How Ava is Securing Precious Cargo this Busy Holiday Season
Year-end is a critical time for the logistics sector as companies manage increased demand whilst navigating the unique challenges of the holiday season.
The end of the year is always a time of opportunity and risk for logistic and supply chain companies as consumers and suppliers are driven by the urgency of the season. In recent years, this urgency has been heightened by the continued, and increasing, switch from stores to eCommerce, and by events such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Whilst commerce businesses attempt to deliver seamless shopping experiences and speedy delivery for their customers, logistics and transportation companies must work hard to keep the supply chain stable.
As the gold-standard in precious cargo logistics, Ava approaches the holiday season with the same tenacity and attention to detail that we do throughout the year, whilst considering the additional and unique challenges of the season!
Key challenges of international shipping during the holiday season
Capacity Constraints
The holiday rush can lead to bottlenecks and delays globally. Increased consumer spending means bigger shipping volumes and therefore a surge in demand across sectors including warehouses, distribution centres and transportation networks.
All of these businesses are operating at full capacity, or above capacity! This creates a strain on the workforce, potentially leading to burnout, sometimes requiring companies to make seasonal hires. This can cause variability in skill levels as well as familiarity with protocols or systems, possibly reducing the quality of work and so increasing the risk of accidents or mistakes.
Shipping Deadlines
During the holiday season, everyone is trying to achieve their holiday delivery deadlines. This causes shorter lead times, which only add to the stresses of a sector already working at capacity.
Transportation Bottlenecks
Certain geographical areas, roads, ports and borders become especially busy during this period. This is a concern for logistics companies and carriers, as they want to keep all their systems flowing smoothly, balance cargo routes, and avoid bottlenecks. Transportation companies sometimes capitalise on this higher demand by increasing their costs over the festive season.
Disruptions
Whilst demand surges, so does the risk of disruption during the end-of-year period. Weather and infrastructure issues are a huge concern for everyone.
Air cargo capacity can become more constrained towards the end of the year, which is further compounded if major transport hubs in the northern hemisphere are impacted by extreme weather conditions, such as snow or heavy rain, which can cause damage to ports, airports, bridges, roads, and other transport infrastructure.
Not only are weather risks increased, but there is more traffic on the roads, all contending with potentially adverse weather.
Customs and Regulatory Hurdles
Just as all other areas of the transportation system are overwhelmed, so are the Customs Officers. This can make it harder to get the required authorisation or paperwork. Coupled with closures during national holidays across the world, bottlenecks and backlogs can create major problems and delays.
Cybersecurity and Fraud Threats
Hackers view the holiday season as an opportunity and will try to exploit the holiday rush with phishing scams, ransomware attacks, and attempts to steal credit card information or hack weak or ‘recycled’ passwords.
These threats can disrupt operations, compromise sensitive data, and cause significant delays when businesses are at their busiest.
Taking Risk Seriously
When you choose the right logistics partner, there is no need to worry about the challenges of the holiday season. Ava works closely with each client to understand their requirements and provide customised solutions through our trusted global partner network.
This means that we can easily make adaptations to suit your seasonal requirements. In order for us to do this, you will have a dedicated Account Manager who works closely with the in-house Risk Management team, as well as our partner's team to create detailed contingency plans.
Fail to Prepare, Prepare to Fail
We believe that appropriate preparation is always the key to safe, successful and on-time deliveries. Our Risk Management Team conducts in-person, regular, detailed audits and reviews with our 200+ trusted partners, as well as with airports and ports. We carefully select the trusted partners we know we can rely on to work tirelessly throughout the intense holiday period.
Risk Ratings and Weather Forecasts
All countries where we regularly work are reviewed monthly and assigned risk ratings, helping to determine how and when further audits are conducted. Advanced weather forecasting models provide us with essential information to support how we choose optimal routes during the holiday season, so that your deliveries aren’t hampered by adverse weather conditions.
These forecasts form part of our detailed contingency plans developed by our in-house Risk Management Team.
We do our due diligence to deliver you peace of mind.
Customer Experience Platform
Our Customer Experience Platform keeps you in the loop throughout your shipment with real-time updates, meaning you never have to worry about where your precious items are. Our reliable team is available on the platform 24/7, 365 days a year, because we know that the additional challenges of the holiday period elevate stress and concern for important deliveries.
The platform allows us to streamline processes, to have seamless coordination and to highlight our cost-effective routes and strategies to our clients. The Platform is crucial in maintaining the high standard of customer service we are so proud of during the busy and potentially tense end of year.
Conclusion
The holiday season is a challenging time for the logistics industry, but Ava's commitment to meticulous planning, risk management and customer satisfaction ensures that precious cargo reaches its destination safely and on time.
By leveraging our trusted global partner network, advanced contingency strategies and real-time Customer Experience Platform, we provide seamless and reliable solutions tailored to the unique demands of the season. With Ava, you can rest assured that your most valuable shipments are in safe and expert hands.
