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Super Bowl 57 Logistics-1

It’s one of the biggest days in sports and the second 2nd largest U.S. food consumption day of the year—Thanksgiving being the first. Yep. It’s the Super Bowl. This year it’s the battle of the Kansas City Chiefs vs the Philadelphia Eagles (or Kelce v Kelce). Because it’s such a large snack day shippers who offer the most popular items at big game parties must ensure their supply chains operate smoothly. As a result, fans will be able to purchase the right food and drink in the right quantities, as retailers will have the right food and drinks in stock. Freshness is paramount when shipping food and beverage freight, so supply chain management plays a crucial role here. Temperature-controlled storage is necessary for many of these items, especially in winter. Depending on the product type, shipping ahead and staging in warehouses may be fine. However, other products can only have a slight lead time due to the risk of spoilage. If you’re a food or drink shipper reading this now with plans to sell, sell, sell for the big game, expedited freight is still an option – especially with capacity still generally available. But ideally, you’re already ahead of the game and have had your ducks – or chips or bottles – in a row for a while.

Taylor Logistics Skyline CHili

A Super Bowl Experience – All The Food!

 It’s not Super Bowl Sunday without wings, our favorite drinks, and every kind of chip dip imaginable (especially Skyline dip IYKYK). Over 1.25 Billion chicken wings, 28 million pounds of potato chips, 54 million avocados, and 50 million cases of beer will be consumed. With an abundance of demand, goods need to arrive on time to avoid shortages and missed opportunities for profits in retail. So whether fans make purchases in State Farm Stadium, from their local market to bring home, or out at their favorite sports bar, consumers are ready to spend for the experience. Food, alcohol, apparel, and decorations will need to be stocked by retailers.

Meeting Inventory Demands Through Capacity

The most important and challenging problem in fulfillment is last-mile delivery. If a disaster strikes a carrier, the most significant impact is during the transfer from distribution center to retail. Distribution centers cannot order perishable items too far in advance. However, suppose an inbound load is late to the distribution center. In that case, stores can order other items from their distribution inventory while still receiving their in-demand non-perishables. With interruptions in last-mile delivery, consumables may not reach the shelves in time for the big game surge in purchasing. Retailers do not like losing profits and market share.

Carriers want to focus on accurate projections to make best-fit decisions between FTL and LTL. FTL options are enticing due to lower spot rates; however, LTLs can have a significant cost-benefit advantage when expediting a load is the priority. Unfortunately, carriers can lose the gamble with FTL. When shippers are in a crunch for time and need to get, a load sent out, even if it’s a partial, they may end up paying FTL rates instead of LTL rates, which tend to be decidedly cheaper for the volume of freight being shipped.

Luckily, resources like visibility and real-time notifications mean that making a reliable supply chain doesn’t have to feel like betting. Instead, with transparency through technology and an excellent team like Taylor, your business will score big and win each time.

Do you have questions about your LTL or FTL? Talk with #TeamTaylor today.

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Seasonal Demand Warehouse

What is seasonal demand? 

Seasonal inventory refers to products that sell at a higher velocity during particular times of the year. For example, most companies experience an influx in seasonal demand during the holiday season, and many may stock holiday-specific SKUs that they don’t sell year-round. Other brands may experience seasonal spikes according to changes in weather, sports seasons, or secondary holidays such as Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day.

Take advantage of peaks in demand

Forecasting for seasonal variances will ensure you have sufficient levels of stock available to take advantage of increases in product demand at peak times of the year. If you rely on your busy seasons to make the most of your money, you must be on top of your game and ensure optimum product availability.

Prevent excess stock levels

Equally, it’s important that you don’t want to over-forecast for seasonal demand fluctuations. Investing too much money in inventory can lead to cash flow problems and an unhealthy balance sheet. If you have excess stock at the end of a season, you face the dilemma of selling it off at a discounted rate or taking on the burden of inflated carrying costs until demand picks up again.

