and needs of your business or company. Dropshipping and Crossdocking are commonly discussed. But how do we know which is the right option for our online store?

Here are the definitions of both types of logistic distribution to understand the differences between Dropshipping and Crossdocking:

Dropshipping

Dropshipping consists of a type of distribution in which all the distribution and transportation of the products is carried out by the supplier or manufacturer instead of the business that sells on its own behalf. It should be noted that it is a very popular distribution model among small e-commerce because of its accessibility, since it dispenses with warehouses and all the management and expenses involved.

Crossdocking

Crossdocking is a type of distribution where the supplier or manufacturer sends the orders to the same seller or to a distribution center to be delivered to customers. It is certainly a distribution model recommended for stores with small warehouses where they can prepare orders.

Once the types of distribution are known, you should take a look at the following points that mark the differences between Dropshipping and Crossdocking:

Logistics costs

Undoubtedly, the most economical model for the distribution of orders to end customers is Dropshipping because it is not necessary to have available space to store all the merchandise. And this is because orders are shipped directly from the supplier's warehouses to the end user, without the need to go through so many intermediaries, which means that they also take care of the logistics costs except for reverse logistics.

However, Crossdocking is also a relatively inexpensive system because of the short time shipments spend in your inventory. That is, once the order is received from the supplier, you go to a carrier to pick it up and ship it to the end customer. Although it takes an additional day for the package to arrive, the inventory holding costs are less than the cost of a warehouse to store the merchandise.

Agreement with suppliers

It is worth mentioning that each supplier has its own preferences in terms of the type of distribution it offers to merchants and businesses. In general, Crossdocking is the most accepted system by suppliers and the most compatible with a relatively high volume of orders and more variety in the e-commerce catalog.

However, this does not mean that there are several suppliers that ship using the Dropshipping model, which is especially focused on small online stores, but they are limited. In this regard, choosing one type of distribution or another depends entirely on the products themselves and the volume of orders received by the online store. 

Mujer joven asiática vende ropa empresaria que trabaja en casa. sta - Diferencias entre Dropshipping y Crossdocking foto

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4 advantages of Click and Collect in logistics operations

vehículo de transporte furgoneta de reparto dibujos animados. Ventajas del Click and Collect

The importance of implementing sustainability in supply chain processes is often discussed from the point of view of the logistics and transportation industry. In this case, in terms of sustainability, users demand both commitment and convenience in the delivery of their orders. However, these desires are not compatible with a genuine commitment to the environment, at least not with the technology currently employed.

One of the rising trends in the retail sector is Click & Collect, an option that has gained prominence in recent years and offers several advantages for both the store and the consumer, including reducing carbon emissions.

If you want to know the advantages of Click and Collect in logistics operations, take a look!

Accorciare l'ultimo miglio

The last mile often has a number of challenges that have arisen in recent times, which are difficult to circumvent and employ good capillarity in delivery. For example, restrictions on the entry of large vehicles into urban centers and difficult access to certain addresses with very narrow streets along with the common challenge of facing the usual traffic congestion of large cities.

With Click & Collect , the final destination is shortened, being its ultimate transport objective that it arrives at the establishment meeting the established objectives. However, it still depends on the location of the premises, which will be easier if it is located in a shopping center on the outskirts with a good platform for unloading goods or just as difficult if it is in a pedestrian area in the heart of the city. Nevertheless, it is still a very economical option for both the logistics operator and the company.

Avoid missed deliveries

One of the biggest inconveniences faced by deliveries to the end customer is that they are not completed successfully. Among its main causes are the absence of the end customer at the home or office, generating more inconvenience for redelivery, which results in more reverse logistics costs. In addition, not all logistics operators can guarantee that the order will arrive in a very specific time slot requested by the customer.

El Click & Collect gives the guarantee of successful delivery of the package and the freedom to pick it up at the store or post office when the customer is available. This is as long as it does not exceed the order booking period (usually about 15 days) and within the business hours of that establishment. Although time restrictions can be eliminated with the option to store them in automatic lockers accessible 24 hours a day.

