Supply Chain World Volume 11, Issue 6 December 2024 | Page 24

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How flexible freight solutions can help
Understanding how to improve supply chain flexibility has major benefits for the supply chain . Here are a few flexible freight solutions to successfully boost overall supply chain resiliency and agility :
• Diversified transport Utilizing at least two or more modes of transport in terms of road , sea , air , and rail ensures that if issues arise with one , supply chains can more easily recover . For example , recent hurricane and storm activity in the US hugely limited road logistics , and it was only those who were able to quickly switch to other modes that were able to keep their supply chains intact . At the moment , that ’ s agility , but over time , that reads as a resiliency that business partners can rely on .
• Integrating technology Machine learning , AI , and better data technology are at the forefront of flexible freight solutions , and they ’ re also frequently cited as key factors in a more agile supply chain . They make operations far more innovative and in doing so , ensure that companies stay ahead of the market rather than falling behind .
• Dynamic routing and scheduling A big part of flexible transportation and logistics is the idea that routes and schedules should be adjustable based on real-time data . The impact that this has in terms of agility and resiliency is significant as it ultimately means that supply chains don ’ t end up too locked into a single plan . If there ’ s a roadblock , no problem . Routes are changed accordingly , and schedules are spaced out to accommodate so that the supply chain is simply altered rather than ground to a halt .
Leveraging agile solutions to stay ahead
There ’ s a strategic advantage that agile freight solutions offer that goes beyond the supply chain itself . Here ’ s how it can impact the competitiveness of a business too :
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