Seasonal methods for managing inventory 

There are five primary methods for managing inventory, and any of them could be appropriate for managing seasonal inventory, depending on SKU profile, sales velocity, and current business operations.

First in First Out (FIFO): The FIFO inventory method works by using the oldest inventory (first in) to fulfill orders first (first out). The FIFO method is appropriate for perishable and highly seasonal products and can increase margins on items that experience price hikes during times of high seasonal demand.

Last in First Out (LIFO): The LIFO inventory method uses the newest inventory (last in) to fulfill orders first (first out). The LIFO method can be used to quickly recoup expenses on products acquired at a premium seasonal price, either at the raw materials level or as finished goods.

Just in Time (JIT): The JIT inventory method is the method most commonly used by SMB’s because it requires the least intensive demand forecasting. JIT supply chains are replenished on an as needed basis. They are a high-risk supply chain management strategy and can reward merchants with increased capital on hand. Still, as we’ve seen with recent supply chain disruptions, they can also leave merchants with empty shelves when seasonal demand hits.

Economic Order Quantity (EOQ): The EOQ method determines ideal inventory levels using three metrics: customer demand, acquisition cost, and holding cost. The EOQ method can drastically cut inventory carry costs but requires advanced demand forecasting models supported by a lengthy sales history.

ABC Analysis:  An ABC analysis prioritizes SKUs by lumping them into three categories: A — high-value products with a low contribution margin, B — mid-value products selling at a mid-range velocity, C — high-velocity products with a low margin. An ABC analysis helps merchants prioritize the SKUs that ultimately drive their business’s profitability and may prompt them to reconsider their product profile entirely.

How are You Managing Seasonal Demand Forecasting?

Are you looking for a strategy that can help you improve your seasonal demand forecasting? #TeamTaylor can help. Contact us today to learn more about our data-driven warehousing and fulfillment services.

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Shopify, the leading provider of essential internet infrastructure for commerce, offering trusted tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business of any size, has featured Taylor in its blog on warehouse management. This blog showcases how to make warehouse operations run smoothly for scaling brands. Since Taylor has tremendous experience helping brands from various industries scale, we spoke about the integral part a 3PL can play in helping your business. 

From the Blog:

Read the full Shopify article here

Research shows that 32% of brands will fulfill orders in a new country in 2022. Lean on a 3PL’s existing horde of international warehouses to reach global shoppers in less time, rather than opening up your own in popular warehousing locations with expensive leases. 

Take it from Noelle Taylor, senior marketing manager at Taylor Logistics, who says, “Partnering with a 3PL to handle warehouse management allows brands to focus more on what’s important—growing their business and delivering the best possible customer experience. 

“Committed 3PLs see their relationship with brands as a long-term partnership. As a result, they may be willing to invest in space, technology, and equipment to take your business to the next level.” 

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B2B Fulfillment, B2C Fulfillment, Customer Experience, Data, eCommerce, eCommerce Fulfillment, Fulfillment, Inventory Management, Key Performing Indicators, Ominchannel, Operations, Processes, Supply Chain, Supply Chain Management, Taylor Information, Technology, Third Party Logistics, Value-Added Services, Warehousing, WMS

Taylor Logistics, a third-party logistics solutions provider, announced that it has launched its next-generation warehouse management portal for business partners in conjunction with warehouse management provider Zethcon.

A recent survey conducted by Gartner found that 64% of fulfillment and warehouse providers do not offer customers a portal to check inventory, gain access to reporting and scheduling. That leaves a wide margin of warehouses and fulfillment centers that have yet to uncover the advancements that can be achieved with a cloud-based portal for their customer base.

