How did we do? What could we have done differently? And what are the plans for the new year? The holiday period is the perfect moment to take the time and think about these kinds of questions. The period around New Years’ Eve often gives extra reasons to evaluate and think ahead. One of the questions you can ask yourself is ‘what is the core business of my organization?’. Because by focusing on your core tasks, and by making sharp choices, you make sure that you are valuable to your customers. That you achieve your goals. That you are successful. Some business experts say this even is the only way to keep your market share. So, ask yourself the question: what is your core business in 2022?

What does not fit us anymore in 2022?

Do you have a clear image of your core activities? Then, quickly the question arises ‘what am I not going to do?’. Because continuing to do everything seems impossible. Choices must be made. Whether you have come up with completely new concepts in the past year, or you have worked hard to stay to yourself, you must make choices. Only by realizing what is your core business and what activities do not fit in that picture, you handle the rapidly changing world around you.

Ask yourself the right questions

To decide what to focus on, and what not to, it is important to ask the right questions. Prioritize. Look to your qualities as a logistics service provider and what activities match these strengths. For example, there are logistic companies that run their software solution on their hardware. However, is maintaining hardware your core business? Or could you better focus on as little software and hardware in-house? You could find another expert for that, right? And, some companies use just some, or none, integrations with customers and suppliers? Why not set up more integrations? Is typing in all orders manually really a core task? Or would you rather have your employees spending time on activities that are essential to your logistic operation? Furthermore, some companies appointed an excellent warehouse employee as an application specialist. Without education. Without training. Sometimes even without any affinity with software. But by doing so, how can you optimize the use of your software solution? How can you focus on efficiency with the help of your WMS or TMS, without the right people?

Is printing still relevant?
Though digitalization and sustainability are hot topics in every logistic enterprise, printing is still very normal in most operations. Some companies print every document. Or even every document, multiple times. The pick assignment, the packing slip, the invoice. Not because they have to, but because companies won’t change their processes. They rely on printing. However, ask yourself the question: is it really necessary? Would you not reduce your environmental footstep without all that paper? Would you not achieve a competitive advantage? Or is it not simply easier to do these activities digitally?

The core business of logistics service providers

Enough questions to ask yourself. And, enough examples of activities that probably do not make it to the list of your core activities. So, what could be a core task of you as a logistics service provider?

Unburden customers

A core task could be to unburden your customers. So, by delivering services to your customers. Some companies are good at sales. Think, for example, of online webshops. However, they often have no interest in the logistics handling of their orders. That is where you come in. There lays your strength. In other words, unburden these customers by providing storage or transportation for them.

Often, your customer wants to keep track of his products. With EDI, you can save time when receiving orders. Furthermore, you can also provide feedback on the order via EDI. In that way, your customer directly sees the orders’ most recent status in his system.

Add value to your services

A core task could be to take your service to the next level. So not just providing storage or distribution for your customers. But also provide repacking activities. Or maybe ship combined articles. For example, for the orders of last Christmas: ship the piece of meat combined with a bottle of wine.

Bringing your service to the next level does not mean you have to distract yourself from your core activities. For example, you can use the integration with Transsmart to print the correct labels, and have the end distributer deliver the orders to the home address. In that way, you can keep focusing on your processes.

Become the best in benefitting from your software

A core task for you as a manager or director could be to make sure your organization becomes the best in using its logistic software. Therefore profit from all the possibilities to the max, for example on efficiency. So, make sure you know the application. Or hire new employees to help you with it. Offer courses to young and driven employees with enough analytic capabilities. Employees who can combine operational logistics with software. Top division can only be played with sufficient potential. Train your employees. Provide top players.

The importance of software for a successful year

Maybe you take your core business even further. Perhaps with a completely new business model for your customers. However, one thing is certain: whatever your plans are for 2022, the question ‘what role plays software?’ will be of great importance. And more specifically: ‘how you use your software?’. Because automating your processes with a matching software solution alone is not enough. That is just the first step. Use the software in the right way, so it contributes to your core business. Find the possibilities. And become successful.