Efficient shipping and receiving methodologies are imperative to keeping your business running successfully – temporary structures can help you to improve this process.
One day you are moving through life effortlessly. Your business is running like a well-oiled machine with a lot of happy employees and customers, too. Then, out of nowhere, it all comes to a screeching halt.
A worldwide health pandemic has taken over – and businesses are shut down. People are told to stay at home. Income dwindles which means sales are down. And you are left scrambling – trying to figure out how to make ends meet and keep your business advancing in an entirely new world.
COVID-19 has impacted us all in many ways. But one thing is for sure, it has changed the way we do business. Those who have always had a focus on shipping and receiving are dealing with a stressed system. Those who have never really given shipping a second thought are discovering new ways to sell their products to consumers.
No matter who you are, as a business owner wanting to keep your business going, you need ways to improve shipping and receiving efficiency. A temporary structure can help.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Shipping and Receiving
When many states and local communities were placed on lockdown due to the crisis, the CDC put guidelines in place to help keep everyone safe, such as requiring masks to be worn and a 6ft distance to be maintained. This meant that businesses had to get creative and find new ways to safely meet demand. For instance, retail chains installed plexiglass at checkout counters, bars and restaurants offered drive-through service, educators used virtual platforms, and movie theaters offered drive-in movies in the parking lot. In many places, these things are still happening.
But what is happening behind the scenes?
- How are businesses handling their shipping and receiving efforts?
- What are they doing with their inventory?
- How are they handling the strain on the overall shipping/transportation industry?
Keeping Your Business Going
In tough times, the last thing you want to face is closing your business. So, you must adjust to anything and everything that comes your way. Finding new ways to do this can lead to a huge bonus of unexpected growth. To keep many businesses going throughout our country’s journey through the seemingly endless coronavirus pandemic, temporary tent structures have been sought to improve shipping and receiving efficiency. Here is why.
Warehousing
When you’ve got goods coming in, where do you store them? Many businesses have a storage area in their backroom, for instance, that holds these supplies and goods. Except since the pandemic began, more and more people are turning to order things online. This has put a strain on the entire transportation and shipping industry. Deliveries that used to arrive in two days are now taking four, for example. To make sure you will have what you want when you want it – or need it – you may find yourself placing larger orders than normal.
This increased level of inventory needs someplace to go. After all, stacking it too tightly in your current space may make social distancing for your employees next to impossible. By investing in a temporary warehouse tent, you not only allow for social distancing, but you also give yourself plenty of temporary storage space for your goods to come and go in an orderly fashion.
Inventory Management
Now that you have this influx in inventory, how are you going to maintain it? As mentioned above, you are going to need extra space to store your goods. Think about how your normal setup differs from your inventory level today. Your space may have been perfect for the way business used to run, but not today.
An increase in inventory means having to have an efficient method for keeping track. It all starts with having space where you can organize everything as it comes and goes. Then, implementing a system that allows you to find exactly what you need when you need it. A true inventory management system gives everything a specific place.
Shipping and Receiving
One thing that has greatly changed since the pandemic started is that more people are shopping online than ever before. Sure, online shopping has been a thing for a long time now, but think about it – who bought their toilet paper online? That is what we have come to.
More people are heeding the warnings of the experts and staying home. Instead of denying themselves all the goods they would get if they went shopping, they are simply ordering online instead. Even small businesses are getting in on the online marketplace, selling their goods online rather than maintaining a storefront.
What does all this mean?
Well, those who are used to shipping (and receiving) are now joined by those who are not. That means more people weighing down the delivery service and more people trying to figure out the best way to make it all happen. Truthfully, it all starts with having an organized system in place – one that is spread out, well-managed, and with detailed tracking.
You cannot do all of this in a small space – especially as online orders soar.
Small Business Losing Permanent Space
Some small businesses have, unfortunately, not survived due to lockdowns and restrictions. Although some have had to give up retail space due to lack of funds, many have not let that stop them. Working with the online markets, a lot of businesses can keep bringing in some income despite losing their permanent space.
To do this, though, they must have an affordable and effective space to handle their inventory, shipping, and receiving. Temporary tent structures that are versatile enough to fit in a backyard is a great option for the smallest of businesses.
Temporary Tent Structures
It does not matter whether you have a large business that is used to shipping and receiving on the regular or a small business looking for new ways to stay afloat, temporary tent structures can be the saving grace that makes it all happen.
COVID-19 has thrown a wrench into every industry. Adjustments to even the most established practices have been made. And, when it comes to shipping and receiving efficiency – if you do not have it or you cannot find it, then business is going to halt. Order extra, keep it organized, test your system for efficiency, and do it all under the fabric roof of a durable temporary tent structure.