Critical Features


SynapseAnywhere portal is mobile, desktop, and tablet compatible


Customers can export reports and desktop data fields in these formats (Excel, PDF., web browser)


Apply custom filters to search inventory quickly


Build your own inbound or outbound orders if you are not EDI compatible


Utilize EDI dictionary passthrough characters for header and line item details from integrated EDI data for your systems data


Delivering real-time data visibility


Enjoy all the benefits of a cloud-based platform with its anytime, anywhere capabilities


“The move towards a cloud-based customer portal meets two of Taylor’s key strategic goals, which include innovation and customizability. Our ability to evolve and adapt to the changing demands of our customers and meet our responsibilities as corporate citizens as the network of our facilities grows is integral to the value we provide. The new WMS portal is a continuous flow of accurate and real-time data, entirely customizable.” Said Scott Dowers, Senior WMS Superuser – BI Admin

Questions? Talk With Taylor!

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Carriers, Cincinnati, Customer Experience, Flatbed Transportation, Fleet, Food & Beverage, Food Grade, Freight Brokerage, Freight Technology, Internet of Things, Inventory Management, Operations, Processes, Supply Chain, Supply Chain Management, Team Taylor, Third Party Logistics
Taylor Logistics Super Bowl 2022

It’s one of the biggest days in sports and the second 2nd largest U.S. food consumption day of the year—Thanksgiving being the first. Yep. It’s the Super Bowl. And let me tell you, this year’s Super Bowl is a historical one and probably the best one yet. But, of course, we might be a bit biased being Cincinnati-based, and it may or may not have been thrown around to change our name to Burrow Logistics after our beloved Joseph Lee Burrow quarterback extraordinaire and king. So, combining our two loves logistics and the Cincinnati Bengals, let’s look at the logistics surrounding 2022 Super Bowl LVI. Who Dey.

Taylor Logistics Skyline CHili

A Super Bowl Experience – All The Food! 

 It’s not Super Bowl Sunday without wings, our favorite drinks, and every kind of chip dip imaginable (especially Skyline dip IYKYK). Over 1.25 Billion chicken wings, 28 million pounds of potato chips, 54 million avocados, and 50 million cases of beer will be consumed. With an abundance of demand, goods need to arrive on time to avoid shortages and missed opportunities for profits in retail. So whether fans make purchases in SoFi Stadium, from their local market to bring home, or out at their favorite sports bar, consumers are ready to spend for the experience. Food, alcohol, apparel, and decorations will need to be stocked by retailers.

Meeting Inventory Demands Through Capacity 

The most important and challenging problem in fulfillment is last-mile delivery. If a disaster strikes a carrier, the most significant impact is during the transfer from distribution center to retail. Distribution centers cannot order perishable items too far in advance. However, suppose an inbound load is late to the distribution center. In that case, stores can order other items from their distribution inventory while still receiving their in-demand non-perishables. With interruptions in last-mile delivery, consumables may not reach the shelves in time for the big game surge in purchasing. Retailers do not like losing profits and market share.

Carriers want to focus on accurate projections to make best-fit decisions between FTL and LTL. FTL options are enticing due to lower spot rates; however, LTLs can have a significant cost-benefit advantage when expediting a load is the priority. Unfortunately, carriers can lose the gamble with FTL. When shippers are in a crunch for time and need to get, a load sent out, even if it’s a partial, they may end up paying FTL rates instead of LTL rates, which tend to be decidedly cheaper for the volume of freight being shipped.

Luckily, resources like visibility and real-time notifications mean that making a reliable supply chain doesn’t have to feel like betting. Instead, with transparency through technology and an excellent team like Taylor, your business will score big and win each time.

Do you have questions about your LTL or FTL? Talk with #TeamTaylor today.

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Cold Supply Chain, Customer Experience, eCommerce, eCommerce Fulfillment, Food & Beverage, Food Grade, Food Safety, Freight, Freight Brokerage, Fulfillment, Inventory Management, Leadership, Ominchannel, Operations, Packaging, People, Processes, Retail, Safety, SQF, Supply Chain, Supply Chain Management, Taylor Information, Team Taylor, Technology, Third Party Logistics, Warehousing
BevNet-Live-2021-Santa-Monica-Taylor-Logistics-

On Dec. 6 and 7, the beverage industry will gather in person in Santa Monica, CA, to learn and take action at BevNet Live! Team Taylor will be there, and we want to talk with you! We are here for you if you have any questions or want to chat on areas of interest in fulfillment, packaging, eCommerce, operations, supply chain, and logistics. Are you going to BevNet Live? Let us know!

