Businesses need to transport goods and services from producers to consumer markets. Hence, shipping is a critical part of their operations.
Mostly, shipping goes off without a hitch. But sometimes problems - particularly fraud and theft - are a concern.
Counterfeiting is a major supply chain issue currently. The World Trade Organization estimates that supply chains distribute more than $1 trillion of false goods every year, damaging brands and potentially putting consumers at risk. Furthermore, they estimate that a further $1 trillion is stolen directly, leading to massive shrinkage and losses globally.
Firms, therefore, need to protect their high-value shipments. But how? That’s precisely what we discuss in the following post.
Validate Your Supply Chain
If you’re shipping high-value goods, the first thing that you need to do is validate your supply chain. You need to ensure that the goods that producers are sending and assembling are authentic and not using cheap copycat products.
The best way to verify your supply chain is to insist on NFC tagging. This way, you can track individual items as they move through ports and shipping containers, viewing their progress online.
Use Secure Transport Options
Don’t rely on standard containers to ship your high-value items. Instead, use secure contains, like those discussed by Portable Storage Box. These units have anti-tamper mechanisms and often require authorization to enter.
With this, you will need to make sure to get the right twistlock, to ensure that the storage container is as safe and secure as possible. You can go to your local hardware shop and purchase locks that will do the job perfectly.
Proactively Monitor Your Shipments
Proactively monitoring your shipments allows you to identify any suspicious patterns of behavior and rectify them immediately. For example, if you see a shipment going to the wrong destination, you can contact the supplier and get them to resolve the issue.
Layer Insurance Products
Not all insurance will cover every eventuality that your shipments might face, so always layer your cover. Find products that satisfy both your requirements for loss and damage. And always inform the insurance firm of the type and value of goods that you want to ship. They will then provide insurance quotes that match the level of risk (and guarantee a payout should something go wrong).
Teach Employees About Security
Employees should have a working understanding of the security situation and the types of things that supply chain firms may do to compromise your goods. Train your staff to identify potential product tampering and create robust reporting structures.
Validate Customers
Make sure that your products arrive at their intended destination by validating your customers ahead of time. Always check their addresses and payment methods before shipping, just in case they are fraudulent.
Coordinate Delivery
You’ll also want to coordinate the delivery of high-value goods with the recipients. Make sure that they choose a delivery slot in which they can personally receive the goods. Try to avoid leaving goods outside or arranging with a neighbor to take them.
Use Experienced Carriers
Some carriers are more experienced in transporting high-value goods than others. Only use those who specialize in this niche as they are much more likely to understand your requirements. Try to minimize things like handoffs or signatures, as transferring goods from one carrier to another is risky.