Great Logistics New Zealand is challenging the exorbitant shipping costs for individual items from overseas with a unique solution.
By opting to ship customers’ purchases to their local warehouse overseas, customers can use their repackaging service, ultimately saving costs. Great Logistics aims to reduce the weight and size of the customer’s items, “significantly lowering the overall shipping costs.”
Locate2u sat down with Great Logistics to gain insight into the eight-year-old company, which is committed to offering alternative solutions to customers grappling with international shipping challenges.
Turning challenges into opportunities
It recently expanded its operations to Sydney and Melbourne in Australia. “The majority of our customers are foreign immigrants and students residing and studying in Australia and New Zealand.”
However, as it expands, small businesses will also benefit from its services. The plan is to expand the business to additional cities in Australia or across more countries globally.
“Our top priority has always been service quality, prioritizing it over cost or company size. Building a solid foundation steadily and securely equips us with the capability to respond effectively to surprises such as global supply chain disruptions, natural disasters, global conflicts, or other unforeseen challenges,” says Great Logistics.
Facing sea cargo challenges
Occasionally, Great Logistics is confronted with delays in sea cargo, which requires the business to prepare for a significant influx of parcels at our warehouse. However, due to their experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, those delays no longer catch them off guard.
They firmly believe in good communication and planning. “Effective communication not only helps us maintain healthy relationships with our customers but also enables us to provide real-time feedback and recommendations. This proactive approach assists our customers in preparing for potential supply chain disruptions.”
Red Sea crisis concerns
“As a service provider, we are genuinely concerned about global conflicts and the potentially unstable future they may bring,” says Great Logistics.
“It’s challenging, if not impossible, for consumers to react swiftly to unforeseen events such as the Red Sea crisis or the latest Middle East conflict. These incidents are just examples of how the supply chain can be impacted unexpectedly. While communication and preparation may not provide foolproof solutions, they certainly prove to be helpful.”
How technology changed the game
In the beginning years, Great Logistics initially imported addresses into Google Maps for its delivery drivers. However as the delivery volume grew, optimizing the daily routes manually became an “increasing challenge.”
Great Logistics recognizes the importance of effective planning to streamline the process. “We find Locate2u to be an exceptionally robust and competitive app. One of its most significant enhancements is the ability for operators to freely modify routes, allowing drivers to preview and familiarize themselves with their routes directly from their phones.”
Artificial intelligence (AI) brings change to logistics
“AI is poised to dominate major industries, with logistics being one of the sectors likely to experience positive impacts,” believes Great Logistics.
It believes a shift is underway from traditional methods to AI implementation. “As AI technology becomes more accessible to smaller businesses, the decision to adopt AI or not could significantly impact the cost and effectiveness of logistics operations.”
AI boosting knowledge
With more companies fully embracing AI in the logistics industry, Great Logistics believes it has the potential to “significantly change our lives.” It believes AI introduces a fresh perspective to the industry.
“Our existing knowledge and experiences may become outdated, but with AI’s assistance, many ongoing issues can be addressed effortlessly. For instance, implementing AI algorithms can help solve numerous supply chain challenges, leading to the maintenance of a smooth and efficient supply chain if the cost of implementation becomes more accessible to consumers.”
Business advice from the CEO
Here are three lessons from Great Logistics’ CEO that are used to grow the company.
- Best leadership lesson: “No one can master everything, so we focus on the areas where our team and I excel. We’ve been doing exceptionally well in our chosen field and are committed to continuously improving.”
- How do you reap the rewards?: “I don’t view logistics as an industry filled with high risk and high returns. Instead, it feels more like a steady river flow rather than a sudden tsunami. Most decisions are made with careful estimation, research, and discussions, resulting in outcomes that exceed mere satisfaction.”
- How do you stay motivated?: “Receiving positive reviews from our customers is always a highlight for our team. Happy customers are our most powerful motivators. We firmly believe that there are always more solutions than problems.”
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About the author
Mia is a multi-award-winning journalist. She has more than 14 years of experience in mainstream media. She's covered many historic moments that happened in Africa and internationally. She has a strong focus on human interest stories, to bring her readers and viewers closer to the topics at hand.