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Halloween is this weekend; pumpkin-spiced everything has been taking up menu real estate at your local coffee shop for some time, and turkey is right around the corner. So not only is it the start of the holiday season, but it’s also the start of peak shipping season. Our experts give pointers on how to succeed during this busy season and how 2021 is already shaping up differently from years past.

What is peak season shipping?

There are four seasons of freight shipping and the peak season of shipping starts at the end of the summer. This time is considered a peak shipping season because there is a combination of demand from different markets. Businesses start stocking up for the upcoming holiday season, there is back-to-school shopping time, and retailers try to sell out their inventories from the summer season. During this peak time, freight rates are at the highest, and the capacity is tight.

What are the four seasons of freight shipping?

  • The Quiet Shipping Season (January – March)
  • The Produce Shipping Season (April – July)
  • The Peak Shipping Season (August – October)
  • The Holiday Shipping Season (November – December)

How to be successful throughout the peak shipping season

Knowing the market


The key to navigating peak shipping season is to understand the truckload demand and market specifics across various industries. In 2020, demand was low, and freight rates were higher than usual. In 2021 however, shippers are less cost-sensitive, and freight volumes are extremely hot. If you plan to work with high-quality carriers, start navigating the market during spring and early summer. Create a proper shipping strategy to help you define the market trends and successfully ship goods. 

Utilize Technology


During the peak shipping season, you need every advantage you can get! Here’s an example, you can efficiently utilize a transportation management system (TMS) to optimize route planning and ensure efficient deliveries. You can also use other supply chain technology to automate warehousing processes and inventory control, providing up-to-the-minute data on your entire operation.

Work with reliable a 3PL 


Reliable 3PL here, and we will make sure you have fast and reliable shipping services. Our team knows that freight, more often than not, is time-sensitive, and capacity can be tight. So we work with a wide variety of professional, high-quality carriers to ensure your products are delivered timely and with ease. 

Talk With Taylor


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There are several marketplaces for eCommerce sellers, but one of the largest in the game is Shopify. Why has Shopify snowballed? Its bulletproof no-code design allows sellers to set up a store, sell, accept payment, manage inventory, showcase product pages, and connect with partners.

Are you using Shopify and looking to transition your fulfillment to a third-party logistics provider? Yes, it might sound a bit intimidating, but we promise it’s easier than you think! Your Shopify inventory dashboard will match your logistics partner WMS inventory, returns will be seamless, and you can focus on your core business by leaving the logistics to a 3PL (cough, cough, Taylor).

Shopify x 3PL Partner


Just like Shopify, your 3PL is here to help your business grow. A logistics partner can help with fulfillment management, inventory control/ planning, transportation, and excellent parcel shipping rates. Utilizing outsourced logistics, you’ll have more time to launch new products, make some TikToks, expand your brand, and focus on your business goals.

Find a 3PL Who Loves a Shopify Integration


A solid 3PL will have a Shopify integration widget that enables sellers to manage their Shopify storefront, design, new products, sales, etc. but connect it to a 3PL to handle fulfillment and shipping. In addition, the integration will allow sellers to see real-time inventory info within the Shopify dashboard. So selling out products will never be an issue; it will also help you forecast future demand.

Here’s how it works, when orders are placed through Shopify, it will go straight into the 3PLs warehouse management system. Making order management simple because it’s automated, there’s no need to upload a spreadsheet, download, or even click the mouse. Once you set up the Shopify store and connect via EDI, orders will flow directly to the fulfillment center and will be processed. The advantage of partnering with a logistics company is that you have real people handling your inventory and business. You can call on your personal assigned rep, tech superuser team, operations managers, and even the COO. There’s no call center, no putting in a ticket, no waiting for support.

