letter

Reasons to Use Direct Mail to Boost Your Business

With so much competition your business is facing, using direct mail as an advertising tool can be the best way to boost sales. Undoubtedly, many companies nowadays are going for online marketing strategies, however, there are solid proofs direct mail advertising still works.

Here are some of the benefits of direct mail advertising that can give your business the extra push to attain its goals of making it big in your area of operation.

sendingIt Encourages Interaction

One of the reasons direct mail is still a useful advertising tool is its higher level of interaction with potential customers. This is because customers personally attend to their mail. When they receive their mails, they go over them and decide whether to just throw them away or keep them. This is why, you have to make your mails eye-catching and interesting.

If you are offering some promo sales, inserting a coupon that the customer will bring to one of your outlets will encourage the potential customer to keep the coupon.

It Evokes Feelings of Nostalgia

There is no doubt that many of us still cherish the experience of receiving letters despite the popularity of emails, texts, and social media. We get the feeling that we are important because we are remembered. If a potential customer receives your mail, the feeling that he is chosen among the many may prove to have a positive repercussions on your business.

There Are More Rooms for Creativity

Aside from a personalized letter and a coupon that potential customers can use to buy your product for discounted prices, direct mail gives you more options on what to insert inside the envelope. You can insert materials that will raise interest on your product. Why not a colorful book that looks like a collector’s item? Indeed, using your creativity can enhance more enthusiasm on what you are offering.

paperThere Is Not Much Competition

Probably, most of your competitors are using digital advertising nowadays. Using direct mail can be a great way to make your business stand out from the others. If you are able to identify your target customers properly, you products or services will surely be remembered. Besides making a long-lasting impression, these potential customers will find your business a more trustworthy entity. With a continuous direct mail, it can be an easier way to derive loyalty from your target customers.…

excess stock

Overstock: How to Avoid Excess Inventory in Your Business

The term overstock refers to a situation where the stocks of raw materials and finished products stored in the warehouse are in excess of demand. In this context, inputs (incoming products) exceed outputs (outgoing products), converting the warehouse into a bottleneck. In other words, it is the opposite scenario to stock-outs, where stocks are depleted and not accumulated. Getting rid of this can be difficult. But why is excess stock generated? Several factors can cause extra stock. Ineffective inventory planning usually hides behind an overstock, often accompanied by poor coordination between the sales, logistics, and production departments. Another factor contributing to excess inventory is the miscalculation of product turnover.

surplus stockThe causes can also be linked to the type of operation of a warehouse. For example, it is easier for overstock to form in those logistics facilities that supply or store products made in a chain. In short, the factors are many. To those just listed, you can add the seasonality of certain products, the reputation of the brand, the entry of new players in the market, or the deterioration of the socio-economic conditions of a specific sector. The external and internal factors that result in overstocking can be easily avoided.

How to Avoid Excess Stock

Excess stock can also be avoided by choosing intralogistics solutions that guarantee maximum warehouse efficiency and productivity. Although every company has special needs, these three can be considered strategies applicable in most logistics contexts to reduce excess stock:

Implementing a Warehouse Management System

A digital tool such as warehouse management software allows you to predict the necessary inventory more accurately based on the demand for each SKU (stock keeping unit). The software optimizes the company’s workflow, avoids overstock situations, and assigns slots to products while elaborating the most efficient picking paths. It is, therefore, an effective system to maximize plant productivity.

Selection of Adequate Storage Systems

overstockThe warehouse must focus on solutions that adapt to the real needs of the company. When product rotation is not a priority, drive-in racks can be used to gain capacity, avoiding the risk of overstock.

Optimized Working Methods

Excess stocks can be reduced with management models such as just-in-time or the logistic strategy of cross-docking with which the storage of goods is bypassed. Both models allow you to do without large quantities of references.

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manufacturing setup

Tips for Finding the Right Manufacturing Supplier

Finding the best supplier is quite important for your business. That is because if your manufacturing supplier cannot meet deadlines and offer quality products, you will struggle to meet the needs and expectations of your customers. If you are looking a linear technology manufacturer. The following are tips to help you find the right manufacturing supplier.

Determine Your Needs

There is a need to come up with a list of things you want your manufacturing supplier to fulfill. For instance, you need to agree on the appropriate lead time. Also, you should find out whether the supplier has the capability to fulfill your minimum and maximum order quantity. Sometimes you might need the supplier to deliver products to the customers. By determining your needs in advance, you can easily evaluate all suppliers by overlooking crucial requirements.

Check Available Options

manufacturingWhen you know the product you sell to your customers, it becomes easy to find a supplier to fulfill your needs. Remember that quality is quite important and it is necessary to evaluate all your suppliers. For instance, you need to pay attention to the reputation of the supplier. Find out what other customers are saying about the supplier. Reputable suppliers provide protection and insurance. You should avoid vendors that do not protect businesses.

Evaluate Bids

After shortlisting your potential manufacturing suppliers, you need to call for bids. Make sure your RFQ form contains all details of services or products needed. In this case, you need to specify the quality standards, delivery dates, and quantities. Also, you can communicate with the vendor about its policies and processes. In this way, you can find a vendor with a supply chain that cannot causes shortages.

Check Supplier Performance

The last thing you want to do in your business is to partner with an unreliable supplier. Make sure you pay attention to the performance of the vendor. If the manufacturing supplier keeps delivering orders late or low-quality, you can terminate the contract. Also, there is a need to monitor the cost-efficiency. Maybe the deal you negotiated a few years ago was great, but times have changed, and you might need to reevaluate it.

The truth is that your manufacturing supplier can make your business grow or kill it. Therefore, you need to choose the right supplier. This will help you meet the needs of your customers and increase revenue. Make sure you define your needs before you enter into a contract with the vendor.…