Empresaria preparando el envío de paquetes. Ventajas del Click & Collect

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3 sectors that need to optimize their logistics in e-commerce

Do you know the sectors with e-commerce potential that need to consolidate their logistics operations? Discover them in this list.

We are already familiar with one of the key events that has affected the economy and most of the known sectors on a large scale: the confinement and restrictions due to the pandemic. With the impossibility of opening dispensable physical stores and offering face-to-face services, both large and small companies have had to reinvent their models against the clock to circumvent and adapt to this scenario.

As a result, the e-commerce sector is one of the sectors that is gaining more and more relevance due to the changes that consumers have made in the face of this abrupt change in their habits and are now accustomed to this way of consuming. However, there are important sectors that are not progressing as much in the e-commerce section as expected despite the demand to offer this type of business.

If you want to know some of the sectors with e-commerce potential that need to mature their services, take a look!

Pharmacy

According to this study, more than 75% of patients prefer to use the services of a telepharmacy or receive their medicines at home instead of going to the pharmacy in person, with 9%. However, pharmaceutical e-commerce in Spain has only experienced a growth of 2% compared to other countries such as Italy and Germany, which have had a growth in turnover of 34% and 10% respectively.

This is because infrastructures still need to be improved to ensure data protection on the part of patients and to enable them to use these services at home. Despite this, the pharmaceutical sector has had very good communication in the supply chain to cope with the health crisis and ensure the supply of several drugs.

It is worth noting that one of the solutions that has potential in the face of occasional drug shortages is FarmaHelp, a digital platform that allows a pharmacy to notify and contact other nearby pharmacies when a drug is out of stock and there are supply problems so that the patient can receive it in time. 

ilustración del concepto de dropshipping amplio. sectores con potencial en el e-commerce

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Differences between Push and Pull distribution

Ilustración isométrica de un almacén. diferencias entre distribución push y pull vector

It is known that inventory management is based on the structure and objectives of the company's distribution network according to the sector in which it operates. This is done by deciding on the distribution channels through which to deliver products to customers and seeing which are the most optimal in terms of customer service and cost and resource savings.

To this end, there are two ways to fill inventory in a distribution channel: Push and Pull. Knowing their definitions and their advantages and disadvantages is crucial to choose the right strategy according to the industry you work in and your needs.

If you want to know the differences between Push and Pull distribution, their benefits and drawbacks and for which cases one strategy or the other is intended, read on.

Push Distribution

In a Push distribution system, it is the manufacturer or supplier that decides how many units of product are manufactured and distributed. First, they aggregate all the lower level storage points to historical demand and then perform demand forecasting to determine quantities. Next, replenishment inventory is shipped through the warehouses from the originating supply facilities.

This method makes the first nodes of the supply chain responsible for replenishing the stock, manufacturing the efficient amount of goods to be able to ship them to their distributors and avoid excess inventory.

Push Advantages

One of the advantages of this method is that high inventory levels can be maintained by predicting demand to generate a safe stock level. This is a producer-centric strategy. Therefore, for products that have peaks in demand at specific times of the year or are in high demand throughout the year, such as the food sector, such an approach is effective.

Push Disadvantages

However, one of the most notable drawbacks of Push distribution is that, as this decision is made by the lowest nodes in the supply chain, it is far removed from the actual demand being demanded by current customers. For this reason, it suffers from a notable lack of transparency and visibility into the needs of those customers.

That is why it is difficult to adjust to peaks in demand that are difficult to predict and provide good service, usually causing stock-outs. In addition, it requires good management to maintain a good product flow.

foto-media-hombre-usando-auriculares. diferencias entre distribución Push y Pull foto

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How vacations affect logistics and distribution

Worker loading a box onto a truck-vacation in the logistics vector

El verano ya está aquí y sin duda, es la época del año en la que la mayoría de la gente tiene y/o decide coger sus vacaciones. Se conocía que tiempo atrás gran parte de las empresas, incluidas con logística, cerraba por descanso del personal durante el mes de agosto, con la excepción de sectores … Read more