The continuously growing logistics industry requires future-oriented measures for process management.
In particular, the management of B2C and B2B goods flows, which have developed differently for a long time, is the focus of new solutions.
With changing consumer habits and the growing need for a stable supply chain, B2B players' logistics plans are increasingly being guided by processes developed for consumer e-commerce.
| Challenges in the transition to B2B2C logistics |
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| On the one hand, there are massive B2B flows of goods that rely on intermediary platforms of industrial companies to maximize inventory and vehicle replenishment. |
| On the other side , e-commerce goods flows focused on capillary parcel delivery and the development of transportation where buyers pick up their goods themselves. |
The focus is on a consumer whose requirements are changing and who, as a corporate customer, has similar expectations in the B2B world as in the B2C world.
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Shorter delivery times
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Transparency at all levels of the chain
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Efficient digitalization of processes
When the coronavirus pandemic had a massive impact on the industry in spring 2020, vulnerabilities in B2B flows emerged and highlighted influential threats:
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Platform stoppages
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Delays in production
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Unavailability of a certain number of players
These influencing factors are reasons to rethink!
How can we make supply chains more resilient so that they are more resilient in times of crisis? How can efficient B2B flow management be ensured?
Possible responses include the implementation of a number of practices derived from e-commerce. In particular, those related to the organization of transport and delivery methods. Let's take a closer look at three of them.
Three e-commerce practices to optimize your logistics organization
1. diversification as a new sales strategy in digital channels
In an environment affected by the crisis, newcross-dock platforms are being developed, the transportation offer is shrinking and operations are becoming increasingly unstructured. Faced with this situation, B2B companies are forced to switch to direct delivery without intermediaries in order to continue supplying certain sensitive flows of goods.
To do this, they need to be able to work with parcel services and express carriers.
This solution, which is not normally practiced, is made possible by using a digital transport platform such as that of our partner VCE Verkehrslogistik Consulting & Engineering GmbH and the Smartstore Order Management System SOMS connection.
In combination with the modularTransport Management System (TMS) from VCE GmbH, the SOMS connection ensures smooth and dynamic shipping and transport processes.
2. be inspired by the possibilities for procuring goods
In the B2C sector, the frequency and possibility of procuring goods has undoubtedly driven the development of corresponding practices in the B2B world. A trend that has been exacerbated by the pandemic and the need to break down barriers and maintain social distancing. As a result, companies are taking new measures to plan and manage the flow of goods.
To this end, B2B companies are converting their processes to new platforms such as those of VCE GmbH. These are facilitated by the implementation of schedules and the traceability of processes that are open to carriers, suppliers and customers alike.
With VCE GmbH's TMS and the customized tour calculation provided by the VCE OPTOUROsoftware module, for example, customers receive intelligent functions for the automatic calculation and planning of tours. The system keeps time, costs and effort to a minimum through effective planning. Functions for manual detailed planning also keep processes agile and the use of resources flexible. Digitalization and automation via such software solutions offers the following advantages:
Minimized waiting times throughout the process
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More effective planning of services and workloads
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Increased service quality and therefore customer satisfaction
3. create delivery by agreement
Still uncommon among manufacturers, but better known in the world of sales, the development of delivery by appointment is taking shape in the world of B2B. Driven by the digitization of processes based on the e-commerce model, this practice ensures more fluid and digitized communication while offering better traceability.
Via a collaborative transport platform, the recipient caneasily indicate hisavailable delivery locations, while the shipper canoptimally manage hiscargo and obtain a global overview of the planning of his various deliveries. A secure, fast and flexible solution that ensures an optimized and complete customer service.
B2B: Multiple benefits in transport management
More flexibility and resilience, improved service quality and increased collaboration - the development of these three levers from B2C e-commerce has a positive impact on the organization of B2B transport. These are the key differentiators for companies, giving them complete visibility at all levels of the supply chain.
The shipper is thus able to bring together all the players in its supply chain on a single platform and offer them a global vision regardless of the means of transportation chosen. Without replacing existing carriers, the use of VCE GmbH's transportation solutions offers greater flexibility, a blending of delivery modes and reinforces the increasingly clearconvergence between B2B and B2C.
VCE SOLUTIONS ' solutions are designed as tools that support companies in the digitalization of logistical processes and help B2B processes to meet the growing needs of customers in all areas. Maximum supply chain transparency covers the requirements that shipping and transport processes in the B2B sector have recently demanded.
VCE GmbH and SmartStore AG, a partnership for the benefit of shipping process optimization
VCE GmbH, the shipping process optimizer, and SmartStore AG, the leading open source DXP enterprise commerce platform in the ASP.NET world, have entered into a strategic partnership.
The cooperation between the two companies offers customers the opportunity to bundle the shipping process as simply as possible as an integrative tool and at the same time close the missing link between carriers and sales channels.
Do you need more information?
Contact VCE GmbH
E-mail: info@vce.de
Website: https://vce-solutions.de/
Phone: +492319750600