Cross Dock Delivers New Level of Efficiency for Leading Retailer
Leveraging its network of cross dock locations, Hub Group optimized a top retailer’s supply chain, reducing its transportation spend, streamlining inbound operations, and shortening transit times.
The Challenge
When it comes to optimizing your supply chain network, there’s no silver bullet. Refining network operations requires thorough analysis, a well-thought-out strategy, and resources such as innovative technology and established business relationships.
Considering the vast number of purchase orders accruing by the minute, one of the nation’s leading retailers sought to reduce their transportation spend, condense inbound loads to their fulfillment centers, and shorten overall transit for their less-than-truckload (LTL) freight. Fortunately, Hub Group’s capabilities were the answer they’d been looking for.
The Solution
After conducting a network analysis, Hub Group executed a series of enhancements to the retailer’s supply chain. The solution started with introducing a new, strategic carrier mix to service the company, leveraging industry-leading buying power to source the right carriers at the right time. This solution allowed Hub Group to deliver reduced rates and increased on-time service for the retailer.
Second, Hub Group’s strategy aimed to streamline the retailer’s vendor network by positioning inventory to execute consolidation opportunities. One of the major headaches with inbound shipments coming into a distribution center is the dock congestion that occurs. Multiple LTL carriers arriving at the dock not only impact the speed of shipments but with more product handling involved, your freight runs the risk of being damaged or mishandled. Subsequently, both of these factors can drastically impact a company’s bottom line. This was a looming problem for the retailer, but fortunately, Hub Group’s cross dock solutions gave a smoother, more timely dock process.
Hub Group leveraged its intricate network of cross dock locations throughout the United States to streamline the retailer’s global vendor network. Performing this operation for the retailer’s fulfillment centers in the Northeast, Midwest, and Central regions, Hub Group lessened transit times for more than 400,000 shipments and consolidated products from multiple vendors, condensing the amount of inbound freight to the retailer’s fulfillment centers.
Aside from a network analysis pinpointing focus areas and strategies that streamlined the retailer’s inbound operations, Hub Group’s innovative resources served to be invaluable as well. Through our leading transportation management system (TMS), dashboard analytics, and a dedicated account management team, Hub Group increased the retailer’s overall visibility to their vast network.
The dedicated team produces weekly scorecards with key performance indicators (KPIs) crucial to the company. Hub Group also manages compliance for the retailer’s 7,800+ vendors. This 24/7 monitoring coupled with industry-leading technology allows the team to be agile to the organization’s ever-changing needs and requests, including varying EDI mapping and a vigorous peak season.
You don’t become one of the nation’s leading retailers without having time-sensitive solutions in place. When this retailer chose to work with Hub Group, they leveraged a dynamic service provider that could produce out-of-the-box results for their rapidly growing supply chain.
To learn more:
email: [email protected]
phone: 800-377-5833
web: www.hubgroup.com