Talk With Taylor


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B2B Fulfillment, B2C Fulfillment, Customer Experience, eCommerce, eCommerce Fulfillment, Food & Beverage, Food Grade, Food Safety, Freight, Freight Brokerage, Freight Technology, Internet of Things, Inventory Management, Key Performing Indicators, Ominchannel, Operations, Processes, SQF, Supply Chain, Supply Chain Management, Taylor Information, Team Taylor, Technology

First things first, let’s define what it means to be nimble. 

nim·ble | /?nimb?l/ | adjective

Quick and light in movement or action; agile.

It might not be a term you use in everyday jargon, but hey, it’s a great word, and it translates exceptionally to the eCommerce supply chain world. How? Well, nimbleness relates to how quickly an eCommerce business can adjust to ever-changing expectations in speed and delivery. To maintain customer expectations, stay competitive, and grow, a nimble supply chain must also react promptly to delays, changes, and unexpected consumer patterns.

In this riveting blog post, you will learn how critical it is for your supply chain to be nimble, what it means for your business, plus some strategies and best practices to improve your eCommerce supply chain. 

What does it mean to have a nimble supply chain?

Having a nimble supply chain means how quickly and efficiently an eCommerce company can react to consumer trends and market changes. It also relates to the ability to forecast, maintain, and bounce back from unforeseen events. Here are some ways to create a nimble supply chain:

Optimize and improve logistics operations efficiently


Working with an amazing 3PL (cough, cough, Taylor)


Gain visibility into operations and real-time access data


Quickly implement the latest technology and automation

How to meet and exceed market demands 

We’ve said market and consumer trends six times by now. But, for a good reason, one of the most significant benefits of having a nimble supply chain is that it enables you to consistently meet customer demand around fast, affordable shipping, despite fluctuations in order volume. To develop supply chain “nimbleness,” a company needs to consider different ways to guarantee customer satisfaction despite possible disruptions or sudden changes in the market. Here are some examples of staying on the cusp of consumer trends by having a nimble supply chain: 

Integrating logistics automation and technology


Working with an amazing 3PL (cough, cough, Taylor)


Having a mix of parcel carriers 

Cut costs

One essential part of running a successful eCommerce operation is finding ways to optimize logistics costs, including:

Warehousing and storage fees 


Labor


Order fulfillment


Shipping + parcel costs 

There are several ways you can optimize costs and keep your business nimble from sourcing products closer to home to reduce transportation costs to using an excellent 3PL partner like Taylor. 

Get a 3PL partner

Cough, cough Taylor. But in all seriousness operating your own warehouse network, investing in technology, and improving operations is highly time-consuming and costly, and it doesn’t always directly tie to driving revenue. Taylor is a solutions-based third-party logistics provider that offers a full suite of supply chain services like fulfillment, packaging, kitting, FBA/FBM, transportation, drayage, and shipping. Partnering with #TeamTaylor can help you worry less about making your supply chain nimble, so you can focus more time on other initiatives, such as generating sales, product development, and marketing.

Contact Team Taylor


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Carriers, Cold Supply Chain, Drayage, Flatbed, Flatbed Transportation, Fleet, Food & Beverage, Food Grade, Freight Brokerage, Intermodal Transportation, Inventory Management, Leadership, Operations, Port Services, Retail, Supply Chain, Supply Chain Management, Technology, Third Party Logistics, Transloading, Truck Driving

If you’ve seen higher than expected freight rates, we hear you, we see you. There’s a couple of potential factors for these increases. Since Q2 of 2020, the freight markets have shown robust growth, which has raised rates dramatically. While this is good news for carriers and manufacturers, it has caused CPG shippers to pay the price in rising freight rates. In this week’s blog, our team analyzes the various factors that are driving up freight rates and why they are happening.

