How to Gain Value from a Strategic Onsite Logistics Resource
Outsourcing can bring some of the provider’s logistics experts onsite to your location. Will your onsite employees be operational, strategic, or both?
To decide which is right for you, imagine that you own a thriving alligator farm in Florida that runs five alligator wrestling programs daily.
So far, the alligator wrestlers are all your employees. But a new farm has just moved in across the street.
The rules of competition mean you need to expand to ten shows a day - and fast. What’s more, you had better come up with some new strategies that will make your alligator farm stand out.
Unfortunately, it’s getting tougher to find and retain enough skilled alligator wrestlers for all the shows you plan, much less do it quickly. So you hire an outsourcing provider that can place highly skilled alligator wrestlers onsite.
The outsource provider is also ready to place other resources onsite at your location - people who have alligator wrestling experience as well as advanced skills. They will support your growth plans and supply ideas for continuous improvement so you can stay a step ahead of competitors.
Types of Onsite Engagements
The onsite model is designed to meet specific customer objectives. The most typical onsite roles are operational, strategic, or a combination of the two. Over time, the onsite relationship can evolve as new goals are identified.
In the world of logistics outsourcing, tactical onsite resources are your supply chain’s day-to-day alligator wrestlers. Strategic onsite resources know how to wrestle, and can also help you add best practices from many industries to strengthen your supply chain strategy.
The result: you and your team can build a hard-to-beat strategy for competing and growing.
4 Questions You Should Ask a Potential Provider about Their Onsite Employees
- Can we meet a prototypical resource from your team like the one we’re looking for - or the actual individual for our specific position? The provider either has these resources readily available, or they don’t. Ask how many of their employees work onsite, how many long-term, strategic onsite employees they have, and how many newer onsite employees are being trained now to assess the size of the talent pool.
- How do you ensure your employees can translate theory into results that meet my expectations? The person who works onsite should know how to offer recommendations and have the experience to put plans into action. Look for talented people in your provider’s organization who have a history of solving problems that are similar to yours.
- How do you ensure that your onsite people stay abreast of the latest continuous improvement methods? The provider should have regular communications, networking events, internal and external seminars, and other opportunities so onsite personnel can learn and bring back current best practices to your organization.
- What happens to these individuals when their onsite engagement ends? This may be the most important question you can ask a potential provider. A provider that values both the employee and their expertise will have a reintegration strategy for providing more opportunities that can help the individual advance their career. The employee may choose to rotate through other provider departments and functions for a broader perspective of the business, or to explore another onsite position that will help them build additional skills and experience.
Download the White Paper: Collaborative Outsourcing: How to Gain Value from a Strategic Onsite Logistics Resource
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