The supply chain is essential in any business, it is what delivers your raw materials to you and it is used to provide your finished goods to the customer. The classic supply chain involves one company sending goods to another or to a customer. The goods are usually dispatched via conventional delivery methods, such as transport companies.
Goods or materials being sent must be listed and should be sent in good condition.
However, whether a customer is receiving the goods or a supplier, it’s possible they receive them damaged. They will want to reclaim their costs from the supplying business, but it can be difficult to prove that the supplying business is at fault. After all, they should have their own packing procedures which should ensure the products are sent out in good condition.
The issue then becomes a debate as to who is at fault and who should be footing the bill. This type of issue is known to seriously damage business relationships and reputations.
Fortunately, impact and tilt indicators can provide a solution, resolving the issue and improving the transfer of goods. In effect, a simple indicator can help to ensure you get the goods in the right condition, effectively improving the flow of your supply chain and your ability to provide goods to customers.
What Are Impact and Tilt Indicators?
These indicators come in a variety of styles, as well as registering impact, or excessive tilting, they can undertake temperature monitoring or even loading weights.
In essence, the indicator is a simple sticker stuck to each parcel. The indicator has a color in the middle and you need to decide which type of monitoring you want to use. The color in the idle should be the same when the goods arrive to confirm they’ve been handled properly.
For instance, you place a temperature control indicator on your parcel and the color in the middle is black. You can choose which range of temperatures apply to your parcel. If the parcel is subjected to a temperature outside your chosen range, the sticker will register it and change the color in the middle from black to red.
The person receiving the parcel can tell at a glance that the parcel has not been handled properly. They should then reject the parcel and the fault will clearly lie with the courier firm. This is because they accepted the parcel and the color of the sticker changed while it was in their possession.
Extra Benefits
This approach doesn’t just encourage couriers to be more careful with your products, or customers to have more confidence in the delivery process. It will also help you to monitor which types of parcels are frequently damaged. Plus, it will tell you if there is a specific courier firm or employee creating the issues. This will allow you to change courier service and optimize your supply chain process even more.
That has to be good for your reputation and your bottom line.