Factor 1 | Port Congestion 


With pandemic-related consumer shopping habits, many West Coast ports operated at maximum capacity during the summer. In 2021, the uptick in imports has compounded the situation and caused even more congestion. March retail sales increased by 9.8% sequentially and 14.3% year-over-year. A 27.7% jump led to an increase in sales of food services. With more imports on board, shippers should brace for capacity constraints. As the produce season gets underway, rates will also rise.

Factor 2 | Produce Season


The start of the produce season typically occurs in February in the southern US. By spring/summertime, it has reached the majority of the US. During this time, capacity is tightened as refrigerated carriers dedicate a lot of their space to hauling produce. Other products that can ship via dry van or on refrigerated trucks will move to van transport, thus increasing freight rates across the board.

Factor 3 | Reliance on Split Shipments 


eCommerce brands have been comprehensively using split shipments for years. Firstly goods need to be picked from inventories across different locations. With not enough room on a single truck or plane for an entire shipment, it may have to be divided into individual boxes and delivered individually. Split shipments happen to occur even more often during cross-country or international shipment of goods. The more the shipments, the costlier the shipping costs; therefore, the trend ends up being a pricey affair and often harmful to the shipping ecosystem.

Counter Rising Rates with these Techniques: 

Advance Planning


One of the most effective ways to combat these high freight rates is planning shipments far in advance. Cargo cost is increasing every day. To avoid paying surged charges and avail early bird facilities, companies have to plan their shipments well in advance strategically. Working with a team of transportation experts (Like Taylor) that uses digital platforms to leverage data on the freight costs to predict rates and trends affecting the rates will help to plan and lower costs. 

Work With A Team Of Experts

Work with a dedicated logistics team to ensure conditions do not endanger profitability. Teaming up with a partner like Taylor can help your organization correctly forecast costs and find more favorable pricing through consolidation or mode optimization services.

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B2B Fulfillment, B2C Fulfillment, eCommerce Fulfillment, Fulfillment, Inventory Management, Supply Chain, Supply Chain Management, Third Party Logistics, Warehousing
Inventory Management

As businesses and operations scale, they need to examine the accuracy of their inventory management and forecasting processes. Demand forecasting goes beyond simple estimates of product demand, looking into intricate patterns overtime to produce more accurate and timely predictions. Through better demand, an organization will be able to manage inventory better, increase revenue, and improve customer support. As businesses and processes scale, they need to investigate the accuracy of their inventory management and forecasting processes. 

What is Inventory Forecasting?


Inventory forecasting involves mapping and maintaining stock levels required to complete customer orders. You do this by estimating how many products you’re likely to sell over a specific period. Managers use past sales data – taking into account future promotional campaigns, various external factors, and holiday items – to accurately predict inventory levels.

Advantages of Forecasting in the Supply Chain


Current forecasting technology uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to help companies plan. Instead of having to adjust your inventory based on customer needs manually, you can use past samples of inventory data to determine consumer demand patterns. Even models such as holiday purchasing can be accounted for, helping modify your projected demand based on previous years as well as current market trends. It can be challenging to perform such forecasting manually, as large amounts of data need to be taken into account. A specific product or SKU may presently be in decline but may see a boost every holiday season. A manual or traditional model of inventory management may be limited to the past few months, and therefore recommend that you cut back on supply. An inventory management system digs deeper and will realize that the product’s demand will likely boost during the holiday season even though it’s currently in decline. While a business owner will be able to recognize these types of trends over their highest profit or most notable items, it’s unlikely that they will be able to notice those trends over hundreds or thousands of inventory items—and that could result in lost revenue. Advanced forecasting makes it possible to capture these insights, even over the most significant amounts of inventory and particularly complex inventory chains.

Talk With Taylor


Don’t turn a blind eye to inventory forecasting. Without proper inventory management, you could miss on the many cost-saving opportunities and benefits that come with inventory forecasting and supply chain management. Talk with Taylor today!


Warehouse Management System (WMS) Guide
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